Re: Project-GC continents

First off the callback method GetContinentDefinitions() should be fixed in the next release, which should happen today.

Then Project-GC is also updating its Continent definitions. This should not affect any existing challenge checkers since no scripts uses GetContinentDefinitions(). I don't believe there is a need to update and challenges either. In my opinion a challenge description should always show how they defined a continent, since it isn't clear what a continent includes. You who have been involved in them probably know that there are many corner cases. For example:
* Islands belonging to Spain that's far far far away.
* Countries spanning the continent platters.
* General disputes.

Anyway, to make the maps of Profile stats clearer, and maybe also make the continent filters more usable we'll be adding a new continent today, Central America.

North America will be reduced to only contain Canada, United States, Mexico, Bermuda and Saint Pierre and Miguelon.
Central America will include everything that was removed from North America.

"Puerto Rico", "Costa Rica", "Bahamas", "Panama", "Dominican Republic", "Cuba", "El Salvador", "Belize",
"Cayman Islands", "US Virgin Islands", "Trinidad and Tobago", "Guatemala",
"Curacao", "Aruba", "Barbados", "British Virgin Islands", "Honduras",
"Saint Kitts and Nevis", "Nicaragua", "Jamaica",
"Saint Martin", "Sint Maarten", "Antigua and Barbuda", "Turks and Caicos Islands",
"Martinique", "Guadeloupe", "Haiti", "Saint Vincent and the Grenadines", "Grenada", "Saint Lucia", "Anguilla",
"Montserrat", "Dominica", "Saint Barthélemy", "Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba",

In general I think it's wise to ask a CO what he means when he mentions a continent. After this change even more important so.

The patch we are releasing that includes Central America can be considered a test. If we get a lot of negative feedback we might revert it.

As you said, script writers need to tweak continent definitions depending on what the challenge requester decides is in the continent or not, as there isn't a "formal" definition. That said, I thought it was "universally" agreed upon that there are 7 continents. Adding in an 8th continent will likely result in the newly hooked up method never being used, because that won't fit with most requester's expectations.

The method can still be used if the script merges the CA and NA upon need.

And we agree Central America isn't a continent, but after discussions, and suggestions, we went ahead with the task. We feel that the pros outweighs the cons.