[bbc reduces services] in your best interests

Yet another attempt by a department to reduce services to the public:

Across the BBC website we are making a change to the way we present content for audiences inside and outside the UK.

Up to now, people outside the UK who visited the website could select a UK version and those within the UK could select an international version of the site.

A radio button in the "set location" section at the top of the BBC homepage and on the left hand side of News and Sport pages allowed you to switch between versions.

From now on this won't be the case. The button is going, so if you are inside the UK you will simply see the UK version, outside the UK you'll see the international version.

Isn't that nice? Some comments:

# 29 comments so far, and 100% against the new scheme. As an IT professional, I have to agree that customization of the site based on source IP address is a bad idea. As a reader of the site, I have to agree that I prefer the ability to choose International or UK versions.

# ... "The change also means that the advertising which you can see on our pages if you are outside the UK can be integrated around our pages without the need to change page formats for the UK version of the site" ....

Which we can see on your pages eh? What makes you think we want to see advertising in the first place? Do we have a choice? I complained bitterly when it first started to appear in small doses and was fobbed off with meaningless drivel. I fear the worst for the BBC when hype stories like this emerge.

# Typical BBC Arrogance towards many faithful expats who want to keep in touch with home and what is happening there. Personally I don't care about being able to watch TV shows or some other content. I can use the BBC iPlayer to listen to Radio 4 or 5live. However, I do like to see the UK Content upfront when I sign in and be able to go to the UK Sites that I like.

Speaking personally, when I was in Russia, I wanted the UK version. Now I'm here, I want the international version.