211–220 of 705 posts
Probably not a popular opinion here, but I like Google Maps. Sure there's some clutter, but it's pretty good at navigation, public transit and searching for places. I don't know any better alternative.
If anyone wants to try it, OrganicMaps on F-droid do a fantastic job delivering raster maps with navigation
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 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?
Make one of those pins move because it's actually a car, and suddenly your cheeks are getting clapped with 6+-figure bills.
Google had/has some useful apps but almost all are filled of junk while collecting and selling your data. Google represents the enshittification of the Internet.
Probably not a popular opinion here, but I like Google Maps. Sure there's some clutter, but it's pretty good at navigation, public transit and searching for places. I don't know any better alternative.
My wife and I prefer navigating with Apple maps after Google Maps stagnated for years and years. Apple's voice instructions are incomparably better.
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Yes the classic dance of “zoom in slightly further, but this time without arbitrarily removing 3/4’s of my search results that I know exist here, and showing me other random locations” Or “good lord just show me the street name please”
I’d like to see a defence of the reason why it’s so often a bit of a job to be able to read the street name… on a map. If only for the laugh I would have.
Letting you specify on Google Maps a kind of context that would swap between these at will would be an infinitely better experience, but unfortunately it doesn't grant promotions, unlike a blog post about the _brand new smart experience_
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That's not really true though is it. I use it countless times a week to navigate from my current location to point x l, generally a postal code or POI. At no point during this do I have to interact with alternative businesses or way points.
I agree that Google Maps does work as a navigation aid in certain environments (e.g. dense urban) and certain transportation modalities (definitely cars, to a lesser extent public transport, bike and pedestrian). In my experience it's also useable as a general street/road map. It's clearly not a topographical map; I think it would be foolish and potentially dangerous to rely on Google Maps to, say, hike in the Alps.…
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…
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.
I can pause the video, but can not close it. It remains at the bottom of the page. Wow.
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.