Debate: Should we call out maps that are wrong on purpose for clicks?

I posted that map from a gas station near Buffalo that put Lake Michigan where Lake Erie should be. Someone commented saying it was probably a joke map made for laughs, not a real mistake. They argued this group is for genuine bad maps, not intentional ones. But I think if a map is still confusing and spread around as if it's real, it belongs here. What do you all think? Where do we draw the line on purposefully bad maps that go viral?

2 comments

2 Comments

rivera.susan3d ago

Intentional or not, that map still made people scratch their heads and share it as a real thing. Once it's out there confusing folks, it's fair game for this group. If someone posts it thinking it's a real map, that's a problem we should call out. Bad map is a bad map, no matter if someone made it on purpose or by accident.

thomas8622d ago

Gotta respectfully disagree with @rivera.susan here. If a map is made as a joke, like that gas station one with Lake Michigan in the wrong spot, it's not really a bad map in the same way. It's more like satire or a gag, not a mistake someone legitimately made while trying to show geography. I mean, if someone drew a map of the US with Texas swapped for Florida and called it a prank, sharing it here feels like it misses the point. The whole purpose of this group is to call out real errors that confuse people, not stuff created to get internet laughs. Once we let intentional jokes in, the line gets blurry and we lose focus on actual problems.