This chart shows the Languages Used to Access Google from March 2001 till November 2003. There isn’t much explanation of what this means, but I assume it refers to people accessing localized versions of Google’s web page, rather than the language they use to search. After all, the number one search from Google.de (Germany) for October and November is “manga”, which is a Japanese word. Still, it is noticeable that many more people are going to Google.de or Google.fr than to Google.com. This means that more and more people are probably surfing the web in their own language.
The Google Zeitgeist also provides clues as to why the Dutch speak English so well. Their top searches include: spongebob, eminem, christina aguilera, jennifer lopez, and beyonce — which surprises me because I though the Dutch had better taste. I’d be very curious to know why so many Japanese are searching for “detective web sites”!? After all, they aren’t still working as “wakaresaseya,” or professional relationship destroyers, are they?
