Jeff JarvisFeb 11, 2025
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
Show threadMatt Blaze

@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.

Feb 11, 2025 at 10:02pmWeb
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.