You Rename My Lake – I Move My Hosting

ramijames

This should be the new norm. Vote with your wallet.

talentedcoin

Glad to see this on HN. This Canadian is doing something similar. In fact, anything I do that involves sending money to the USA, I am re-evaluating.

bmelton

> 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

john_strinlai

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)

petilon

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.

brightbeige

I think, by now, what offends me the most is how unoriginal “Lake America” is as a name.

throwfaraway135

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.

beanjuiceII

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

notahacker

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...

bix6

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.

martythemaniak

Some important notes - 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.

idontwantthis

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.

sb057

Dangling shiny keys in front of people remains an effective method of narrative control a decade on.

eddieroger

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. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_Names_Information_S... 2. https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/searc...

mc32

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…

tedd4u

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]. [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".'

rf15

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.

jonhohle

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.

k310

Thou shalt honor the "Epstein Distraction Act of 2025" Haven't heard of it? It's on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard’.” Everything, everything, everything since Jan 2025 is meant to distract from his involvement with Epstein, and quite a few bigwigs. You might have a new CEO when all this leaks, and civil suits are hot on the money trail.