# Google thinks I am abroad!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-thinks-i-am-abroad/399878>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 12, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-thinks-i-am-abroad/399878 "2007-04-12T23:26:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PoorWarblingOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4491bb/32.png) [@PoorWarblingOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorWarblingOne)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-thinks-i-am-abroad/399878/1 "2007-04-12T23:26:51Z")

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An odd thing has begun happening when I visit [google.com](http://google.com): the front page is in some form of Greek/Russian script. When I visit [google.co.uk](http://google.co.uk), all is as it should be, and I have made double sure that all my google preferences are set so that English is my language.

What could I have missed? And why would it suddenly have changed?

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-thinks-i-am-abroad/399878/2 "2007-04-12T23:41:17Z")

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I have no idea.

But I just discovered among Google’s language options that I can set it to “Elmer Fudd,” and I had to share.

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**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-thinks-i-am-abroad/399878/3 "2007-04-12T23:42:25Z")

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Google ‘google virus’.  
Seems some virii can change the Google home page.

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**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-thinks-i-am-abroad/399878/4 "2007-04-12T23:44:18Z")

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[QUOTE=Will Repair]  
Google ‘google virus’.  
[/QUOTE]  
And if that doesn’t work, google “Google ‘google virus’.”

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**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-thinks-i-am-abroad/399878/5 "2007-04-12T23:46:40Z")

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So, you’re a dude? Have you thought about maybe dressing differently? New hairstyle? Ditching the k.d. lang cd’s?

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**Author:** ![PoorWarblingOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4491bb/32.png) [@PoorWarblingOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorWarblingOne)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-thinks-i-am-abroad/399878/6 "2007-04-12T23:50:00Z")

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Contrapuntal, it took me a second to get that… Then I laughed for at least a minute 🙂

My virus scanners are coming up clean - it was the first thing I checked. Sorry, should have specified that in the OP.

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**Author:** ![PoorWarblingOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4491bb/32.png) [@PoorWarblingOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorWarblingOne)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-thinks-i-am-abroad/399878/7 "2007-04-12T23:58:08Z")

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Problem fixed. I just nuked all my cookies. Something in there must have been confusing things.

Sorry, folks! Thread can be closed any time you like.

(am off to check out Elmer Fudd-style google)

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-thinks-i-am-abroad/399878/8 "2007-04-13T00:05:46Z")

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Be suwe to give Kwingon a twy, too!!

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**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-thinks-i-am-abroad/399878/9 "2007-04-13T00:40:52Z")

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[QUOTE=KneadToKnow]  
I have no idea.

But I just discovered among Google’s language options that I can set it to “Elmer Fudd,” and I had to share.  
[/QUOTE]

And Igpay Atinlay!

Istray