Gulf of America - Gulf of Mexico
community.openstreetmap.org
President Donald Trump just said during his inauguration that he wants to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Aside from the political aspects, how does that even work? How does OSM choose a source for that? I’m curious! Also, somebody executed what I thought while I wrote this post:
  • JaggedRobotPubes@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    13 days ago

    There’s nothing to discuss. It’s the Gulf of Mexico, and suggestions to the contrary are to be appropriately dismissed as childish.

    Aa a side note, make sure that, no matter what, you find a way to follow “Gulf of” with “Mexico”. It should flow by rote in the hearer’s mind, simply by virtue of the fact that they hear it the correct way when you talk about it.

    This is a trivially easy battle to fight. Only use the correct name, and it will be the one that sticks. Using the incorrect name, even to make correct statements about how it’s dumb and childish and not going to be its name going forward, reinforces the lie.

    Mexico is the Gulf-of-havin’est thing you ever did see.

    • infeeeee@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      13 days ago

      OSM exists to record and map facts, not to dictate them. If some people call it that way, than it should be recorded in the database, it’s not about personal preferences and politics, we shouldn’t decide if the name is right or not. If you read the linked forum thread you can see that it is purely technical, about how we should record it in the database and when (now vs when and if it will become official)

      It’s a bit annoying here that a lot of people misunderstands this, and comments recommendations with near zero osm mapping experience, this is about how to map a thing on OpenStreetMap, not about politics.

      • Classy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        0·
        12 days ago

        I could imagine Trump deciding that a random bird needed to be named after himself, and inaturalist having a forum discussion about localization etc. It’s probably the same kind of debate here

  • sevenOfKnives@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    0·
    13 days ago

    I think we should just ignore anything that comes out of this admin to the greatest extent practical. Don’t give them legitimacy.

  • menemen@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    13 days ago

    Why? There are commisions for that. E.g. the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (international), the United States Board on Geographic Names (USA) or the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names (UK). Just follow the lead of one of these. There is no need to further complicate stuff.

  • Otter@lemmy.caEnglish
    0·
    13 days ago

    Looks like the thread is gone now, what was the discussion like?

  • balsoft@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    13 days ago

    I think the discussion there is quite reasonable given the circumstances, and official_name:en-US once the GNIS updates is the correct way to go until people actually start calling it the new name.

    what a stupid timeline this is

    • selokichtli@lemmy.mlEnglish
      0·
      13 days ago

      The problem they are addressing right now is that “Gulf of America” is not an equivalent name, as “Gulf of America” can and will only apply to the waters next to USA states, so it is a regional name, official or regular.

      • balsoft@lemmy.mlEnglish
        0·
        13 days ago

        Hmm, right. This makes it somewhat more complicated. If this new name starts being used by many people and organizations, I suppose it would make sense to create a new place=sea boundary=maritime, but until then it’d be kind of stupid to pollute the map with a new entity just because it’s in the official records.

  • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
    0·
    13 days ago

    Seems idiotic to me to discuss what some nutter suggested no matter their current job title. Everything in the world has been named already geography wise.

  • Boomkop3@reddthat.comEnglish
    0·
    12 days ago

    For ducks sake, just because one country wants it to be different doesn’t change how it’s internationally recognized.

  • JubilantJaguar@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    13 days ago

    Looking at a map, it would really be best named the Gulf of the Americas.

    But otherwise is this reminiscent of Erdoğan’s decree changing the name of Turkey to Turkiye.

    A map should show the established name, i.e., the most widely understood designation, the one that enjoys the most consensus, including among specialists, historians, and so on. In a sane world, dictators do not get to wake up one morning and decide to change our maps.

    It’s still the Gulf of Mexico.

    • corsicanguppy@lemmy.caEnglish
      0·
      13 days ago

      reminiscent of Erdoğan’s decree changing the name of Turkey to Turkiye.

      America doesn’t hold sovereignty over international waters; at least, not without blatant displays of toxic macho force.

      Gulf of Mexico. If need be, use and report ONLY the common Spanish name used by regional leaders. Fuck 45.