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Paper map sales are booming

wsj.com

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Re: Paper map sales are booming

#251

Post by lmm »

JCM9 wrote: post #137
dljsjr wrote: post #49

Anybody remember Triptiks from AAA? You'd go to a AAA office or call them on the phone, tell them where you were going, and in return you'd get a printed spiral top-bound pad with your trip broken down in to multiple legs, the roads/routes pre-highlighted, gas stops and prices estimated in, a list of sites for stopping off at, etc. All human curated and human annotated (the roads on your route were literally gone ove…

Yes. I remember going into the AAA office with my dad before family vacations to pick them up. They gave you a whole pre-trip briefing too on current construction, tips and any issues you might encounter. While apps like Waze do a great job of getting you from A-Z they completely lack the contextual information about where you’re going, things to see along the way and other details. One really had to pay a lot more a…

It's easier than ever to go off on an adventure if you want to. Any turn you like, you can take, you don't have to worry about getting lost. Anywhere you think looks like a nice detour, you can add it in and see immediately how much time it's going to add.

Most people don't bother, but I don't think that's the technology's fault. The technology absolutely supports it.

Re: Paper map sales are booming

#252

Post by lmm »

tannhaeuser wrote: post #217
criley2 wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple's solution isn't a serious contender because it's hardware locked to high end devices that the majority of people don't use / can't afford (the demographics of this community not withstanding). While it's nice that their users can have an alternate first-party experience, that experience is not a publically available map. For example if you go to maps.apple.com you are told "Open this on your Apple Hardware". (…

Apple isn't a serious contender because their devices aren't sponsored by tracking/ads? You can also get an iOS device (partly) included with a post-paid mobile plan, can't you?

> Apple isn't a serious contender because their devices aren't sponsored by tracking/ads?

Apple isn't a serious contender because they don't sell anything in the low-end segment. Ferrari make great cars but you can't expect everyone to drive a Ferrari.

> You can also get an iOS device (partly) included with a post-paid mobile plan, can't you?

That acts as a payment plan, but you're still paying the full cost (usually plus interest) one way or another.

Re: Paper map sales are booming

#253

Post by dogman144 »

paper map and compass navigation opens the world up. very cool skill to have. if one is capable in the outdoors, land navigation opens up so many cool areas to explore. easy enough to do safely and leave no trace.

Re: Paper map sales are booming

#254

Post by 1vuio0pswjnm7 »

dimator wrote: post #246
1vuio0pswjnm7 wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember going to AAA offices where they would pull out a map and use highlighter on the spot and mark up the map in front of you. Nothing was prepared in advance. Google Maps is constantly making weasel changes to try to get people to sign in and inserting ads for businesses. OpenStreetMaps is great offline, no sign-in required, but it's still too janky.

Well, realistically, if the AAA highlighter operator was later compelled to testify as to your driving plan, they would.

Google does not need to go through the courts to obtain not only the driving plan but also where the maps user actually travels.

Google does not need to file a complaint that survives a motion to dismiss, reach the discovery phase of litigation and then subpoena AAA in order to obtain a driving plan for one specific driver. It continuously collects driving plans passively and indiscriminantly.

In litigation, testimony might be sealed. The data Google collects via Google Maps has no such protections available.

Let's be "realistic". Most people getting maps highlighted at AAA offices were not parties in lawsuits, the AAA employees that provided maps to them were not deposed by lawyers, and their driving plans were not used to prop up on online ad services racket. Yet every person that uses Google Maps is being surveilled for commercial purposes.

Flooding the web with more programmatic advertising.

Re: Paper map sales are booming

#255

Post by nerdbert »

TedDoesntTalk wrote: post #193
larrik wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been growing pretty dissatisfied with the state of electronic maps. Basic things that are usually either impossible or difficult while using Google Maps or Apple Maps for directions: - What road am I on? What town am I in? - and other flavors of "where the hell am I, anyway?" - This is especially annoying when on the phone and the person is asking where you are, and the best you can answer is "Google says I'm X…

There's no way to see a street name on Apple Maps without zooming in entirely. And sometimes even then, I'll see something like Route 99 instead the name by which everyone refers to the road: "Broadway".

Google Maps is even worse about this.

Dear Google:

If I have my directions preference set to walking, cycling, or public transit, there is no reason to EVER show me the route number of a street that has a name. I don't care about it, and it actively gets in the way of using the map since it displaces the name, you know, the thing that is actually on the signs that I am looking at with my eyes.

