Google once again... need I say more?

[Simon]

I went to get directions to a bar last night and I normally use Google Maps. But they changed the format once again making my experience an utter nightmare. For starters they have it full screen... but then it is white on off white so anyone using glasses (myself included) can't see squat. Now look at how they run you from Windsor to Toronto, very interesting way to get from point A to B...

I asked for the route to a night club in Toronto, Canada and they give me one Ontario, California. This is my personal advice to anyone lost and you have 5 minutes to pinpoint your location... for god sake DON'T use Google Maps you will be dead before the RCMP find you. I was going to contact them, they have a feedback button, but they want you to sign in to tell them how they broke an app. I don't belong to Google but here is yet another reason not to join the club check this one out.

If that isn't scary, I don't know what is... I expect the next slogan to read "Join Us or Die". What they have done in months past is combine Google Gmail accounts with YouTube accounts and forced the users to pick a name but your mail, account name, and everything attached to it like Google Plus is all "fair game" for advertisers. Like I said before, I don't Google and now I no longer use their map service. I will start using MapQuest. Yahoo maps is just as bad with the white roads on the off white background. I wouldn't be surprised if the Google monster snatches that one up soon as well.

I don't even know where the street view went or if it will come back. Maybe it will come back and include pictures inside people's homes, they could rename it Google Home Invasion.

[claydoh]

I dunno, just used gmaps on my phone to plan out some travel to parts unknown and back with little fanfare myself. It did have a very slight stumble not being aware of a slight change to a merging lane, but I was surprised at the accuracy of a gps - never having used one before. I didn't plan to use google navigation, instead thought I'd just use maps to point me where I was and where to go, just use the phone as a map. voice navigation worked quite well.

I don't have a problem with the background colors (I wear glasses), nor finding street view on my laptop, but they still offer "'classic" maps in my options. I also (at least for now) have the option to unlink my youtube username/account from my google login. I personally am all for trying to clean out the bs that is youtube commenting. But that's just me.



As to being wholesale into google myself (ie I don't care quite as much, and will not be a chicken little just yet) check out David Brin's blogs. I kinda am leaning to where he is going with his thoughts, especially as he has been pretty damn prescient with the way things are going in his books.

http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/

[Rod J]

Yeah, I use Google maps a lot for my job (delivering newspapers to mailboxes) so I can see the actual mailbox with new subscribers ahead of time. I deliver in the wee small hours in the dark so it helps me find the addresses. I like the new maps (after some getting used to it). You click on the box on the left to get to the street view. I wear reading glasses too and haven't found the new maps particularly hard to see.

I agree with the comments on the single sign on with Google (I don't like it either). I temporarily gave in to Google's persistently annoying pop ups about doing so and immediately regretted it. I do like a little anonymity on some sites. I immediately changed my YouTube account back to how it was and told Google to stop annoying me and stop changing things all the time! So there!! :-( (Wearing my crotchety old man hat now).

[whatthefunk]

What I really hate is that they want everyone to be on Google+. I have a gmail account but have so far refused all attempts that Goggle has made to automatically create a Google+ account for me. But now they wont let me rate or comment on android apps without one. That sucks.... So I just wont rate them and their app store will not benefit any from me.

[Simon]

I guess I don't mind the idea of any company growing in size (growth is good) however, I get the idea they want to have their fingers in everyone's pie and be "big brother". The screw up in Google maps is mainly due to some database error - I do realize that much. But when I zoomed to see streets I got white lines on off white. If someone with a Google account wants to pass it on I wouldn't mind in the least. However a quick look at their help forums being clogged with requests told me that even more people are annoyed by the changes made and they won't have time to care.

Finally where is the originality I use to love about Google? They want to just copy and clone or buy out other web services. They were a great clean search engine until they started obviously spying on my searches. I took notice a year or so back when I allowed my friend to look up a medicine on Google. A few hours later I sat down and every website I visited had banner ads for that same medicine. That is GA at work for you...

[zeeone]

Good things to have for the browser;

Ghostery: to keep as many trackers blocked

Addblock plus: to cut down on those pesky ads.

Lightbeam: to see who is tracking you.

[GreyGeek]

mmm.... Didn't give me any problems:

ON-401 E and ON-403 E
400 km, 3 hours 53 mins
ON-402 E and ON-403 E

and the graphics were spot on.

I use gmail as my primary account and I have a G+ account on which I occasionally post a cranky rant, but I a couple months ago I decided to delete my G+ profile and use only gmail. Wasn't hard to do. Wasn't hard to get the account back, either. One doesn't have to put anything into the profile.

My problem with Google is their GoogleEarth. They exploit Linux extensively for their server needs and FOSS as the base for many of their apps, but they are slow to fix bugs or add updates to their Linux version.

[claydoh]

I heart G+, mostly because I meet a wide range of people, places, and topics there I would not have otherwise. Better than FB for me, though.

However, most Linux-y people seem to keep to the linux-y communities there, which of course makes things an echo chamber in those places. Just cuz I likes my Linux doesn't mean I can't like my silly memes, cat pics, and scantily clad peoples too

[Feathers McGraw]

check out David Brin's blogs. I kinda am leaning to where he is going with his thoughts, especially as he has been pretty damn prescient with the way things are going in his books.

http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/

Would you recommend his books? I quite like SciFi, it's a decent way to pose some interesting moral questions. I like Peter F Hamilton's stuff myself, particularly Pandora's Star & Judas Unchained.

Feathers

[Simon]

@zeeone: Thanks for the info on Ghostery. Didn't have that one, already an Ad Block user.

I heart G+, mostly because I meet a wide range of people, places, and topics there I would not have otherwise. Better than FB for me, though.

I guess the day I deleted my "My Space" account was the day I got my first taste of the anti-social side of the social networks. Since then, I have seen people posting their personal cell numbers, cell photos of themselves (got to love the ones done in mirrors), enough or more information for a feeding frenzy of identity thieves and/or stalkers. Even joining this forum and others, a person could profile me (if they desired to do so) but I don't go posting on what I call the ego sites. I have seen the darker side for sure, but I am bit older and wiser now.

[claydoh]

Would you recommend his books? I quite like SciFi, it's a decent way to pose some interesting moral questions. I like Peter F Hamilton's stuff myself, particularly Pandora's Star & Judas Unchained.

Feathers

I mostly read his blog, probably read a number of his older books. Existence is quite good, thought provoking on many areas. I want to read Earth next and maybe Transparent Society (non-fiction)

Another novel worth looking at is Vernor Vinge's Rainbows End, a good read and an interesting take on where tech could go in the near-ish future.

[Feathers McGraw]

I mostly read his blog, probably read a number of his older books. Existence is quite good, thought provoking on many areas. I want to read Earth next and maybe Transparent Society (non-fiction)

Another novel worth looking at is Vernor Vinge's Rainbows End, a good read and an interesting take on where tech could go in the near-ish future.

Thanks, will check them out.