47 pointsby Levitating6 hours ago10 comments
  • joshstrange4 hours ago
    The title of this article implies they changed it before being forced/asked. As stupid as the whole thing is, the executive order was signed. This article is just about how the government’s own maps aren’t updated yet.

    This wasn’t a case of Google updating based on a mere suggestion or guessing at what our mad king wants. It’s still silly, it’s still petty, but this article reads (and is titled) like clickbait to me. Instead we should focus on the absurdity of the EO.

    • nerdsniper22 minutes ago
      Interestingly, Executive Order 12770, signed in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush, established the metric system as the official system of measurement in the USA.

      Google still defaults to miles for some reason.

      I get that these cases have their differences, but I think it’s reasonably thought provoking and worth at least a single moment of attention if we’re already on the topic.

      • Duwensatzaj8 minutes ago
        Not really. Metric Conversion Act Of 1975 would be a better reference, but it didn’t go that far, only saying that Metric is preferred, and the choice is voluntary.

        The EO you referenced is about what units the federal government uses, not setting an official system of measurement for the entire US.

    • HarHarVeryFunny4 hours ago
      Google isn't part of the government - they can put whatever names they like on Google Maps.

      MapQuest has chosen to stick with "Lake Ontario", just as they did with "Gulf of Mexico", and are seeing app downloads surge as a result.

    • nixon_why694 hours ago
      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.

      • amiga3863 hours ago
        > 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.

        • nixon_why692 hours ago
          Yeah, well, Google under Sundar hasn't exactly been full of bold stances.
        • thunky22 minutes ago
          When he's gone we can just undo it as easily as he did it. And tear down all of his other tributes to himself.

          If we don't want idiots to do idiotic things we probably shouldn't make it possible/legal in the first place. But the corruption and malfeasance goes way beyond Trump so here we are.

  • panja5 hours ago
    What I want to call this administration is unfortunately against the site rules
    • mdp20217 minutes ago
      > What I want to call

      If you express something, it should have a constructive purpose. Sheerly reactive curses rarely fit in that.

    • 4 hours ago
      undefined
  • ChrisArchitect18 minutes ago
  • alirezaxdehghan2 hours ago
    Didn't google do the same to Persian Gulf too? they please whoever's feeding them
    • dbbkan hour ago
      They just do whatever your local country calls it. The name changes based on where you are.
  • aprentican hour ago
    Kagi Maps did too.
    • dev21335 minutes ago
      On my end it still says "Lake Ontario" on Kagi Maps (I am outside of the US though).

      And if it's showing up as "Lake America" inside of the US on Kagi Maps, it's most likely because of Mapbox, and not Kagi.

      • aprentic19 minutes ago
        Users on the Kagi forum are reporting mixed results. Some US users still see Lake Ontario, some Canadian users see Lake America. They also seem to agree that it should be classified as incorrect behavior.

        https://kagifeedback.org/d/11381-lake-ontario-showing-up-wit...

        As of this morning I started seeing new results. Now, a search for "Lake Ontario" returns both names.

        As a Kagi customer, I find this was just about the worst way to handle it. I pay for a search engine because I want searches to cater to MY need for accurate and unbiased information. If a search engine can decide that someone else' political expedience is more important, there's a fundamental problem.

        In case it was remotely in doubt, Kagi just demonstrated that they have the ability to change the labels that Mapbox gives them. It's fine if there was some implementation glitch if it comes with an explanation.

        Currently I'm watching Kagi silently change results. If they're doing it for Lake Ontario, how can I be confident they aren't doing it with other search results?

  • 5 hours ago
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  • westurner3 hours ago
    Is anyone else able to find "executive seal b ible" on YouTube? With similar queries?

    The one with the modified executive seal on it?

    It's unfathomable to me that there are no videos on YouTube that show their modified seal for private profit on b ibles and b eer pong sets.

  • stickingupforusan hour ago
    [flagged]
    • superxpro1232 minutes ago
      I'm so tired of this revisionist history bullshit. Trump isnt doing this because its good for anyone except himself and his band of bullies who's only goal is to overthrow anything democratic and instill a lifetime fascist leader.
      • stickingupforus20 minutes ago
        What part of my statement was revisionist history or untrue?
  • beardyw4 hours ago
    You can make too much of this. Countries regularly have different names for foreign or shared places. The "English Channel" is "La Manche", Cologne is Köln. Like the English language, it's pretty much down to "that's what I call it". If people continue to call it "Lake Ontario" that's what it will be.
    • amiga3863 hours ago
      It's a country's leader petulantly ordering their entire country to call a lake by a new name that wrongly implies it belongs to them, which it doesn't, in order to spite their main trading partner because they rejected a trade deal that would massively harm them.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_politically_motivated_...

      • beardyw2 hours ago
        Thanks for the link.

        Going through those, it looks as if only about 50% stuck, mostly from World War II, so here's hoping. I'm not sure if using the name is in any way enforced?

      • Hilliard_Ohiooo26 minutes ago
        [dead]