Hawaii nudging Facebook to distinguish Kailuas

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HONOLULU — State lawmakers are considering a resolution this week to urge Facebook to distinguish between the Hawaii towns of Kailua and Kailua-Kona on the social networking site.

HONOLULU — State lawmakers are considering a resolution this week to urge Facebook to distinguish between the Hawaii towns of Kailua and Kailua-Kona on the social networking site.

Lawmakers and residents of the towns say Facebook’s geography around Kailua has long been spotty. People and businesses wanting to tag themselves as being in Kailua on Oahu haven’t had that option. Instead they can put themselves in Lanikai, a neighborhood within Kailua, or in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island.

Over the years, people in Kailua have begrudgingly picked Lanikai or mistakenly picked Kailua-Kona.

Confusion around business locations has ramifications for visitors in a state that depends on tourism. Kailua is on the east side of Oahu. Kailua-Kona is on the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii, a 40-minute flight away.