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Comment by legitster | Hacker News Reader

Yes and no. Google, Apple, et al are just using the official names in the GNIS. So while the decision from the powers that be was insanely arbitrary, in the case of the mapmakers this is far from their first rodeo when it comes to conflicted place names.

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That may explain it, but it doesn't excuse Big Tech's willingness to go along with this absurdity.

Stupid as the change is, it's not their stupidity. Should the tech companies really override the USGS and decide for themselves what things ought to be called? That seems like a messy precedent.

AP is refusing to update its style guides to use the new name and has been barred from Press Briefings. The messy precedent was the renaming itself. There are valid reasons to not go along with this, or slow walk it, have it go through an internal committee, etc.

https://www.ap.org/the-definitive-source/announcements/ap-st...

I don't think it's "deciding for themselves" to choose to use a name that is authenticated by centuries of history and use.

The USGS should be a record of how things are named, like a dictionary is a record of what words mean, not a political organ for disseminating newspeak.

What should Tim Cook call himself if, say, a little DOGE-ie gets into the Passport or IRS or SEC systems and actually changes all Tim Cook references to Tim Apple?

Unfortunately, this is just the beginning, only those not versed in history aren't seeing where this administration is going to.

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