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Google Maps has become an eyesore

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Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#201

Post by not_your_vase »

cyberax wrote: post #17
not_your_vase wrote: post #2

Every time I use Google Maps, I feel so helpless, and frankly, stupid. On Desktop, I simply can't figure it out how to switch to A-B route mode, nor how to trigger street view. I literally just click randomly in a more and more frustrated way until suddenly the option appears. And on Android I just avoid the app. I hate that I couldn't turn off the automatic compass. Every time I finally manage to orient myself when…

> nor how to trigger street view You need to drag the "man" icon and drop it on the map. I had to google that.

You have just solved one of the biggest struggles and mysteries of my life.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#203

Post by caleb-allen »

walthamstow wrote: post #159
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.

I've had this exact problem before. Extremely frustrating!

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#204

Post by DeathArrow »

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…

>Monetization was a dismal failure.

Aren't they charging big money for the API?

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#205

Post by switch007 »

LimeLimestone wrote: post #193

Is it just me or have you guys also noticed that the routes suggested by Google Maps have gotten worse? It seems that it only takes into account current traffic jams and not the ones which will occur 30mins into the trip. For instance, there's this spot in my city where I know there is a traffic jam at around 3:20 PM every day. I usually set off from home around 2:50 PM, which means I'll hit that congested area by 3:…

Personally I’ve found it’s been that way for many years. I associate it with the app that directs me in to traffic.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#206

Post by pepa65 »

streptomycin wrote: post #7
not_your_vase wrote: post #2

Every time I use Google Maps, I feel so helpless, and frankly, stupid. On Desktop, I simply can't figure it out how to switch to A-B route mode, nor how to trigger street view. I literally just click randomly in a more and more frustrated way until suddenly the option appears. And on Android I just avoid the app. I hate that I couldn't turn off the automatic compass. Every time I finally manage to orient myself when…

I'm skeptical that young people fare much better. Google Maps feels like it's in constant tension between all the super powerful features it has, and some PM who wants the UI to be as minimalistic as possible. End result is inscrutable.

I am surprised how much clearer the world is on openstreetmap.org which I just tried.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#208

Post by pepa65 »

gpas wrote: post #96
suid wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And while you're carefully dragging the "man" over to the street you're interested in (an interesting multi-hand challenge with most trackpads), Maps starts wildly gyrating and sliding the map around in an infinite scroll because you didn't center the "man" within one second or whatever. I hate that UI. Why can't we just click on the "man", and then click on a spot to drop it?

> Why can't we just click on the "man", and then click on a spot to drop it? That's exactly how it works. Click the man, roads with street view data are highlighted, click a road.

For years now I have dragged the man to the place, because there was no indication to me that just clicking the man and then the place would work. But it does! Thanks for sharing that.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#209

Post by tannhaeuser »

makeitdouble wrote: post #182
friend_and_foe wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Google Maps has its pitfalls, but it's by far the most up to date in the cities I've used it. OSM lacks a lot of details that completely change how you'd move from point A to point B (I was missing overpass bridges and crossable paths in residential neighboorhoods), and point to point navigation is also not great. Then it completely lacks all the more commercial features Google has built on top of Maps (store details…

For countryside locations and topographic, OTOH, Google Maps (and Apple Maps) is a joke compared to OSM, though, at least in Europe.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#210

Post by 01acheru »

LimeLimestone wrote: post #193

Is it just me or have you guys also noticed that the routes suggested by Google Maps have gotten worse? It seems that it only takes into account current traffic jams and not the ones which will occur 30mins into the trip. For instance, there's this spot in my city where I know there is a traffic jam at around 3:20 PM every day. I usually set off from home around 2:50 PM, which means I'll hit that congested area by 3:…

I came here to look for someone talking about it and totally agree, Google Maps routes are getting really worse over time and now I switched to Apple Maps almost exclusively.

I can understand the jam thing but the weird route thing is crazy, especially because that route often makes you spend more time not less. It prefers weird backroads with lots of turns instead of straight larger roads (and that's stupid) but a thing I noticed traveling a lot for work in a hilly area is that it doesn't seem to take road pendency into account. Sometimes it makes you go up and down a hill instead of staying in the valley road that goes around it: it take twice the time IRL but is like it thinks "whoa, 5km instead of 7, that's a great optimization" and that's incredibly stupid.

Apple maps is more conservative and tries to stick to larger roads if possible only sending you into more obscure ones if it is very convenient.

Another thing is that Google Maps is really aggressive on labeling something as a road: sometimes they are off roads, tractor paths or large trails that a car cannot travel on but it doesn't care.

Those are my impressions traveling mostly in Italy and bordering countries.

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