Working with Illustrator on Vector Ideas for Internet Geoblocking Woes

I started writing an article on my experiences traveling abroad and having a very limited and inferior access to various services such as Netflix. This is due to companies like Netflix tracking your IP and based on your IP address and location giving you less content even if logging in from your account that you created in the U.S.

Netflix is just one example and the company is pretty known for this due to various licensing fees associated with TV shows and film content. It is also a reason many travelers and expats living abroad use VPN services to mask their IP addresses. However, geoblocking, and various aspects of the Internet being not free and equal for all globally, are much bigger than Netflix or any consumer services. Major U.S.-based media, such as LA Times, are being blocked in Europe right now with geolocation tracking due to Europe's latest privacy laws called GDPR.

There are other things associated with limiting online access to users based on geographical locations and even accessibility options that can cause major headaches for English speakers who want to create content in English. Even Weebly is not immune to this as it automatically adjusts the language based on location rather than prompts you to choose it as you edit a site from the get go. You have to find the drop down menu yourself and even then some things have remained in a different language for me in the menu when I drag and drop them into the side bar.

I go into these details in an article I am writing and hopefully pitching to a publication focusing on media, technology, privacy or online activities. If I do not pitch it right or get it published I will publish it on my own blog (and main personal site) at www.-mike-lata.com and possibly here as well. However, the reason I am writing this post is because I created some graphic design ideas for the piece I wanted to share on the site. It is also a reason to update something with this site as it hasn't seen many updates since launch.

Here are some ideas I created and variations of them all in Illustrator and mostly using the pen tool with some added effects:

The variation below took longer to create and may take longer to load because it used a 3D effect for the WWW icons on the bottom that it turned into a cylinder I decided to keep because I thought it looks cool and adds some flair to the overall image. However, it becomes a bit more busy and that cool looking globe that almost looks like it is coming out of the screen above due to shading effects, or outer glow, is kind of absent in it (variant below). ​

Here is another variant with a similar, albeit different looking 3D effect that I created:

​And finally something a bit more tech noir or darker in tone using some neon glow affects:

I also have some PDF files of the various variations, but Weebly is limiting my ability to upload some of them until I upgrade to a better plan. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the content and the article should be finished soon. Look for here or on my main blog of www.maciejduraj.com for it or its hyperlink if it gets published elsewhere.