google Chrome: how to disable geolocation?

[Skypix7]

Hi, hope someone can help me find what quite a lot of Googling hasn't helped with.
I'm in Germany, and trying to access a website in America that, as soon as it loads, switches to the German version. The location feature is I suppose at fault, since Chrome knows I'm here...but no matter what I try, I can't get the english version of the site to open.
Of course, I can translate the German version but it doesn't have the information I want.
I know there used to be a way to disable such a "helpful" feature, but the latest version of Chrome, which I also can't find because they keep "improving" things with each new version, not only doesn't have "under the hood" (which is so "last 20 versions ago" I guess) but no path I've discovered yet to find how to let me open the website I want rather than a foreign version...utterly annoying, I've spent almost an hour I didn't want to spend on this stupidity, just so Google can more effectively sell ads, i suppose...or maybe Google just really sincerely wants to help me.
All software makers seem to have fallen into this trap of endlessly refining software...it's a perfectionist obsession with programmers and I wish they'd knock it off until major changes really are needed based on surveying their users first.
:end rant (and thanks for any help)

 

[lxskllr]

They might be using the ip address. Try using the Tor Browser Bundle, and picking an exit node in or near the USA.

https://www.torproject.org/

Alternately, use a browser that gives you control, like Firefox.

 

[Skypix7]

Thanks lxskllr, maybe I'll go back to Firefox...I used to use it but it got so slow and topheavy I got ticked off and went with Chrome, which has a lot of cool features, but this inability to disable the location thingy ain't one of them.

I checked out Tor, my paranoia index isn't high enough for me to adopt the apparent downsides. :sneaky:

They might be using the ip address. Try using the Tor Browser Bundle, and picking an exit node in or near the USA.

https://www.torproject.org/

Alternately, use a browser that gives you control, like Firefox.

 

[lxskllr]

I checked out Tor, my paranoia index isn't high enough for me to adopt the apparent downsides. :sneaky:

Well, that's up to you. The browser bundle works from a folder, so it's completely portable. It would be useful for things like this, especially if this is kind of a one off. It also creates Tor traffic which strengthens the network, and helps protect the people who use it. Think of it as community service :^D

 

[Skypix7]

Okay, thanks, never hurts to do community service, I'll give it a try if Firefox turns out to be as clunky as it was when I abandoned ship, thanks!

Well, that's up to you. The browser bundle works from a folder, so it's completely portable. It would be useful for things like this, especially if this is kind of a one off. It also creates Tor traffic which strengthens the network, and helps protect the people who use it. Think of it as community service :^D

 

[jkroeder]

Chromes geolocation setting is under Privacy - Content Settings

At least it is in the newer dev releases when they changed the UI. I don't use the Stable release so I'm not 100% sure.

 

[Skypix7]

Thanks jk, maybe I'm on the wrong hunt: I downloaded and installed Firefox, disabled geolocation, and the damn URL bar continues to take me to German-centric websites. When I wanted to download Firefox for instance from Mozilla, it wanted to send me a german version! Arrgh!...so maybe I'm asking the wrong question: how do I get the browser to act as if it didn't know where I was?

Chromes geolocation setting is under Privacy - Content Settings

At least it is in the newer dev releases when they changed the UI. I don't use the Stable release so I'm not 100% sure.

 

[Fardringle]

As was mentioned earlier, this is not a case of your browser telling the web site your location. The web sites are looking at your IP address and using that to determine your location.

 

[bruceb]

Web sites, should not be looking at the IP to determine a user's location. What if I am visiting a foreign country and want to view an American web site, in English, since I can not read or type in the language of the country I am in ? ? All good websites, allow you to chose the Language you want or the country you want to view. In the case of the poster's problem the easiest answer may just to use a US Based Proxy Server and see if that works for him. And there a sites where Firefox in English can be downloaded from.

Here is a link to the FTP Download of Firefox 12 (in English)

http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/12.0/win32/eu/

 

[Skypix7]

Thank you both...that's both helpful and more confounding...since I've been to this location (my wife's parent's house) for many years, always used the same IP and wifi connection, and have never had this problem, at least not to this degree.

I did download Firefox english, thanks much. Maybe I'll just give up, don't know what else to do at this point.

Web sites, should not be looking at the IP to determine a user's location. What if I am visiting a foreign country and want to view an American web site, in English, since I can not read or type in the language of the country I am in ? ? All good websites, allow you to chose the Language you want or the country you want to view. In the case of the poster's problem the easiest answer may just to use a US Based Proxy Server and see if that works for him. And there a sites where Firefox in English can be downloaded from.

Here is a link to the FTP Download of Firefox 12 (in English)

http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/12.0/win32/eu/