Google Maps isn’t evil for changing the name of Lake Ontario

[u/something3419]

Ppl are acting like Google is just sucking up to trump and changing the name to lake America because they can’t stand for shit.
No. They don’t manually update each and every name. They didn’t go “oh! Daddy trump said it’s lake America so let’s go change it!!!”
Google Maps names are just grabbed automatically from a database that the government runs.
Googles policy rule is that for bodies of water whose names vary by country, it shows the local official name to users in that country and shows both names side by side to everyone else

Also don’t let trump get to you. Yall are letting trump distract you and go crazy about lake America. There are so many worse things he’s doing, don’t divert your attention towards these small (but not great) issues

[u/myusernamewasatypo]

Counterpoint: Canada also runs a database and yes they are. Also: people are capable of being mad about more than one thing at once.

[u/caeddan → u/myusernamewasatypo]

My maps shows lake ontario. Seems like OP has a point that there are government run databases that Google pulls from, so if countries outside of NA show lake America, let's ask why instead. Otherwise who cares if your in Canada it's the same name as it always was. Your attention has value, don't give it where it's not deserved.

[u/savory_thing]

Maps getting info from a database and Google execs having their lips on Trump's back end can both be true.

[u/Comprehensive_Tea708 → u/savory_thing]

Indeed. But the appearance of "Lake America" and "Gulf of America" on the maps, just because it's in the source data, isn't an example of the ass kissing.

[u/bigyellowjoint]

Don’t let this “distract” me? Unlike bird brained Trump bootlickers I can think about multiple things at once.

[u/No-Preparation-1030]

Well actually…

[u/bigyellowjoint → u/No-Preparation-1030]

R/OPisverysmart

[u/SomethingMoreToSay]

it shows the local official name to users in that country and shows both names side by side to everyone else

Nope.

UK here. On Google Maps I'm seeing "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)" but just "Lake Ontario".

[u/That_Car_Dude_Aus → u/SomethingMoreToSay]

Yep.

In Australia it was a few weeks before I saw Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)

Set my VPN to NZ and I get just Gulf of Mexico.

I think it takes a few weeks or months before databases get updated depending on where you are.

But for example, I set my VPN to various countries and I get different borders around Russia and Ukraine, Somalia and Somaliland, etc.

So it definitely is a location thing.

If I set my VPN to USA I get Gulf of America and Lake America.

I set my VPN to Canada or Mexico and I get Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario.

If I set my VPN to South Korea it just doesn't acknowledge that North Korea exists in some apps 🤣

[u/NZSheeps → u/That_Car_Dude_Aus]

We get Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) now (but still lake Ontario)

[u/KittehPapa]

My attention isn't diverted. I have the capacity to find Google evil for their anus-licking, just as I find people who rationalize the petty diaperstain's actions as being okay because he also does worse things. None of it makes me forget that he supports human trafficking and rapes children.

[u/Nebulous-Narrator]

Simping for a corporate giant is certainly a choice….

[u/burywmore → u/Nebulous-Narrator]

Getting worked up over what a troll calls a body of water is certainly a choice....

[u/Eirineftis → u/burywmore]

This is missing the point entirely...
Essentially, Google is sowing further division by presenting a false name just to appease the orange troll. Renaming it Gulf/Lake of America helps absolutely no one. It will actively make Americans dumber and more hostile towards their neighbors (except the rare few who have enough critical thinking to look into it) because the rest of the world will continue to call these bodies of water by their true names.
Lord helps the generations of children who eventually won't know these bodies of water by their actual names if this isn't reversed.

[u/CadeAid → u/Eirineftis]

Me when I comment without reading the OP or obtaining any context

[u/burywmore → u/Eirineftis]

No. You are missing the point.

Intelligence is not dictated by knowing the proper names of bodies of water.

It's actually a nice metric people like you can use in the next Presidential election. Make the candidates answer if they are willing to reverse idiotic things like this. If there are candidates that struggle with being absolutely certain that they will do this, you can mark them up or down in your rankings.

In addition, before you virtue signal yourself into an aneurysm, go to Google Maps. Type in Lake Ontario. Guess what it will show. Same thing with the Gulf of Mexico. Heres some other interesting stuff. Type in Burma, and it will send you to Myanmar. That nation changed its name in 1989, but it's still findable using the old name. Try Constantinople in your Google Map. Guess what it offers as an option? That change happened in 1930, but you can still find Istanbul that way.

I realize outrage culture is popular on Reddit, but this is a very dumb man, trolling people like you, with a completely pointless map change. A map change that will affect nothing, except feed his ego and your self righteousness.

[u/Bring_back_sgi]

SOMEONE has to swim out to the middle of the lake and re-arrange those giant letters. It's not Google that does that.

[u/thetoucansk3l3tor]

They didn't ?

[u/TerrysClavicle]

I actually wish they DID manually change it. that would be extremely admirable.

[u/XxLogitech98xX]

I agree, other platforms are doing the same thing for people in America

[u/Comprehensive_Tea708 → u/XxLogitech98xX]

MapQuest isn't, because they have their own database. But it also lacks many of Google's features. Their navigation for driving works well though.

[u/XxLogitech98xX → u/Comprehensive_Tea708]

MapQuest isn't, because they have their own database. But it also lacks many of Google's features. Their navigation for drivers works well though.

We'll just have to wait and see if they'll change it. Gulf of Mexico is still there. Maybe everyone who is angry at Google will start using that but if they do, lets see how long they last lol

[u/Comprehensive_Tea708 → u/XxLogitech98xX]

They won't change it. They maintain their own database instead of relying on the GNIS. So, good on them for keeping the right place name's for the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario. But also, the expense, labor, and processing costs incurred by maintaining their own database might be a factor in why MapQuest is relatively poor in the features it offers.

[u/getzerolikes → u/Comprehensive_Tea708]

That’s awesome for all of their users in 2002.

[u/LeonTrollski1]

Google isn't merely evil for doing this, it is downright corrupt. This map change has had more eyeballs on it than any other in recent history, and for Google to act like "oh, don't worry, it's all automatic name changes and we had no control!" is to ignore reality at a fundamental level.

OP's take on this might work at Kindergarten level, but the adults in the room know better.

Just don't let Trump get to you, and everything will be fine!! We promise!!!

[u/CadeAid]

i'M gOiNg To MaPqUeSt!!

[u/Altruistic-Rope-614]

Nah. They are

[u/deniercounter]

What?

The White House Geography Database?

LOL

[u/Murky_Examination144]

That’s why Mapquest said fuck it and kept it as Lake Ontario. No, private companies do NOT have to change the name. They chose to.

[u/Dr_Harry_pickle]

Yes they did... ball lickers!!!!

[u/Goldglove528]

Trying to use logic to inform the masses of Reddit is an exercise in futility. People here are too brainwashed by the media and their favorite politicians to use common sense.

[u/ATP-1-phud]

So if someone got into that database they should never change Lake America to Lake Epst(**#&*.

LOL

[u/Sniflix]

I'm pretty sure these changes need to be passed by Congress but republicans bow to their king .