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Google Maps won't let you save home address without allowing all Google tracking

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Re: Google Maps won't let you save home address without allowing all Google tracking

#221

Post by polkadotted »

I'm not sure why people are surprised. Google has been downright evil for quite a while now. They do this in all their products, down to the point of intentionally crippling them.

For instance, since Android 5, the standard contact app doesn't allow you to modify a contact which is not synced with an account. Why even do this? The list of tracking settings that can be turned permanently on, but only temporarily off is ever growing. At some point, you just give up because it's such a silly waste of time. Google knows this very well.

Almost all the google websites, except google search, work badly on anything except chrome. I mean, google groups is rotten already on chrome, but just try it on firefox for the full experience.

Maps (the website) used to be a game-changer in the past. It was insanely fast. Nowdays I hate it. The UI is just horrid. On Firefox it just misbehaves constantly. I only use it for streetview, and still I'm appalled at how badly it has evolved.

They are pushing still impressive libraries and tools. But there's not a single of their products I still like to use.

Re: Google Maps won't let you save home address without allowing all Google tracking

#222

Post by Jmcdd »

SmellyGeekBoy wrote: post #210
dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was discussed on HN a few days ago: the size of the company is inversely proportional to the quality of their support. After the company reaches a certain size, they can simply afford not to care. Also, in this case it makes more business sense for them. Therefore I prefer to deal with smaller companies.

You say this, but I've had some great experiences with Microsoft support over the years, both on the hardware and software side. I hear good things about Apple's support too.

Apple support is spot on. While I'm disappointed by the decline in quality of their products (namely the macbook pro), when I had to return my MBP 2017 a year after I bought it, and 3 months after they replaced the faulty keyboard, they were very supportive and refunded me the full amount. They're also very easy to talk to and treat you with respect unlike Google support (from my experience).

Re: Google Maps won't let you save home address without allowing all Google tracking

#223

Post by raffael-vogler »

What is your Google Maps alternative of choice for Android?

I wish OsmAnd (https://osmand.net/) would be more interactive on the map and complete regarding addresses. For example if I want to know which bus or subway to take to get from A to B in Hamburg I always have to resort to Maps.

Re: Google Maps won't let you save home address without allowing all Google tracking

#224

Post by neltnerb »

SmellyGeekBoy wrote: post #210
dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was discussed on HN a few days ago: the size of the company is inversely proportional to the quality of their support. After the company reaches a certain size, they can simply afford not to care. Also, in this case it makes more business sense for them. Therefore I prefer to deal with smaller companies.

You say this, but I've had some great experiences with Microsoft support over the years, both on the hardware and software side. I hear good things about Apple's support too.

Agreed, even with a simple home license I've called Microsoft and been shocked at how competent they are. Pretty weird and complex issues too.

But doesn't Google in particular have a reputation for nonexistent or terrible support? It's not part of their culture, everything is a beta and it's no big deal if it doesn't work right?

An open phone cannot come fast enough. It may well be even buggier at first but if it's like my experience with Linux over the last 17 years it will only get steadily better since the developer's incentives are actually largely aligned with mine.

Re: Google Maps won't let you save home address without allowing all Google tracking

#225

Post by amelius »

pmlnr wrote: post #201
amelius wrote: post #194

Any good un-Googling tips for someone stuck with an Android phone, Moto G4?

It's harder than it looks. In theory, there's microg, in reality, if you do a complete un-googling, most push notifications won't come through. If you do want to try it: - factory reset the phone to get rid of any google accounts - root the phone - get "System app remover (ROOT)"[^1] - remove all google applications, except google play services and framework - reboot - remove remaining google applications - reboot -…

Thanks, but I was more thinking along the lines of installing a new OS (Linux) and running Android apps (e.g. for banking) in a sandbox. Is that possible?

Re: Google Maps won't let you save home address without allowing all Google tracking

#226

Post by pythonaut_16 »

maxwellito wrote: post #197
verytrivial wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is slightly dodgy. It is punitive. They are (and are within their rights to) withholding value because you aren't giving them what they want, which is mineable activity information. I notice that there are always cartoons of happy users getting additional useful features from their services when tracking is enbled, but never cute cartoons of the other actors extracting value based upon advertising etc. Truth I…

I completely understand, it's in their right, absolutely. However, once you disable the tracking, the UI no longer show the address and even say "Set location" under Home address and Work address. This let you think that Google doesn't have this information, which is false. This makes me feel like Google got info about me and I can't use it. I find this part dodgy. Once you disable a setting it should be clearer that…

Sounds more like a UI bug/oversight than intentional deception.

Google Maps UI has a feature to display your set home address, once you turn off tracking or whatever it no longer has access to that home address in its UI so the default state is to ask you to set one.

If that's the case then the real problem would be that the address data is siloed off somewhere in your Google account under maps and isn't accessible to be changed/cleared from your general account settings.

Re: Google Maps won't let you save home address without allowing all Google tracking

#227

Post by fiblye »

gaius wrote: post #100
scalablenotions wrote: post #66

Dark patterns seem to be becoming standard UX for Google now. I notice so much of it all over their products.

Meaningful reform won’t happen until the wider industry looks at the CVs of ex-Google workers with suspicion that they may be smart but lack a moral compass.

With the "may" being more said more questioning tone each day.

Re: Google Maps won't let you save home address without allowing all Google tracking

#228

Post by Jmcdd »

vamc19 wrote: post #43

On my Pixel 2XL, I cannot set temperature to Celsius on my home and lock screen unless I allow this setting.

When I had my Pixel I remember not being able to save reminders or events with the assisstant unless I enabled Google Now Cards, which shoved advertisements and bullshit articles onto my home screen

Re: Google Maps won't let you save home address without allowing all Google tracking

#229

Post by samat »

discordance wrote: post #218
verytrivial wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is slightly dodgy. It is punitive. They are (and are within their rights to) withholding value because you aren't giving them what they want, which is mineable activity information. I notice that there are always cartoons of happy users getting additional useful features from their services when tracking is enbled, but never cute cartoons of the other actors extracting value based upon advertising etc. Truth I…

This is dangerous ground to tread for Google. If data were kept in this fashion under a GDPR right to erasure request, Google would face some hefty fines.

I do belive that requests are all or nothing, not that I can delete only particular bits and keep using the service with all other info intact.

Re: Google Maps won't let you save home address without allowing all Google tracking

#230

Post by rerx »

trophycase wrote: post #122
user111233 wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

User error. Don't use your phone while driving.

I wasn't in any real sense. Until of course the view of my next turn was obstructed... Are Uber drivers "using their phone"?

Don't touch the touch screen while the engine is running.
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