Reasonable! However, Google is made up of people who are actively choosing to comply with nonsense. Perhaps it is in fact better to hold people to a standard of behavior than to pretend those people are somehow exempt from sanity or morality simply because they work for a company. Today the nonsense is silly, perhaps tomorrow it is less silly.
I do not object to renaming the Gulf of America because I do not live in it, but there are a lot of silly things the administration could decide Google needs to do that could be very bad for me and others.
I completely agree with the concern. But it seems to me that promoting a standard of behavior requiring people to object to silly things that don't matter makes it more likely, not less, that they'll end up complying with the things that do matter. "I'm not living up to this standard anyway, and I have what I think are good reasons for that, so is it really the right standard?"
The "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)" label doesn't follow the previous standard of giving just one name to a map feature. For example, just "Gulf of America" in the USA and "Gulf of Mexico" elsewhere. After all, Maps doesn't use "English Channel (La Manche)" does it?
That's not the previous standard. Here's a counter-example: zoom to Falkland Islands as an English-language user, and you'll likely see "Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)" as the name. (Unless you're in the UK or Argentina, I suspect.)
The English Channel example isn't really relevant. Those are just two names in different languages. France is not insisting that La Manche is the official name of the English Channel in all languages.
Lots of locations have completely unrelated names in different languages. For example Germany is something like Dutch Land in most Germanic languages and Alemania in most Latin languages.
This is curious that people are behaving like this, but I don't see it as "tech related" issue, Google (and any company) need to comply with whatever thing their country decides.
Objectively speaking, the reviews are not related to the geographical point.
But if you wanna make business in a certain country it is kinda expected and their normal behavior.
Mind here, this is not just google. Hence why all big tech overnight switched from "woke" to "anti woke" despite this having zero impact on their products, it is just sinaligning to the new chief.
And this behavior happens in every country they operate as well, of course since they are American companies (with stocks in the American market) this is much more pronounced in the US.
"Google gives government back-door to all user data so that government can find dissidents"
"Google needs to comply with whatever their country decides"
If companies can have political opinions, and influence the government directly, then they can be held to a moral standard, as can the individuals responsible for making decisions and taking actions for the company.
That's the thing, I think it is terrible, but companies are extensions of the government. They do those things so they can keep getting the sweet sweet tax deals and government contracts.
I am aware there's no law, but I think most replies missed this point. It's not about there being a law, but what is implied if they don't get in line.
Just like how all big techs are "anti woke" now whatever that means.
Does it have to immediately comply? I see no reason, ie if Xi decided to rename Uighur-majority places into say Han-style names, or same for Tibet. Google is not official government branch, I see no reason to be forced immediately to act upon such decisions.
What I see is desperate attempt of all those previously-admired big CEOs to try to please emotional and vengeful head of current administration however they can, including official bribes.
Maybe I have incorrect viewing lens or logic, but it certainly looks from outside that way.
I don't think Xinjiang or Tibet are helpful analogies. India recently changed a city's name from Allahabad to Prayagraj; should Google have carefully analyzed the circumstances behind this name change and rejected it if they feel the process was too silly or too Hindutva?
Google doesn’t operate in China but if they did, they would have to comply with Chinese law. For example, iPhones in China don’t have a Taiwanese flag emoji.
>This is curious that people are behaving like this, but I don't see it as "tech related" issue, Google (and any company) need to comply with whatever thing their country decides.
They also pushed the update outside Trumpland,
>The name would remain unchanged in Mexico and the rest of the world would see "Gulf of America" added next to its current name in brackets, Google added.
>The name would remain unchanged in Mexico and the rest of the world would see "Gulf of America" added next to its current name in brackets, Google added.
No law, although my original comment could be interpreted as what the law says, I meant what the acting government decides so they can "show good will" and make things easier when negotiating tax breaks and government contracts.
If there was a law then there would be no discussion, companies definitely can't break laws.
But this is about "falling in line" to get in the good sides of the current administration in this particular country.
As it always has been in any place. Check whatever Google/Meta/X/others do in several different countries on things that are not law, but it is implied that they should do whatever they are asked or else.
I was thinking about the naming saga, and my conclusion was that the Gulf of America is actually less American centric. Think about how Americans refer to the southern border as the Mexican border, while the Mexicans refer to it as the American border. As an American, when I hear the Gulf of Mexico, I know that it is south of America. When I hear Gulf of America, I just know it is somewhere around America.
