Thread by @seanchaibeag

Dear Google Maps: Northern Ireland is not "Ireland" and Ukraine is not "Russia." For further information, please consult any atlas produced after approx. 1991.

To be fair, this is as a result of me digging into the new global covid data layer in Maps and going "?!" every time I see that the US institution who complied the data failed geography class *and* history class. I hope their science knowledge is a bit more on point!

*Compiled.

And obviously the fact that NI is not RoI goes back further than 1991 - that was in reference to Ukraine. I can't get into a date war about The Irish Free State et al right now; clearly too hypoxic to catch my own damn typos atm.

Strictly because someone had at me about this after not reading the thread, and then blocked me, allow me to be very clear. This was in reference to those countries having their *health data* conflated as one and the same when they have different *health systems*.

*When I looked at that map layer*, it displayed Ukraine as part of Russia (and all data called "Russia") and clicking on NI gave you data for RoI + NI labeled "Ireland". It is apparently fixed now in both cases. I am glad it is fixed.

But I added a disclaimer re: "I don't want to get into Ireland, different situation, I do not have the RAM to get into the massive complexities, I was strictly talking about health data" and yet, and *yet*, here comes armchair chuckie accusing me of stepping on his tricolour.

So just for the record, don't assume anything about where my loyalties lie in that particular political situation, and don't think I don't have real skin in that conflict. The problem is it's not *my* skin. It's the skin of friends I love. On all sides. Whose kids I've never met.

When I was a teen I did a *lot* of time putting my foot in my mouth about what other countries "should" do. My family was *not* neutral during the Troubles. But then 15/8/98 happened and our family realized we, as Americans, needed to sit down and shut up. So I try.

And, parenthetically, oh my God what makes anyone think I have taken leave of my senses enough to want to try to discuss The Troubles in 280-character chunks? With anyone? Ever?! Look, I have some wild stories. They do not go here. Not the NI ones. There is NOT ROOM.

Lastly, The Troubles absolutely defined my childhood. And I *am* happy to discuss *that* experience, which was *very* different to any NI/RoI/UK kid. But am I, as an American, bat-crap crazy enough to set myself up as an *authority* on the Troubles? No, I am not. Not my place.