Google Maps just fucking SUCKS now

[Duke87]

I noticed this today on my work computer, and it's the same behavior on that computer in both Firefox and Edge.

Now I am not logged in on my work computer, but I am also not logged in in Firefox on my phone and it works there, so logged in or not can't be the only variable at play.

It also works fine on my own personal computer (logged in) and in the Maps app on my phone (logged in).

Meanwhile on my own computer it still works in a private browsing session (which means not logged in). It also still works if I turn on a VPN, in both private and regular browsing.


So yeah I don't think there is one single variable that makes this happen. There has to be some more complex algorithmic flagging involved... or simply A/B testing.

[DenverBrian]

My Google Maps Lady has started saying things like, "You'll take your next right." How does she know what I'll do next?

I've gotten that too. It seems to be a terminology change for a second step after an immediate first step. Example: "Turn right. Then you'll take your next right at State Street."  I'm okay with that, because I think it properly delineates the two-step navigation that it's giving at the moment.

I'm also seeing more and more instances of "After the McDonalds, turn right" or "Go past the Wells Fargo bank and turn left" and related phrasing.

[vdeane]

Just ended up in Google jail on my laptop at home, so I could look at some of the stuff mentioned more.  It still will expand out business hours for the week, but doesn't let me view images for businesses.  It says I have a limited view and copied the explanation below:

Seeing a limited view of Google Maps
Why you're seeing this
Some reasons include:

Google Maps may be experiencing issues.
Unusual traffic may have been detected from your computer or network.
Browser extensions may be interfering with your Google Maps experience.
Signing in to Google Maps might help you avoid seeing this limited experience again.

YouTube is also acting weird for me right now, so it's not exclusive to Google Maps, but a larger Google-wide issue.  My current incognito session doesn't bring up recommend videos at all, and there's no button to disable autoplay (although if I strip out playlist BS from the URL, it won't autoplay, but since the button isn't there, I have to do that every time, rather than rely on the fact that YouTube doesn't insert that BS into search results when autoplay is properly disabled).

[kphoger]

Signing in to Google Maps might help you avoid seeing this limited experience again.

I suspect this is the real reason.  Well, I don't want to sign in unless I actually need to.

[vdeane]

Signing in to Google Maps might help you avoid seeing this limited experience again.

I suspect this is the real reason.  Well, I don't want to sign in unless I actually need to.

I'm not interested in it either.  In fact, I'm emphatically against it.  There are reasons why I do all my Google Maps browsing incognito, and I resent Google trying to change that.  This whole "limited experience" infuriates me.  I don't know how I'm going to replace this functionality in my life, but not only do I not want to hand Google a "win" in this, I'm also worried about just what they're wanting to clamp down on this for.  I don't think it's a coincidence that this is happening right around the same time the surveillance state is turning its data collection up to 11.

[hotdogPi]

Interestingly, the option to have personalized ads disabled (which applies to pretty much the entire internet, since most websites use Google ads) requires being logged in.

I can tell it works. At one point, I loaded a private browsing window on Safari (I don't remember why I did it private) to search for bedbug info, since I had them about a year and a half ago. Almost instantly, I was getting ads on webpages other than the one with actual info about bedbug removal, since I was logged out so the setting didn't apply. This doesn't happen normally. Google doesn't even always get my age correct with banner ads.

[vdeane]

Interestingly, the option to have personalized ads disabled (which applies to pretty much the entire internet, since most websites use Google ads) requires being logged in.

I can tell it works. At one point, I loaded a private browsing window on Safari (I don't remember why I did it private) to search for bedbug info, since I had them about a year and a half ago. Almost instantly, I was getting ads on webpages other than the one with actual info about bedbug removal, since I was logged out so the setting didn't apply. This doesn't happen normally. Google doesn't even always get my age correct with banner ads.

I wouldn't know because I have both Vivaldi's built-in adblocker and UBO blocking everything.

[vdeane]

Today I opened Google Maps and noticed that the traffic layer is now greyed out and cannot be enabled.  Is this another attempt to limit the functionality of users that aren't signed in?

[hotdogPi]

Today I opened Google Maps and noticed that the traffic layer is now greyed out and cannot be enabled.  Is this another attempt to limit the functionality of users that aren't signed in?

You might just be zoomed out too far.

[vdeane]

Today I opened Google Maps and noticed that the traffic layer is now greyed out and cannot be enabled.  Is this another attempt to limit the functionality of users that aren't signed in?

You might just be zoomed out too far.

It started zoomed out, although not farther than I've been able to use it before, and stays that way even when zoomed in.  Although zooming way out and then back in seems to have fixed it.