Sadly typical for Google. They have a long history of removing opposing voices instead of listening. Notable examples are YouTube removing dislikes, forcing old videos into shorts, and allowing disabling of comments. Also Google play removing review bombs when developers release junky updates that break the app.
It's a borderline parasocial relationship people have thinking that such a megacorp gives 2 hoots about such a captive audience.
Inserting standard Google quote here: If you're not paying for a product, you are the product. Google is taking care of their actual customers (btw. that includes US Government): Businesses who pay to have an entry on Google Maps, youtubers who bring in ad revenue, app developers who drive google play revenue, etc.
Yep. So considering I've never bought anything from Google directly (even my current phone, a pixel, was free from my carrier), they have no reason to care about my disgruntlement. Not like there's a Maps Pro or anything.
When the country Turkey wanted to be renamed something that I can't even type with a Latin keyboard, people seemed to go along with it. Now, largely the same people who were fine with Turkey's rename have issues with this.
Bit weird to rename something after 400 years for purely nationalistic reasons though. Maybe Mexicans will be up for it though if Americans accept being called Unitedstatesians in English.
Salient point, the US is the only American country with America in it's actual name. Names of things change. It's how language works. Even though I think Gulf of America is actually more apt a name, I and most people in the US could care less what it's called. It's just Trump playing power games like China does with the "South China Sea" v. "Sea of Japan".
The shores are 100% "America", referring to the North and South American continents. It's as if the EU renamed the Baltic Sea as the "Sea of Europe", as an attempted swipe at Russia, ignoring that Russia also is (partly) in Europe.
This name makes zero sense and is entirely stupid. Something like a gulf is named for its proximity to the immediate geographic body to identify it with increased precision. This is clear effort to pander to nationalism and racism, and to stir shit up and get people mad about it. It's old tricks.
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I do not object to renaming the Gulf of America because I do not live in it, but there are a lot of silly things the administration could decide Google needs to do that could be very bad for me and others.
The English Channel example isn't really relevant. Those are just two names in different languages. France is not insisting that La Manche is the official name of the English Channel in all languages.
Objectively speaking, the reviews are not related to the geographical point.
There's no law requiring Google to do this. They're choosing to.
But if you wanna make business in a certain country it is kinda expected and their normal behavior.
Mind here, this is not just google. Hence why all big tech overnight switched from "woke" to "anti woke" despite this having zero impact on their products, it is just sinaligning to the new chief.
And this behavior happens in every country they operate as well, of course since they are American companies (with stocks in the American market) this is much more pronounced in the US.
"Google needs to comply with whatever their country decides"
If companies can have political opinions, and influence the government directly, then they can be held to a moral standard, as can the individuals responsible for making decisions and taking actions for the company.
I am aware there's no law, but I think most replies missed this point. It's not about there being a law, but what is implied if they don't get in line.
Just like how all big techs are "anti woke" now whatever that means.
What I see is desperate attempt of all those previously-admired big CEOs to try to please emotional and vengeful head of current administration however they can, including official bribes.
Maybe I have incorrect viewing lens or logic, but it certainly looks from outside that way.
They also pushed the update outside Trumpland,
>The name would remain unchanged in Mexico and the rest of the world would see "Gulf of America" added next to its current name in brackets, Google added.
>The name would remain unchanged in Mexico and the rest of the world would see "Gulf of America" added next to its current name in brackets, Google added.
Can confirm. Just tried it from Albania.
If there was a law then there would be no discussion, companies definitely can't break laws.
But this is about "falling in line" to get in the good sides of the current administration in this particular country.
As it always has been in any place. Check whatever Google/Meta/X/others do in several different countries on things that are not law, but it is implied that they should do whatever they are asked or else.
Dead Comment
It's a borderline parasocial relationship people have thinking that such a megacorp gives 2 hoots about such a captive audience.
Dead Comment
The shores are roughly 50% not-Mexico, and both countries are America.
This is progressivism.
Plus, it's the opposite of weird. National reasons are the most frequent cause for renaming areas after hundreds of years.
Additionally, the order doesn't change the name of any gulf along Mexico's Eastern shoreline. So whether they're "up for it" is inconsequential.