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Google Maps renames "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" faster than US Government

arstechnica.com

61–67 of 67 posts

Re: Google Maps renames "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" faster than US Government

#61
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What I want to call If you express something, it should have a constructive purpose. Sheerly reactive curses rarely fit in that. Edit: Again, repeating what already written here: The disagreeing part better formulate an argument. This post is consistent with the message: because again, silent disagreement is very much not constructive.

> If you express something, it should have a constructive purpose. I feel like trying to make any expression constructive is one of those 'nice in theory' but also 'not a thing that has ever or will ever be done by any human being, because it's an insane inhumane thing to practice' ideals. You cannot make every expression of opinion constructive. Take the case of this post. There is no need for constructive criticism…

> by any human being

What do you think this very writer is, a demiGod?

> any use of energy to provide that constructive expression is

A duty.

> not doing it out of good will

That subset is just noise, we go on with the debate.

Re: Google Maps renames "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" faster than US Government

#62
post #54
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What I want to call If you express something, it should have a constructive purpose. Sheerly reactive curses rarely fit in that. Edit: Again, repeating what already written here: The disagreeing part better formulate an argument. This post is consistent with the message: because again, silent disagreement is very much not constructive.

Unfortunately half of voters have no interest in engaging in meaningful discourse and think angels are real and climate change is a hoax.

Be reminded, young man, that very probably you yourself have little titles to judge those matters.

And your point does not exempt anyone from constructiveness.

Re: Google Maps renames "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" faster than US Government

#63
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That doesn't make it any less disgusting, though. And there are also companies that aren't quite so eager to comply.

It's honestly shocking how many people have already separated companies from the people that run them. "It's okay that they did evil, they had to! It's for profit!" Take a step out of the cave and look around, it's all people. There is no such thing as a soulless automaton, it may just be a machine but there is a person pushing its buttons, there is a man behind the curtain, and you should pay attention to him or wha…

That's true. And that's exactly why we should blame Google's employees - they are the ones to blame for what's happening.

Re: Google Maps renames "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" faster than US Government

#64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> why die on this hill Because when the orange one is gone, people will remember what a supremely supine bastard you were, and now you're no longer protected, will punish you hard.

When it’s renamed back they will likely rename it just as quickly again. Their job is to provide a map with the correct names based on whatever governments name places… not to make passive aggressive political statements of omission.

Well no, it's not. Their job is to provide a useful map. Maps which name things as most people call them are accurate and useful.

Maps which rename things for political causes are not useful to the users of the maps. In the same way, newspapers which report what governments tell them to report, rather than reporting what is true, are not useful to their readers. Readers don't want propaganda rags, especially if they know they're wrong.

Don't get me wrong, most countries have a way that involves their own citizens in naming processes, and a renaming can happen if enough people in the area think the name has to change. That then feeds into gazetteers, GIS and so on. But don't confuse "government facilitates agreement among citizens to change their place names", which it does, with "government has the authority to tell people what something's called", which it doesn't.

You sound like a bootlicker, so tell me, what would happen if the orange one dictated that the state of New York is now "Shitty McShitland"? Will you be calling it that? Should people who live there call it that? If the orange one dictates your name is now "Shitty McShitface", will you call yourself that?

Re: Google Maps renames "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" faster than US Government

#65
I've been keeping an eye on the USGS "Recent Earthquakes" web-based app (it has a PWA as well) and reloading it once a day or so. But even though I heard the USGS mention rapidly updating the name, perhaps on X, the "Recent Earthquakes" map is still indicating Lake Ontario as of right now.

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/?extent=42.09007...

Re: Google Maps renames "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" faster than US Government

#66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google isn't a branch of the government, they can call the lake whatever they want. It's a decision to comply that quickly and cravenly, presumably because Trump is vindictive, why die on this hill.

> why die on this hill Because when the orange one is gone, people will remember what a supremely supine bastard you were, and now you're no longer protected, will punish you hard.

If people have largely forgotten or forgiven Nazi sympathizing companies, what makes you think they’ll remember and boycott companies who renamed a map?

Re: Google Maps renames "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" faster than US Government

#67
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's honestly shocking how many people have already separated companies from the people that run them. "It's okay that they did evil, they had to! It's for profit!" Take a step out of the cave and look around, it's all people. There is no such thing as a soulless automaton, it may just be a machine but there is a person pushing its buttons, there is a man behind the curtain, and you should pay attention to him or wha…

That's true. And that's exactly why we should blame Google's employees - they are the ones to blame for what's happening.

I believe in the trickle down theory of blame for corporate malfeasance. Starting with the CEOs and VPs and C-level executives and working down until the cancer is removed is, in my opinion, the only way to cure the issue.
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