alt Hacker NewsThe Google blog post is more useful: https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/maps/gni...
The U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) has formally changed the name for "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" in the United States. Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS for the U.S., people using Maps in the U.S. will see "Lake America," those in Canada will continue to see "Lake Ontario," and those outside of the U.S. and Canada will see both names. These updates follow our long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country, and are starting to roll out now.
Replies
ulfw • today at 3:06 PM
None of that GNIS US shit explains why people in the free world have to read "those outside of the U.S. and Canada will see both names"
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SpicyLemonZest • today at 3:10 PM
Perhaps they should not have reacted so quickly? The only US state which borders Lake Ontario rejects the name change, and US states are sovereign, so it’s not so obvious to me that the name change is official. But now it’s too late. Moving fast to comply with authoritarian mandates lends them a lot of power by undercutting anyone’s efforts to object.
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flohofwoe • today at 3:12 PM
The rest of the world seeing both names is such a stupid decision. Please spare us from Trumps childish temper tantrums.
They're also taking the heat because it's a decision, and decisions carry moral weight. They're following their policy, but it's a policy they've chosen, not one that's legally compelled. It has implications, and they are free to reexamine and refine it. Not doing so is also a choice.