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Google Maps has become an eyesore

fastcompany.com

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Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#151

Post by dheera »

jalk wrote: post #143
dheera wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's also been downright unusable. While navigating it hides all the business names from me so I can't browse the stores are along my way. I constantly have to exit navigation, approximately remember the route, browse the stores, and then re-enter navigation mode. This is only one of many pain points. Its assistant is also useless. "OK Google, zoom in the map by a factor of 1.5" "OK Google, stop hiding the businesses…

You can click the search icon while in navigation mode, to search along the route. It doesn’t work that great as you have to zoom to an aprox area and it seems somewhat arbitrary what comes up. It will show you how many minutes of detour a location would add, which is quite nice when choosing among a bunch

Sometimes I don't know what I'm searching for, I just want to browse what kind of businesses exist in an area along my route to see if it's worth stopping there and taking a break. Also if I use the search feature it auto-zooms out the map and then I have to fight it within hundreds of milliseconds to get back to where I was on the map. Once it auto-zooms fully I may have trouble remembering where exactly along the route I was looking. I may have been searching for food near a particular weirdly-shaped lake along the route that I spent 15 minutes tracing the 500km route at max zoom to find. Once the search auto-zooms back out, my 15 minutes of "work" is instantly wasted and I can't find that lake again.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#152

Post by mdp2021 »

bombolo wrote: post #141
AlbertCory wrote: post #34

I worked on Google Maps monetization, and then on Maps itself. Monetization was a dismal failure. I don't know how well they're doing now, but Maps was a gigantic money-loser, forever. I'd be a little surprised if it didn't still lose money, but maybe less. I don't what those "pin ads" cost, but I'd bet it's way less than a search ad. If you don't believe that, that's fine. "What about indirect revenue?" you ask? Goo…

How can google maps monetize when openstreetmaps exists?

Interesting to know that OSM lists businesses, but GMaps contains more information, which can sometimes be crucial. (E.g. opening days and hours.)

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#153

Post by m3drano »

I find it funny that this site is speaking about others, but itself is worse: you just can't see the contents of the article, which is laying behind 4 layers of ads, including a video and a half-screen-high banner.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#154

Post by friend_and_foe »

makeitdouble wrote: post #128
AlbertCory wrote: post #34

I worked on Google Maps monetization, and then on Maps itself. Monetization was a dismal failure. I don't know how well they're doing now, but Maps was a gigantic money-loser, forever. I'd be a little surprised if it didn't still lose money, but maybe less. I don't what those "pin ads" cost, but I'd bet it's way less than a search ad. If you don't believe that, that's fine. "What about indirect revenue?" you ask? Goo…

What kills me is I'd easily pay 50~100 eur a month if Maps had to be non ad subsidized. This is to me Google's most everyday impacting product, and what makes the difference between me being stranded/lost or making it in time. The stories of people ending in a lake for blindly following directions are cheeky, but decent maps are just that important, and Google Maps, how flawed it can be, is currently the best for so…

The only case I can think of where google is the best is traffic updates. I use OSM primarily, osmand particularly for navigation, and I've tried going back to google a few times, every time I try it it's worse than the last time.

You may be willing to pay €50 a month for it, but most people can't afford that and wouldn't pay it.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#155

Post by rlv-dan »

computerfriend wrote: post #131
rlv-dan wrote: post #72

If you are looking for an alternative navigation app I can recommend giving Magic Earth a try. Simple, clear and free. Nice developers that answers your mail. It even supports Android Auto. https://www.magicearth.com

I don't think this is "free" in the software sense.

Well, sure. Free as in freeware, gratis, no charge. I haven't seen any ads either.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#157

Post by pests »

aix1 wrote: post #135
pests wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recently watched this show on netflix called "The Billion Dollar Code" that went into the details about maps beginnings and other companies claim to the idea. It was pretty interesting.

That was about Google Earth, not about Google Maps, right? (I don't know to what extent the tech stack is shared between the two.)

Ah you're probably right! I know they are separate things but ever since that update ~10 years ago where they brought many Earth features into Maps the product merged into one for me.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#159

Post by walthamstow »

khazhoux wrote: post #41

> Why won't you show me the street name? I've been running into this a lot lately. No matter how much I zoom -- no street name. This is Mapping 101.

It's really bad in London. Instead of telling you the road is called Oxford Street (quite a famous road!) it shows instead the road number, A40, which is not known by 95% of the local population, nor by 100% of visitors.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#160

Post by aix1 »

papa-whisky wrote: post #90
blamazon wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's also neat that you can review almost everything in google maps. Wanna leave a review for a cool rock in your neighborhood? Sure! Why not.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Murder+Cove/@57.0310912,-1... edit: also this one made me chuckle https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tim+Hortons/@82.4982691,-6...

Thanks for that Tim Horton link. I laughed and laughed.
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