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Cultural Differences and impact on Web Development
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Because most Web users tend to be North American, many Web designers are
oblivious to the subtle cultural connotations that language, colors and
design can take on in a foreign setting. Companies wishing to
internationalize their sites should be particularly sensitive to language
(no colloquialisms, such as using "wicked" to mean "good"), colors (white
denotes purity in Western countries, but death in many Asian nations), and
the gestures made by models (showing the palms, as in a wave, is
considered an insult in some Mediterranean countries). "Color takes on
enormously different overtones from one country to the next," says one
corporate globalization consultant. "That doesn't mean you can't use
those colors. It just means you want to rethink what the visuals look
like on your pages and on your links." (CIO Web Business 1 Dec 97)
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