cross-posted from: https://ponder.cat/post/1485960
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote a letter asking Google to reject the U.S. decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America on its mapping service.
I hope everyone understands the oligarchs are trying to project their power through their American Tech companies’ global reach. This is just fucken Handlebars by the Flowbots.
Man thats a reference I haven’t heard in awhile
Because Google is going to play both sides.
They’ll look at the geo location of your ip v and name it based on where you’re from.
Not entirely different from changing the language to your local dialect.
Non issue and a distraction from real issues.
Stop giving this meaningless stupidity Any air time.
They said that in Mexico, it will show the Gulf of Mexico, and outside of the US, they will show both names.
That’s somehow worse to me
Well this aged poorly…
In what way?
Google in Mexico (and the rest of the world) is showing people “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)”
Edit: Like this (I am not in the US and my nation never went along with this):
I was just repeating what was said in the article.
Yes, and it aged poorly.
Surprise! they lied.
Google has authority because both Google Maps and Waze are extremely popular and both controlled by Google/Alphabet.
Google is not an authority, it’s a publisher. Like any publisher, it can decide which naming standard to follow in its publications.
Google isn’t the de facto authority, they only have authority over their own maps. That said, mapmakers have always had influence (Amerigo Vespucci and Martin Waldseemüller, anyone?) It won’t change for people outside the US, much like the Sea of Japan shows different names for people accessing Google Maps from Japan or Korea.
Sorry Google. I don’t use any of your services at all, ever. It is the Gulf of Mexico and it will remain the Gulf of Mexico. just like fench fries are not freedom fries, they’re french fries and french toast is not Texas toast, it’s french toast. Google can take a long leap off of a very tall bridge.
I trust that others will maintain proper naming conventions when publishing maps and not buckle under the pressure of a thin skinned toddler and his cult followers.
Ok, but like, you know French toast and Texas toast are two entirely different things, right?
French toast made from Texas Toast bread is pretty fucking good. You can jam like an egg and a half in one slice.
But why? Does anyone know an instance where local Google Maps version doesn’t follow local naming? Why would Google change it in Mexican version of Maps? Is Mexican president a Lemmy user?
[edit]
Oh no, I just realised Americans think there’s one version of Google maps and that we’re all using theirs. Didn’t think there’d be so many on Lemmy.
If it’s the same as the policy described here for Google Earth, then I think all English language speakers may get the change.
Of course, the policy also says this, so maybe it’s not relevant afterall:
By saying “common”, we mean to include names which are in widespread daily use, rather than giving immediate recognition to any arbitrary governmental re-naming. In other words, if a ruler announced that henceforth the Pacific Ocean would be named after her mother, we would not add that placemark unless and until the name came into common usage.
Google still puts my map in miles and gives gas prices in gallons… I am in Canada where we use neither.
That sounds like a problem with your phone, not Google. It should absolutely be localized to c/ltr and kmph
Well its been doing this for the last 4 or so phones now. I think its more an issue of it geolocating me to the States sometimes. Its more an annoyance at this point.
Might be worth checking if you have this set to automatic and override if it still gives you trouble. I assume it could pulling your location imprecisely enough (due to border traffic as well) but that’s whole another issue without a good solution.
I change it, but then half the time when it updates I am back in the silly units. I should really look for another map program
Try organic maps! It’s based on open street map data and doesn’t track you.
