> The breathtaking speed with which Google Maps happily gets on board with this lunacy
Something interesting I learned at National Geographic is that they have a geographer (titled: "The Geographer", which always seemed impossibly cool to me) and that the geographer maintains several maps of certain areas so that their field photographers and agents are aware of where they are in relation to "the real world", to know when they're in contested territories, and also to be able to theoretically show the wrong map if they get in trouble to show "It wasn't me, blame my shoddy map!" to provide cover
Nothing I know about Google informs me that anyone there is thrilled about the change either, but it's probably one of the easier compliance-swaps they have to engage in, despite how inane it surely is
Ok, but the president's executive order does not officially change the name of a place or feature. In the US, that function is overseen by the Board on Geographic Names. While they did enact a change for the Gulf of Mexico (now the Gulf of America in US documentation), it doesn't happen immediately. While I imagine the BGN will update Lake Ontario eventually as well, Google tips their hand as being eager to please the admin by updating their maps before there is a corresponding change from the appropriate governing authority.
We can't even accuse Google of consistency, because they show Türkiye as Türkiye, for example, even though (as far as I can tell) the US Gov still uses Turkey.
> Corporations need to say 'no' to governments far more often than they do.
When those corporations need the government to look the other way about things they're doing or want to do, they're going to suck up to it every time as hard as they can.
This is such an easy thing to do to make the little baby happy, of course they did it before he forgets he did it in the first place.
"no" is how to get in trouble real quick in totalitarian neo fascist regimes. and coming from a region that had some of that in our history books, from the outside lots of the things in the US start walking and talking like that type of duck.
we'll know more after the midterms.
they're the single most important elections the US had in the past decades. good luck to all of us!
I just don't get why they didn't go with OVH in Montreal or something like that. Odd to switch to EU in my opinion. I'm currently using OVH in Montreal for many years and never had any issues.
I was all set to come and give Google the benefit of the doubt that they were just subscribed to the GNIS database[1], and that if the executive branch issued an order, then other governmental agencies were required to adhere to them. But when I popped open the GNIS[2] map, and it still shows Lake Ontario on the map image, even if searching "Lake America" shows a bunch of pins on the US side. Kinda wild.
They just haven't re-rendered the map tiles yet. See the hurricane banner here [1]. "Per Secretarial Order 3453, Lake Ontario has been renamed to Lake America. The basemaps for GNIS are in the process of being updated to reflect this name change."
If you want to retaliate against this US administration avoid buying stuff exported by red states. The rest of us can't wait for this admin to be over.
I don't think we can be that reductive. Plenty of the US technology industry is concentrated in blue states like California, Washington, and New York. Likewise, I don't think all blue states can be considered equally resistant to the excesses of the federal government. I'm not going to go so far as to say "never buy American," but I am going to say that as with any boycott it takes research and diligence to decide who does and doesn't align with your values.
What fight? Don’t delude yourselves. Trump is doing whatever he wants and Democrats are just letting it happen. Don’t hold it against the rest of the world for noting this.
That’s not true. My senator for example is constantly fighting and filing challenges. There are countless lawsuits. We are unfortunately outnumbered in the gov but hopefully the midterm will change that. I do agree though that on the whole we are losing / they are getting a bunch of BS through.
No, democracy doesn't mean everyone supports this administration. And in fact, this administration has declared that the blue states are the "enemy from within." If anything you should be sending us survival gear when Trump eventually launches war on us.
I treat the lakes the same as roads. A road's name doesn't tell you where you are. It tells you where you are going. If the road leading out of your town happens to share a name with a neighboring town, it isn't named as an honor. If you are bothered by the name, just walk to the end of the road and its name will have changed to where you just came from.
If you are in America and want to cross water to get to Mexico, you just need to use the Gulf of Mexico. If you want to get to Ontario, find Lake Ontario. You'll never be lost.
its been fun to watch the resurgence of mapquest. first their refusal to rename the gulf of mexico, and now lake ontario, has absolutely skyrocketed their popularity (currently showing as the #1 free app on the apple app store)
It’s astonishing to me that no one pointed out what a self-own changing the “O” in the acronym of Great Lakes to an “A” would be. Every school child is going to learn SHAME until this is reverted or further changed.
I'm still trying to figure out who is dangling the keys in front of whom. Trump is dangling them in front of MAGA, but who is dangling them in front of Trump?
Yup! Our biggest vote in life is where we put our feet and where we spend our money. It has always been this way but it is more important than ever that people learn to think this way.
FUCK TRUMP! Love to see individuals taking a stand like this. I’m in California but my god I get so juiced when I see people in Canada, EU, Mexico, etc. shit on Mr. Piggy and his pathetic cronies.
I think the "speed" is because this change probably just shows up in Google by virtue of changes propagating in the GNIS feed [1]. It showed up in the feed Aug 27th with a note on the executive order [2].
