[OSM-talk] As Google Maps Renames Neighborhoods, Residents Fume - The New York Times

[Maarten Deen]

On 2018-08-16 16:03, Tom Pfeifer wrote:
> On 16.08.2018 13:06, Andy Mabbett wrote:
>> This may be of interest:
>> 
>> https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/02/technology/google-maps-neighborhood-names.html
> 
> Scary. Can we revert Google?

Google does not seem to take much responsibility. When you look at the 
dutch version of Google Maps, they have a lot of cities translated to 
what they think are names we use.
Some we do, some we don't. Or have never done.
For instance: Paris in dutch is Parijs and gets used a lot. An archaich 
name for Ljubljana is Laibach and was mostly used in germanic countries, 
but never really used in the Netherlands. Guess what Google chooses to 
show dutch users of Google Maps when they look at Ljubljana.
This has been pointed out to Google many, many times (through their 
inadequate feedback tool and via Google employees) and has long been 
ignored. It has now been corrected, as well as the nearby town of 
Marburg an der Drau, but in Northern France we still see Sint-Omaars, 
Ariën-aan-de-Leie en Dowaai.

And sometimes they make really stupid translations. The Dutch town of 
Balk is translated to Balke in German and Beam in English. Yes, that is 
the correct translation for the technical structure, but no sane person 
would use that for the town's name and it has never been an official 
translation.

Regards,
Maarten