

Google Maps goof results in  headache for homeowner - nanijoe
http://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/blogs/google-maps-goof-results-in-state-park-sized-headache-for-nj-homeowner?hpt=hp_bn11

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larrik
I once submitted a Google Maps trouble ticket.

A park in my hometown was labelled as actually being in a larger nearby town.
In fact, Gogole Maps didn't seem to think my hometown existed (it's not really
a small town, either). This wouldn't be a problem, except that after you've
searched and found the location you wanted, the discrepancy would cause the
permanent link to fail for some reason, making it effectively impossible to
send the directions or location to someone else.

So, I filed a ticket explaining the whole situation and forgot about it.

This was in October of 2009. In February of 2010 (long after I forgot about
it), I actually heard back with this message:

 _Your Google Maps problem report has been reviewed, and you were right! We'll
update the map soon and email you when you can see the change._

Then, in April 2010:

 _Google Maps has been updated to correct the problem you reported. You can
see the update here, and if you still see a problem, please tell us more about
the issue_

So, it took quite a while, but they DID actually look into it and fix it.

I just thought that was interesting, given the usual "Google has no humans in
customer service" tales.

~~~
bhickey
I had a similar experience. I used to work upstairs from Google Cambridge.
Adjacent to the building was a small park. Google Maps would instruct
pedestrians to walk around the park and cross where there wasn't a cross-walk.

I submitted a ticket April 6, and it was fixed by May 7.

------
mwexler
We miss the issues that Maps folks really deal with: from shifting borders due
to political machinations to geologic shifts in actual coastlines to roads
being renamed/converted/shut down to transit stations and public places which
are identified only by lat/long and not addresses (Maps themselves don't
really care, but humans like addresses for their mental comfort). People are
posting false geo-presence to show up in local search (I'm sure we've all read
the NYTimes Locksmith piece; it was posted here multiple times). Competitors
submit "closed business" on their brethren in an attempt to make it harder for
customers to go to them.

And that's just what I heard over beers one night. Like any digital
experience, there are lots of folks trying to taint it for their own purposes,
commercial, political, religious, or simply to show control and create a
lasting legacy by having something named after them.

When you think about all the ways this could all go wrong, I think Google Maps
does a pretty good job, all things considering.

~~~
Anechoic
_I'm sure we've all read the NYTimes Locksmith piece; it was posted here
multiple times_

I actually missed it, so for other readers who may have missed it:

NY Times article: [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/your-money/lead-gen-
sites-...](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/your-money/lead-gen-sites-pose-
challenge-to-google-the-haggler.html?_r=1)

HN discussion: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2745975>

------
sambeau
The Park is mostly to blame here as they link directly to Google Maps despite
the error.

<http://www.stateparks.com/round_valley.html>

If you use the 'official' embedded directions form it will take you to this
residential area.

[http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=washington&daddr=40.61...](http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=washington&daddr=40.6125%2C-74.825+%28Round+Valley+State+Park%29&hl=en)

Surely the park should have checked this before publishing it (or even better
- chosen to embed a map with a correct destination).

~~~
Anechoic
_The Park is mostly to blame here as they link directly to Google Maps despite
the error._

Huh? Stateparks.com isn't the "official" site for the park, it's a 3rd-party
aggregator of park information from states across the USA.

The official park website (<http://www.njparksandforests.org/parks/round.html>
or <http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/round.html>) link to
MapQuest to generate directions.

~~~
sambeau
My bad - I just followed the link from the article.

So it's Stateparks.com fault?

------
Shenglong
Rather than posting signs that say "No Trespassing", perhaps a "The park is
this way ->" would've been more effective...

~~~
SoftwareMaven
You are suffering from the belief that people will actually read. Te best she
can hope for is the brain will pattern-match the "No Trespassing" sign and
bring it to drivers' attention.

Now, _below_ that, the other sign might help, but, given the instructions came
from an authoritative source (Google), I doubt people would believe the sign.

------
ManAboutCouch
I'll add the obligatory tip of the hat to www.openstreetmap.org - it's
community basis and the ease of use of it's editing tools make this kind of
issue very easy for users to fix.

And as a bonus, any edits you make to the data aren't owned and copyrighted by
a large corporate, but are made available to everyone via a Creative Commons
Licence (soon to be ODbL)

------
scrrr
I wanted to go to the airport and Android Navigation directed me to the fence
at the end of a runway. But usually it works really well.

~~~
eftpotrm
It's not like this is unique to Google's nav system, and at least a web nav
system can be updated relatively simply compared to separate GPS systems.

I've got a Garmin Nuvi and, in general, it's pretty good. In general. Issues I
have found though:

* Suggesting that the public driveway to a crematorium was via a motorway

* Mistaking a flyover for a junction and asking me to turn from one road to the other

* Search refusing to acknowledge a road existed until I was actually on it (and being reported as such)

* The same ignorance of barriers blocking roads that regularly gets reported for all devices

This is for a relatively light user of the device. I'm sure there's more, and
that they exist for other devices as well.

------
thirdstation
Instead of acting disgruntled or indignant why not just post a sign with the
correct address or coordinates? She could sell water, sunscreen or snacks
since Google is hand-delivering potential customers to her door. Then she
wouldn't have to worry about people taking out their frustration on her or her
dogs.

~~~
ghurlman
She has posted signs, she's put up orange & white barriers, and still people
go around them and drive up her driveway.

Better link:
[http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2011/07/google_map_brin...](http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2011/07/google_map_brings_recreation-s.html)

~~~
thirdstation
Thanks for the better link. It sheds more light on the story.

I failed to make my point clear. I guess what I took umbrage with is the lack
of imagination with which the homeowner tried to solve the problem. You can
react negatively to a situation or positively. From the story it appears they
reacted negatively, which didn't work.

"No Trespassing" is completely unhelpful and hostile.

"Google Maps is wrong" is better because it at least touches on how the lost
driver arrived at their driveway. Then it offers no additional information so
the driver sticks with plan A -- follow Google Maps.

The story doesn't say how the homeowner treats the lost drivers either. Maybe
she yells "Get off my property !$#@!%&*^$". That would garner a few negative
responses for sure. It's a hole in the story.

I Googled "Round Valley Reservoir" like the story suggests and got the
reservoir, in the water. So I guess her opportunity is now lost.

------
jfoutz
An easy solution is to send google the bill for the signage and orange cones.

