Jeff Jarvis
Goddamnit, Google. For shame.
Google Calendar removes Black History Month, Pride and other cultural events
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/11/google-calendar-black-history-pride-month
Google Calendar removes Black History Month, Pride and other cultural events

Company says listed holidays were not ‘sustainable’ for its model as tech firms roll back diversity efforts

The Guardian
Feb 11, 2025 at 9:55pmWeb
Show threadDave RainsfordFeb 11, 2025
@jeffjarvis that's more than a little depressing Jeff!
Show threadMatt BlazeFeb 11, 2025

@jeffjarvis As an academic who deals with students and colleagues from a wide range of cultures, faiths, and backgrounds, I've found Google Calendar's (previous) inclusion of such a wide range of events, holidays, and observances to be invaluable. Among other things, it allowed me to be more careful about avoiding conflicts I wouldn't otherwise know about when scheduling events and meetings.

Of course, making it harder to be respectful of other cultures seems to be the main goal here.

Show threadDavid Schuetz ** looking for work **Feb 11, 2025
@mattblaze @jeffjarvis Now they get to own so much more than just the libs!
Show threadAlexander The 1stFeb 11, 2025

@darthnull @mattblaze @jeffjarvis This made me think "I wonder if they're going to cede marketshare to Bing by doing this".

Anyways, unsure how Bing Maps works in the U.S., but...in Canada, it seems like the Gulf of Mexico is still the Gulf of Mexico.

Show threadNorman WilsonFeb 12, 2025
@AT1ST @darthnull @mattblaze @jeffjarvis Here's what I see in Canada, as of yesterday:
Show threadAlexander The 1stFeb 12, 2025
@oclsc @darthnull @mattblaze @jeffjarvis That's what I was getting at - *Google* Maps does that - *Bing* Maps does the screenshot I had.
Show threadNorman WilsonFeb 12, 2025
@AT1ST @darthnull @mattblaze @jeffjarvis Ah. Missed that detail!
Show threadAlexander The 1stFeb 12, 2025
@oclsc @darthnull @mattblaze @jeffjarvis That has been Microsoft's strategy with Bing, as I understand it.
Show threadNorman WilsonFeb 11, 2025
@mattblaze @jeffjarvis I don't know which calendar they've changed, but I'm not sure it's one I've been using. I subscribe to one professing to show holidays in the US and another for Canada (which produces some redundancies). The US one still shows MLK day and Juneteenth. I don't think it ever marked the months.
Show threadMatt BlazeFeb 12, 2025
@oclsc @jeffjarvis I see those (unsurprising, since MLK day is a national holiday), but not Pride or Black History month for 2025.
Show threadSteve BellovinFeb 12, 2025
@oclsc @mattblaze @jeffjarvis MLK, Jr. Day and Juneteenth are established as legal holidays by statute: 5 U.S. C. § 6103. Not that statutes seem to mean much to the current clown car in Washington, but it gives Google an out.
Show threadNorman WilsonFeb 12, 2025
@SteveBellovin @mattblaze @jeffjarvis Until the EO, right?
Show threadPalky55Feb 12, 2025
@mattblaze @jeffjarvis Wondering why as an academic you rely on google. Personally I go to the original source. But I'm only a Soc. Anth. postgrad.
Show threadMatt BlazeFeb 12, 2025
@Palky55 @jeffjarvis Google calendar is a cloud-based service for managing and integrating personal and work calendars.
Show threadPalky55Feb 14, 2025
@mattblaze @jeffjarvis I know. I'm also aware that it's another empire I'm trying to distance myself from.
Show threadLisaHFeb 11, 2025

@jeffjarvis Google has a feedback section under Settings where you can enter text. There are other ways to provide feedback as well.

I am sending them "feedback" on their cowardice every day

Everyone should.

Show threadDefinitely Doc DFeb 11, 2025
@3x10to8mps @jeffjarvis starting with their renaming of the Gulf of Mexico in Google maps
Show threadTim RuppertFeb 11, 2025
@3x10to8mps @jeffjarvis @GhostOnTheHalfShell
Done.
Show threadJoe Hill 🇵🇸🇺🇦Feb 11, 2025
@jeffjarvis
They finally caved to #HamberderHarkonnen and renamed the Gulf of Mexico on #GoogleMaps
Show thread賢進ジェンナFeb 11, 2025

@jeffjarvis The largest coporate entity in the western world brown-nosing the President of the United States when they have no legal requirement to do so.

#WorkingClass #WTF #DeGoogle #power2thepeople

Show threadMvRiederbergFeb 11, 2025
@jeffjarvis Always disturbing to see people with a lot of money and influence to make kotau in the manure of fascist leaders. They think to have power, but they are simply cowards with an overdeveloped sense of self-worth.
Show threadPalky55Feb 12, 2025
@jeffjarvis re yours. I reposted with "why is anyone surprised, if you buy into free enterprise capitalism this is what you get".
Show threadmoon77Feb 12, 2025
@jeffjarvis what the heck?! What's wrong with them?
Show threadBradley StowersFeb 12, 2025
@jeffjarvis You expected more from a McKensey man?
Show threadRHSJackFeb 12, 2025
@jeffjarvis Holy cow, you're right! I had to check. BHM, Pride, etc are gone. Well, we still have Valentine's Day which is a sacred national holiday, so we have that going for us...wait. wut.
Show threadJennifer EmFeb 12, 2025

@rhsjjack
@jeffjarvis

Those of us who care will remember and celebrate, anyway.

Show threadenoch_exe_incFeb 12, 2025
@jeffjarvis You see, about that—they never really cared in the slightest about Pride or Black History Month. This was all just rainbow capitalism. This was the machine of “more female CEOs” and “more black police officers”.
Show threadRistFeb 12, 2025
@jeffjarvis in the face of a fascist takeover, big tech is bending the knee
Show threadDouglas @revdjenk JenkinsFeb 12, 2025
@jeffjarvis
I'm tied up in the Google world, running Chromebook, Gmail (since 2004), etc.
I've run Linux since 2008, and may go back to it full time, using Firefox, Thunderbird and opening a google-free email.
Show threadCool PuppyFeb 12, 2025
@jeffjarvis They've strayed so far from their, "Do no evil" days.