Google Maps gets its Georgia’s mixed up

By Mark O’Neill
Contributing Writer, [GAS]

This will probably go down in journalism history as one of the classics and Google will never live this down.  Plus you’ve probably still got the crazies in Georgia, USA hiding in the bushes with their shotguns waiting for the Russian tanks to come rumbling past muttering to themselves “that Google map thingie said they were coming!  Gotta stay vigilant!”

Google Maps, when used in an Associated Press Report about the Georgia conflict (that’s the Georgia near Russia), got mixed up and decided to use Georgia in the United States instead.    Therefore, the story ended up looking like this :

General confusion reigned.   One USA Georgia resident got worked up and posted a question on Yahoo Answers asking where the tanks were.   Even today, if you put “Russians invade Georgia” into Google Maps, you’ll get this.

But Google shouldn’t be too embarrassed.   UK’s Sky News made exactly the same mistake.    Be sure to check out their disclaimer at the bottom :

So if you’re living in Georgia, you’d best pack and start heading for the border!    According to Google and Wikipedia, you’re about to be visited by the Russian Army!