Thanks everyone for the info. I'm seeing the correlation now between names on the terrain layer matching what I see on LOJ. I'm amazed Google decided to do this. I like it but I can imagine some circumstances will arise causing some issues. Time will tell.

For many years, I've seen names appear that are not the names on the USGS maps, but existed as place names in other databases. Examples near us in Nevada include "Wilson Ridge" west of Red Rock (NOT Mt Wilson), and John's Peak and Negrohead in the eastern Sheep Mts. Some of these names may be carry-overs from older maps, or are "silent" in the USGS placename database; for example a search on the full database brings up all three.

now I'm going to be scouring the terrain layer looking for stuff. Thanks for making my day, or ruining it depending on the perspective! I dunno, I like this stuff, I think it makes the story of the topography that much more interesting. I'm reading Farquar's History of the Sierra Nevada now, and I do get a kick out of major rivers changing names over the course of history depending on who has the upper hand in documentation. Turns out it wasn't always called the American River, imagine that.

I think I might be partially to blame for the case Peladoboton mentioned.

I mentioned to the creator of ListsofJohn that the peak he had called P11301 was commonly known as Peak 11300 (using an approximation of the elevation) and was originally called Mount Kudlich in Belmore Browne's book on exploring Mount McKinley.

No hidden agenda on my part other than to try to get the historical record as accurate as possible and to avoid calling peaks by their elevations if names exist. In this particular case, there is another Peak 11300 in Alaska, so there could possibly be confusion as to which peak was which if someone were to look solely at John's list.

I didn't know that ListsofJohn would later be used to provide GoogleMaps with peak names.

No offense intended, Peladoboton.

I emailed Aaron Maizlish today (aaron[dot]maizlish[at]gmail[dot]com) and asked that he remove the unofficial names (including Mount Kudlich) that he obtained from me via Lists of John. He said that he submits record updates annually and that Google responds on its own schedule. If you notice other names on Google Earth that should be changed, contact Aaron and request that he change them.

The geocoding for Mt Sill (the query) is off:

Klenke wrote:If Google Maps is/was trying to be representative of official names of things

They are not. Google is in the business of giving people information they can use in the most efficient manner. If you disagree with a peak's name and have good reason to back it up, by all means file a correction. They make it pretty easy.

Filing a correction: If I request for them to not display a name at all they may say they won't do that, that they'll only change it to something else and not nothing at all.

If they make it pretty easy, that's part of the problem. Any Joe Blow can go in and make a request and then the next Joe Blow makes a new request, perhaps reverting it back to the prior name, and so on ad nauseum. This is not configuration control. Therefore, such unofficial names should not be put on there at all. That's the ultimate config control.

Paul

So, it's OK to use unofficial names on Summitpost and every other climbing website out there (inluding list sites), but a maps website using them is a no-no? Sounds kind of hypocritical.

Google Earth/maps also names climbing towers and routes; few of which have "official names". Should they delete such features as Ancient Arch and it's Stolen Chimney Route, both of which are named on Google Earth?

I think not.

I emailed Aaron Maizlish today (aaron[dot]maizlish[at]gmail[dot]com) and asked that he remove the unofficial names (including Mount Kudlich) that he obtained from me via Lists of John.

OK, then why shouldn't List of John (or other similar sites) also remove all their unofficial names that were obtained from other sources? Please explain the difference.