Live data from Hacker News

Google Maps in the US Will Change to Gulf of America and Mount McKinley

theverge.com

71–80 of 81 posts

Re: Google Maps in the US Will Change to Gulf of America and Mount McKinley

#71
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Asides from the GOP winning the popular vote, you seem to be counting people that didn’t vote as opposition rather than nulls.

[According to Wikipedia]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidentia... ), the parent is correct: Trump won 49.8% of the vote.

It's close enough to "most" that I think it's worth rounding up in most conversational contexts.

This isn't some minority view committing a coup. This is a pretty-damn-near majority using the electoral process to give itself a thumb on the scale to win.

It may not be "what America really is", but it's also not not who America really is. It's fair to say that this is who the world should continue to expect us to be, and that we'll continue to think that this is a democratic country. (Not just that 49.8%, but a large majority, even most of those who oppose the present government.)

Re: Google Maps in the US Will Change to Gulf of America and Mount McKinley

#72
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't want Google naming things, but I don't want a President naming them either. My preference is for things to be named by the people who live there/use the thing, but failing that at least I would want my mapping software to present the fact that there are multiple names/borders and let me pick which I want to view.

The president was given this power by the people. Crowd sourcing this is a particularly bad idea as countries already have working institutions that map and name things. One alternative would be for Congress to create more barriers for name changes.

The president is taking this issue as a power grab. He does not have rights to name things. There is a geological naming board appointed by cabinet heads. The executive order instructs his newly appointed department heads to purge their geological naming boards of any members who may not agree to these names. This is not something that has happened before, and not by design.

Re: Google Maps in the US Will Change to Gulf of America and Mount McKinley

#73
post #18

Countries can tell companies what the maps of their countries should look like and what things should be called. For example, Google shows different info about the Kashmir region depending on whether you are in Pakistan or India or external to both, because of how the Indian and Pakistani governments define the borders and names of the region. If the US government changes a thing's name, then Google will change that…

>Countries can tell companies what the maps of their countries should look like and what things should be called.

Not in America. The First Amendment means private entities, individual or organization, are free to draw maps and name things however they like and the government may not tell them what to do. The government can decide how it does its own maps, and society at large can decide whether they wish to use a different product or not.

>I don't want Google to choose what things are called

Tough shit. Google may choose for a variety of reasons to go along with what the USG decides is the naming, and in this case it has, but they can't be compelled by force to do so. And other private entities can choose differently should they wish. And of course everyone is entitled to comment or criticize it, and then comment and criticize the comments and criticism in turn, and make use and spending choices accordingly and so on. That's the vibrant market of ideas we're founded on.

Re: Google Maps in the US Will Change to Gulf of America and Mount McKinley

#74
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Asides from the GOP winning the popular vote, you seem to be counting people that didn’t vote as opposition rather than nulls.

[According to Wikipedia]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidentia... ), the parent is correct: Trump won 49.8% of the vote.

You may or may not be right but don’t cite wikipedia. Wikipedia themselves tell you not to do this.

My point re: most Americans voted for the President is Trump winning the popular vote. Which is shown on Wikipedia, but I’m not going to cite it. :)

Re: Google Maps in the US Will Change to Gulf of America and Mount McKinley

#75
post #58
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Asides from the GOP winning the popular vote, you seem to be counting people that didn’t vote as opposition rather than nulls.

That appears to be moving the goal posts. In your grandparent post, you simply stated that more than half the country support Trump; viciousvoxel was refuting that by pointing out that less than half the country voted for him. How many actively opposed him is immaterial to your initial statement.

More than half of voters that voted for Democrat or Republican voted for Trump.

Maybe my language was imprecise, I could agree with you there, but I don’t think the other people matter.

Re: Google Maps in the US Will Change to Gulf of America and Mount McKinley

#77

What's so odd about it? Countries do that all the time, Czech Republic is now Czechia, Turkey is Türkiye, Haźlach is now Hażlach. USA may as well change it's name to "Trump land", and Germans will still call it Vereinigte Staaten and Iranians will call it Great Satan.

> Czech Republic is now Czechia

The Czech Republic is still the Czech Republic; it is also now known as Czechia. "Czech Republic" is the full official name of the country, like "United States of America". "Czechia" is the official short or informal name for the country, like "United States".

Re: Google Maps in the US Will Change to Gulf of America and Mount McKinley

#78
post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[According to Wikipedia]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidentia... ), the parent is correct: Trump won 49.8% of the vote.

You may or may not be right but don’t cite wikipedia. Wikipedia themselves tell you not to do this. My point re: most Americans voted for the President is Trump winning the popular vote. Which is shown on Wikipedia, but I’m not going to cite it. :)

No, GOP is the party that received the most votes but most Americans did not vote GOP. The way you are using "most" implies a win by majority but this did not occur (49.8% < 50%); Trump did win the popular vote but it was a plurality.

Re: Google Maps in the US Will Change to Gulf of America and Mount McKinley

#79
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[According to Wikipedia]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidentia... ), the parent is correct: Trump won 49.8% of the vote.

It's close enough to "most" that I think it's worth rounding up in most conversational contexts. This isn't some minority view committing a coup. This is a pretty-damn-near majority using the electoral process to give itself a thumb on the scale to win. It may not be "what America really is", but it's also not not who America really is. It's fair to say that this is who the world should continue to expect us to be, a…

I disagree that it is close enough to "most". When I read/hear "most" in conversation I think a super-majority. Even if it was a simple majority at 51% I'd think using "most" is a bit pedantic but I wouldn't argue the usage.

I completely agree with your later points -- my point was that that is not only who we are, and Trump winning doesn't mean everyone else now has to hold their tongues.

Re: Google Maps in the US Will Change to Gulf of America and Mount McKinley

#80
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it should have been: "Gulf of the Americas"

Even "Gulf of America" wouldn't be SO bad if people like me (non-US English speaker) can wean ourselves off the habit of referring to the US as "America". I'm going to start doing my bit.

Call them "United Statesians". I'm sure they'll love that. /s
Post reply on HN