[2] 'Secretary's Order 3453 directs the Board on Geographic Names ("BGN") to immediately rename Lake Ontario to Lake America and to update the Geographic Names Information System to appropriately reflect the change. This Order implements President Trump's direction in Executive Order 14420 "Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America," that the name be changed. The variant name, "Kaniatarí:io Lake", is a Mohawk name which translates to: "nice lake".'
I feel the best way of fighting immaturity is with more immaturity. Just imagine the meltdown to be induced if, for example, the Scottish government were to issue a statutory instrument formally renaming a certain international golf links course in Turnberry the Epstein Links Golf Course...
Well, to some of us in Europe, Trump is just the true face of America. The vanity, the arrogance, the greed, the vindictiveness, the kiss-the-ring shit - none of it is truly new for anyone who looks at american foreign policy through the lens of one of its recipients. With him, it's just finally focused in one person.
Can someone clarify for me: This isn’t actually something a president can do or compel, right?
There is no act I’m aware of that makes the President the Geography Czar.
I picture the next Dem president (God willing), not changing it back, but issuing a statement saying that the name never actually changed just because the last twat said so.
This president’s view appears to be that if it happens in the executive branch he has 100% arbitrary personal control over it. He’s the CEO of the government and he makes the calls. If someone claims there’s a legal reason he can’t do it, he has mediocre but prolific lawyers to deal with that.
He’s worked this way for decades; why stop now just because he’s got a new job?
Exec branch has the authority to direct the U.S. Board on Geographic Names as it's under the US Dept of the Interior.
That does mean the U.S. Gov't / federal depts have to use the recommendation from the board I believe as they control the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), and it cascades from there.
So technically yes. That being said, I think Trump had the Board undo some of the changes the board enacted under Biden so it will likely just flow back.
I get that the renaming of the lake from the US perspective is annoying. Yet, it remains whatever Canada wants to call it on their side.
Geographical place-names get renamed all the time. It’s not extraordinary. You can search for recently renamed place names in Canada. There are quite a few. Canadians don’t get upset over it. Even in the US there is a constant renaming of places, roads, parks and schools. No one gets mad that mapping services update them promptly or that places get renamed…
You're looking at people upset about Lake Ontario being renamed and saying "people don't get upset about things being renamed." Different things are different.
Seems inconsistent for them to complain about what we call our side of the lake but then go on like nothing when they (and we as well) rename things just about every day of the week/year)
I guess my only question is, what does Digital Ocean have to do with any of this?
If the author’s goal is to sever ties with all American companies that he possibly can, I think the post could have been a little more clear about that.
a previous administration where everything under the sun gets renamed..now a few small ponds get renamed and everyone is acting like they can't function
Why shouldn't a country have the right to change the name of something in it's own vocabulary? We change names of streets all the time. If the US wants to call it Lake America or Lake Donald the God Emperor of Mankind or something else that's their problem not the Canadians.
I'm not trolling, people/counties of power do what they want, today the west doesn't call Constantinople Istambul because it's the correct name but because the Turks are stronger than the Greeks. And pretending that this isn't the case is hypocritical to me.
Ignoring that your mad king did this specifically because he's an emotionally immature geriatric toddler and had a war of words with the Premier of Ontario, and that the renaming was 100% targeting Canada[1]...
...this wasn't like the US had some drawn out process when the electorate made their voices heard that what really ails the nation is the 400 year old name of a great lake -- older than the province that was then named in its honour --named by a word from of the aboriginal tribes that lived in the area surrounding the lake. No, this was a tantrum from one very foolish, grotesque convicted rapist, who unilaterally, with absolutely no one to stop his idiotic gestures and actions, decided to rewrite the map, and hundreds of millions cluck and say "yes massa!"
I mean...any other nation would be outraged. Like, this is bizarre fascist dictator shit. In the US, who for decades schooled the world on democracy and checks and balances and responsible government, it's just another day where the foolish tyrant does stupid bullshit.
I kind of get why a weak, pathetic firm like Google immediately choked on his micro-dick -- your corrupt government will try to punish any company that doesn't -- but if they had any credibility they would have decoupled from the tantrums of a foolish clown by now. They already learned how embarrassing it is, and came back for more. Disgusting and embarrassing. If Trump tomorrow renames California to "Libtardland", will Google immediately retitle the maps? I mean, Trump has loyal Myrmidons installed throughout government who'll instantly change every database. If Apple actually holds out against Trump, maybe he'll rename Cupertino to Disloyalville. Will Google be facile pathetic servants and instantly change it?
[1] Trump and his cabinet of criminals and greaseballs continually repeat how little Canada matters, how tiny and insignificant we are, etc, while endlessly flapping their disgusting mouths about us. These foolish idiots just cannot stop talking about us, constantly, 24/7.
