Things that bug me: Internet edition (part one)

Web video. I love web video. When it works.

But.

I hate the stupid geography controls that prevent me from watching video on American websites, notably the Daily Show and Colbert Report websites, and now Saturday Night Live clips on the NBC website (scoff if you will, but for a few weeks Tina Fey made SNL relevant again, okay?).

I can understand that the Canadian broadcasters who air these shows in Canada don't want to lose potential ad revenue from Canadian viewers. Fine. The Comedy Network and Global TV have their own websites which include web video. The problem is that the video archives are not as extensive or well organized as the ones on the American sites. It really really bothers me that I cannot access John Hodgman's "Iraq War Essay Contest" Daily Show segment on the inadequate Comedy Network/CTV websites while it's available to viewers in America (and overseas! I watched The Daily Show online from the UK this summer!).

The bottom line is this: If you are going to cut off my access to a product because you want my advertising dollars, offer me an alternative that is equally as good or even better. Because right now I cannot watched the clips that I want to, meaning that whatever potential ad dollars I represent are being lost to the ether and that I have negative associations with the Comedy Network, CTV, and Global.

Good job, everyone. You should be so proud of yourselves.

P.S. Also, Ticketmaster.ca's search interface and options suck.