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Google Maps has become an eyesore

fastcompany.com

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Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#401

Post by fnordpiglet »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #397
fnordpiglet wrote: post #347

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know, because they tried to sell it to me when I was at a megacorp, they resell the real time location and local data correlated to user characteristics, as data service to large discrete customers. This includes constant real time information about where people are traveling to, businesses being frequented by demographics, with a sophisticated query interface for asking relatively complex questions of maps derived…

> they resell the real time location and local data correlated to user characteristics, as data service to large discrete customers. I do not understand what resell means here. Who is google selling to first?

Assuming here you consider the users giving up their privacy as the primary product being sold in maps.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#402

Post by mastercheif »

bowsamic wrote: post #337
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:…

Even worse: here in Hamburg, a major German city with very high Google Maps usage, The S-Bahn line S1 is closed through the tunnel right in the centre of the city an entire month, and yet it has not been updated at all. Same thing occurred when the S1 from the airport to HBF was closed last month. These are very high capacity lines and it is tourist season. Anyone trying to use Google Maps is going to be very confuse…

Google Maps has become noticeably worse at public transit directions in the last few years. In NYC it seemingly does not ingest service changes from the MTA API, I’ve had multiple friends complain about it.

Apple Maps is updated in near real time, I tell anyone who listens to use it for PT directions. The “Transit” app is great too.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#403

Post by 8organicbits »

makeitdouble wrote: post #176
bubblethink wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'd pay 50-100 euro a month ? Why ? How did you arrive at this number ? Even before google maps, the standalone navigation devices didn't cost that much. To stretch this, if maps is 50-100 a month, how much is the total bill of all software you use ? Surely, the h/w, OS, browsers etc. should be orders of magnitude more than what they are today too.

> How did you arrive at this number ? Straight comparison to the other service I paid for for a while I gave up as it didn't seem worth it. > Even before google maps, the standalone navigation devices didn't cost that much. They costed a bunch and were a lot less useable in day to day life. There was no device that would tell me the schedule of the next train departing from the station 10 min from where I am, when th…

> And I also get other people's position, and don't need to text them every 5 min to know if they're lost or stuck.

Are you running a package delivery service, or taxi service? I don't understand this statement in other contexts.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#404

Post by ChatGTP »

BrandoElFollito wrote: post #374
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:…

This is something I have wondered a lot about: whether the routing is based on current conditions, or if it takes into account what usually happens on your route as your journey unfolds. Your comment seems to suggest the former. I live in France and school vacation, especially during the winter break, yield to horrendous tragic keeps from the Paris region towards the Alps. I needed once to drive through them, but not…

Similar experience and I which I knew why they offer a particular route.

I often end up regretting using Google maps if I know the routes, usually I feel I'm happier with my choice, not sure if it's a psychological thing but I don't think so because I feel I consistently make better choices based on my knowledge of an area.

I guess there can be a lot to know about a road, especially in regional areas which Google probably knows nothing about.

The other thing I find interesting is that most people I know cannot drive anywhere without Google maps or similar, so there are probably a lot more people using these routes than alternatives.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#405

Post by wwalexander »

ks2048 wrote: post #27
moomoo11 wrote: post #3

Love Apple Maps. It has progressively gotten so much better and awesome. I don’t think I ever use my iPhone and get frustrated. Leaving android in 2015 was the best decision I made.

I want to use Apple Maps more, but in some parts of the world, the amount of info on Apple Maps (locations of places, restaurants, etc) is TINY compared to Google.

This is true, and it would be ideal if Apple Maps had more up-to-date business info.

But perhaps it’s okay for business directories to be separate tools from maps. Before the internet, you’d have Yellow Pages at home and a map in the car, right?

If we can’t accept that, then we might be stuck navigating with Google’s subpar app forever. I personally don’t mind looking up the business I’m interested in online before I navigate to it—in most cases I want to check their current hours on their own website or Facebook page anyway as even Google’s info can be out of date.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#406

Post by lotsofpulp »

tlocke wrote: post #230
mdp2021 wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

OpenStreetMap does hold opening hours of businesses. Here are the details (including opening hours) of my local cafe https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/485163917 I go round entering OSM data using the StreetComplete app. It's slightly awkward if a shop doesn't display their opening hours, because then you have to go in, and I feel I need to buy something and then ask their opening hours.

This is funny. You are giving the business free labor, yet you feel you owe the business.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#407

Post by devnullbrain »

seb1204 wrote: post #371
devnullbrain wrote: post #294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A population of 9 million but big tech's allergy to scaling customer support means they don't pay a local person to adjust things for local expectations. But why would they? We have to use it anyway.

You can use Open Street Mmap and a suitable app of your choice. OSM is strong on the local level. Check out https://organicmaps.app/

Does this show on the car's display or is it limited to showing on the phone's screen?

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#408

Post by vidanay »

Ycdr4thfdd wrote: post #332
l33tman wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah it's weird, very often a venue on a street is simply not visible unless zoomed in TO THE MAX. And then it's not any weird obscure thing, it's a restaurant or coffeeshop that's been there for years.

What's even worse is that often I'll click "restaurants", zoom in all the way, and then click "Search this area", yet Google will still refuse to show some popular restaurant, even when there are no other restaurants displayed in the window. The only way to get those restaurants to show up is to search them by name. Not sure if they're intentionally penalizing certain restaurants, but it's pretty bad.

Also the "cuisine" filters for restaurants appears to be completely irrelevant. You will still get results for Chinese restaurants even though you have selected "Pizza".

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#409

Post by hacoo »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #397
fnordpiglet wrote: post #347

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know, because they tried to sell it to me when I was at a megacorp, they resell the real time location and local data correlated to user characteristics, as data service to large discrete customers. This includes constant real time information about where people are traveling to, businesses being frequented by demographics, with a sophisticated query interface for asking relatively complex questions of maps derived…

> they resell the real time location and local data correlated to user characteristics, as data service to large discrete customers. I do not understand what resell means here. Who is google selling to first?

Technically I don’t think it’s resold, as google hasn’t bought the data from anyone. But I think what the author meant is that Google also uses the data for ads, etc and then sells it.

Re: Google Maps has become an eyesore

#410

Post by wahnfrieden »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #397
fnordpiglet wrote: post #347

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know, because they tried to sell it to me when I was at a megacorp, they resell the real time location and local data correlated to user characteristics, as data service to large discrete customers. This includes constant real time information about where people are traveling to, businesses being frequented by demographics, with a sophisticated query interface for asking relatively complex questions of maps derived…

> they resell the real time location and local data correlated to user characteristics, as data service to large discrete customers. I do not understand what resell means here. Who is google selling to first?

Govts included. Govt can use the data as long as a company will sell it to them without laws considering it to be warrantless spying.
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