Something interesting I learned at National Geographic is that they have a geographer (titled: "The Geographer", which always seemed impossibly cool to me) and that the geographer maintains several maps of certain areas so that their field photographers and agents are aware of where they are in relation to "the real world", to know when they're in contested territories, and also to be able to theoretically show the wrong map if they get in trouble to show "It wasn't me, blame my shoddy map!" to provide cover
Nothing I know about Google informs me that anyone there is thrilled about the change either, but it's probably one of the easier compliance-swaps they have to engage in, despite how inane it surely is
Oh, at least a few people are thrilled: https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/420aa69/214...
We can't even accuse Google of consistency, because they show Türkiye as Türkiye, for example, even though (as far as I can tell) the US Gov still uses Turkey.
It's the corporate equivalent of lacking boundaries and failing to maintain emotional maturity.
Everybody has to say 'no' sometimes in order to be awesome and capable. Corporations need to say 'no' to governments far more often than they do.
We all have fears that saying 'no' to a narcissist will lead to retaliation; having boundaries despite that fear is what keeps us healthy.
When those corporations need the government to look the other way about things they're doing or want to do, they're going to suck up to it every time as hard as they can.
This is such an easy thing to do to make the little baby happy, of course they did it before he forgets he did it in the first place.
we'll know more after the midterms.
they're the single most important elections the US had in the past decades. good luck to all of us!
but I digress.
it's not that simple to "just say no".
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_Names_Information_S...
2. https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/searc...
[1] https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/gaz-r...
Retaliatory tariffs need to apply to blue states too.
[1] https://www.npr.org/2025/09/30/nx-s1-5557232/hegseth-general...
If you are in America and want to cross water to get to Mexico, you just need to use the Gulf of Mexico. If you want to get to Ontario, find Lake Ontario. You'll never be lost.
[1] https://www.usgs.gov/tools/geographic-names-information-syst...
[2] 'Secretary's Order 3453 directs the Board on Geographic Names ("BGN") to immediately rename Lake Ontario to Lake America and to update the Geographic Names Information System to appropriately reflect the change. This Order implements President Trump's direction in Executive Order 14420 "Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America," that the name be changed. The variant name, "Kaniatarí:io Lake", is a Mohawk name which translates to: "nice lake".'
He’s worked this way for decades; why stop now just because he’s got a new job?
That does mean the U.S. Gov't / federal depts have to use the recommendation from the board I believe as they control the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), and it cascades from there.
So technically yes. That being said, I think Trump had the Board undo some of the changes the board enacted under Biden so it will likely just flow back.
Geographical place-names get renamed all the time. It’s not extraordinary. You can search for recently renamed place names in Canada. There are quite a few. Canadians don’t get upset over it. Even in the US there is a constant renaming of places, roads, parks and schools. No one gets mad that mapping services update them promptly or that places get renamed…
Seems inconsistent for them to complain about what we call our side of the lake but then go on like nothing when they (and we as well) rename things just about every day of the week/year)
- Google updated their maps faster than the USGS. https://apps.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ shows Lake Ontario
- Google made this decision, there is nothing automated about this
- Apple will do this as well
- Nothing requires either of them to do this.
- This is the same as Cook giving gold to Trump, tech CEOs showing up at the inauguration, ballroom donations etc. That is, simple open bribery.
- While Googlers are probably against this, their opinions are moo (like a cow's opinion). Sergey and Sundar love this.
If the author’s goal is to sever ties with all American companies that he possibly can, I think the post could have been a little more clear about that.
Ignoring that your mad king did this specifically because he's an emotionally immature geriatric toddler and had a war of words with the Premier of Ontario, and that the renaming was 100% targeting Canada[1]...
...this wasn't like the US had some drawn out process when the electorate made their voices heard that what really ails the nation is the 400 year old name of a great lake -- older than the province that was then named in its honour --named by a word from of the aboriginal tribes that lived in the area surrounding the lake. No, this was a tantrum from one very foolish, grotesque convicted rapist, who unilaterally, with absolutely no one to stop his idiotic gestures and actions, decided to rewrite the map, and hundreds of millions cluck and say "yes massa!"
I mean...any other nation would be outraged. Like, this is bizarre fascist dictator shit. In the US, who for decades schooled the world on democracy and checks and balances and responsible government, it's just another day where the foolish tyrant does stupid bullshit.
I kind of get why a weak, pathetic firm like Google immediately choked on his micro-dick -- your corrupt government will try to punish any company that doesn't -- but if they had any credibility they would have decoupled from the tantrums of a foolish clown by now. They already learned how embarrassing it is, and came back for more. Disgusting and embarrassing. If Trump tomorrow renames California to "Libtardland", will Google immediately retitle the maps? I mean, Trump has loyal Myrmidons installed throughout government who'll instantly change every database. If Apple actually holds out against Trump, maybe he'll rename Cupertino to Disloyalville. Will Google be facile pathetic servants and instantly change it?
[1] Trump and his cabinet of criminals and greaseballs continually repeat how little Canada matters, how tiny and insignificant we are, etc, while endlessly flapping their disgusting mouths about us. These foolish idiots just cannot stop talking about us, constantly, 24/7.