It would be one thing if it showed both the name and the number, but usually you have to pinch and pan so far from where you are before you luck into seeing the name that you've totally lost your orientation on the map.

Re: Paper map sales are booming

#256

Post by [deleted] »

joshstrange wrote: post #2

> His customers, he added, aren’t just looking to maps for directions, but as inspiration for future trips or even as art worth hanging. I think that alone accounts for the vast majority of this increase. The article throws that in as a minor detail but I'd bet money it's the only reason. Of course you don't get as many clicks for "More people are buying maps as art". 2 of the 3 examples of maps they give at the end…

[deleted]

Re: Paper map sales are booming

#257

Post by nerdbert »

tuatoru wrote: post #216
nemonemo wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those two types of maps are targeting different groups -- paper maps targeting the somewhat advanced users who know the basic navigation and have little need to consult the legend. The electronic maps target much wider audience and can be dumbed down since people can interact with the map. Sure, the electronic maps probably can stuff more info to be shown at a glance, but my impression is that they chose not to.

> paper maps targeting the somewhat advanced users Since when did using a map become an "advanced" life skill? Is "Idiocracy" becoming a documentary?

I am reliably amazed by how many people are completely unable to read a map these days. I hate turn-by-turn directions and never use them, with the result that I am naturally paying enough attention that I can always find my way back to anywhere I've been. People I travel with, who let themselves be led around from one corner to the next with their nose buried in a screen, can't understand how I do it.

Re: Paper map sales are booming

#258

Post by nerdbert »

1vuio0pswjnm7 wrote: post #242
dljsjr wrote: post #49

Anybody remember Triptiks from AAA? You'd go to a AAA office or call them on the phone, tell them where you were going, and in return you'd get a printed spiral top-bound pad with your trip broken down in to multiple legs, the roads/routes pre-highlighted, gas stops and prices estimated in, a list of sites for stopping off at, etc. All human curated and human annotated (the roads on your route were literally gone ove…

I remember going to AAA offices where they would pull out a map and use highlighter on the spot and mark up the map in front of you. Nothing was prepared in advance. Google Maps is constantly making weasel changes to try to get people to sign in and inserting ads for businesses. OpenStreetMaps is great offline, no sign-in required, but it's still too janky.

OSM is far superior to Google or Apple if you're not driving or riding public transit. They have much better pedestrian/cycle accessibility data. Google will send you on preposterous detours on a bike, whereas OSM gives you exactly what you need to know to take the shortest viable route.

Re: Paper map sales are booming

#259

Post by colanderman »

tokenadult wrote: post #241
colanderman wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google Maps doesn't even show exit numbers unless you are incredibly zoomed in. They are near useless for at-a-glance visual navigation.

My user experience on several recent trips is that Google Maps showed me the exit number for the exit I would use next very prominently on top of the display (where it shows the direction of the next turn). Maybe that isn't rolled out consistently for all trips.

Context is when you are not using GPS. (Personally I despise being talked at by a computer for an hour, especially one that's bad at directing a driver.)

With paper maps, you can just look at them -- a single page, no pinch zooming or scrolling! -- to see what exit is appropriate for your destination. Not possible with Google Maps -- you either have to zoom in until the exit ramp fills the screen, or make up a fake address near where you're going to get directions which you then have to read through to find the relevant exit. It's a needless frustration when I'm in a hurry and just what to know what exit serves town X.

Re: Paper map sales are booming

#260

Post by wyre »

wwweston wrote: post #146
wyre wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t know if this is true for older generations, but for myself and many of my zoomer and millennial friends barely know street names making giving or receiving directions much harder. Personally I rarely rely on turn-by-turn navigation but instead look at the map before hand and take a mental map of the directions to get there.

That's interesting. Are you saying many people you know don't usually check street signs against the name of the streets the GPS directs users to? I know that's my reflex when I have readable street signs, but I guess I have no idea what portion of people rely on that vs the "feel" of how close the turn is from the visual representation on-screen (which I use sometimes too, but don't like relying on since it often la…

Not quite, but maybe, I don’t talk to my friends about how they interact with gps directions. I’m saying that when giving verbal directions knowledge of street names aren’t generally shared equally. I know my knowledge of street names when im giving directions for the city I’ve lived in for almost 2 years is not great. I also commute by bicycle and don’t rely on GPS, just navigating by special awareness mostly.
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