[Scott5114]

Signing in to Google Maps might help you avoid seeing this limited experience again.

I suspect this is the real reason.  Well, I don't want to sign in unless I actually need to.

I'm not interested in it either.  In fact, I'm emphatically against it.  There are reasons why I do all my Google Maps browsing incognito, and I resent Google trying to change that.  This whole "limited experience" infuriates me.  I don't know how I'm going to replace this functionality in my life, but not only do I not want to hand Google a "win" in this, I'm also worried about just what they're wanting to clamp down on this for.  I don't think it's a coincidence that this is happening right around the same time the surveillance state is turning its data collection up to 11.

Browse OpenStreetMap instead?

[bandit957]

Browse OpenStreetMap instead?

OpenStreetMap is cool.

[kphoger]

OpenStreetMap is cool.

OpenStreetMap is the sh————  ... OpenStreetMap is the pooing.

[The_Ginger]

OpenStreetMap is cool.

OpenStreetMap is the sh————  ... OpenStreetMap is the pooing.

OpenStreetMap (about mid for browsing, but if you see something wrong you can fix it) < OSM Americana (better for browsing, but harder to edit if you see something wrong) < AARoads Maps (about the same as last one but better colors)

Google Maps/Google Earth/Apple Maps (indifferent)

This is my personal map of the services.
(Pun intended)

[kphoger]

You missed the joke.  But that's OK.  You're new.

[The_Ginger]

You missed the joke.  But that's OK.  You're new.

I'll have to put that on my reading list. I've finished* Alanland and Crash_It but I still need to find I-366 and this, apparently.


*Of course, everyone knows that you can and cannot be finished with the Alanland thread, so "finished" is just a figure of speech.

[Molandfreak]

Pooing is cool.

[vdeane]

I like OSM, though even its data is not perfect (I-81's exit numbers are often just plain wrong in NY, especially around Syracuse, and I-690 has some oddities too; it seems someone decided to make up their own numbers, even on the section that had already been updated).  I love it for browsing map data, but unfortunately it can't cover the other things I use Google Maps for (distance measurements, estimating drive times, satellite imagery, and looking at business info).

OpenStreetMap (about mid for browsing, but if you see something wrong you can fix it) < OSM Americana (better for browsing, but harder to edit if you see something wrong) < AARoads Maps (about the same as last one but better colors)

I wanted to like OSM Americana, but it has the same problem Google has where it's very difficult to tell the difference between freeways and major arterial roads.

[Scott5114]

I love it for browsing map data, but unfortunately it can't cover the other things I use Google Maps for (distance measurements, estimating drive times, satellite imagery, and looking at business info).

Looking at business info was something maps were never used for during most of the time they've existed, so finding a non-map replacement (such as, say, the business website) is just going back to the way things are traditionally done.

Satellite imagery is a little trickier but there are several suppliers of it online. The only real thing Google does by bundling both is convenience in being able to flip back and forth between the two. But it's important to realize that a lot of tech services use convenience as a worm on a hook, and then once you bite down on it, they exploit you. The only way to avoid this is to become okay with turning your back on convenience.

Distance measurements and drive times using OSM data undoubtedly exist somewhere out there in the OSM ecosystem. The thing to keep in mind with OSM is that the default openstreetmap.org site is just the basic interface to the data, but people have built hundreds of tools doing cool stuff with it...they're just not on openstreetmap.org. I myself have put together tools to answer questions like "what is the busiest street in the US with a given name (ignoring the suffix)?" which you could never do with Google Maps. Not having it all on one site isn't convenient but...well, see what I said last paragraph about convenience.

I wanted to like OSM Americana, but it has the same problem Google has where it's very difficult to tell the difference between freeways and major arterial roads.

AARoads Maps is just Americana with the colors tweaked to make freeways and numbered highways stand out from other major arterials. The primary dev for AARoads Maps is an Americana dev who works on that cause he likes us.

[kphoger]

Looking at business info was something maps were never used for during most of the time they've existed, so finding a non-map replacement (such as, say, the business website) is just going back to the way things are traditionally done.

We all know that already.  But your solution still isn't the same thing.  For example, I just clicked on a local hole-in-the-wall restaurant here in town that doesn't even have a website, and Google Maps tells me its business hours and phone number—plus I can see user-submitted photos of the place, including photos of their menu with prices included.  Or the auto mechanic a couple of blocks from my house:  they don't even have a Facebook page, let alone a proper website, yet Google Maps tells me their hours and phone number, along with 109 reviews.

[Scott5114]

Looking at business info was something maps were never used for during most of the time they've existed, so finding a non-map replacement (such as, say, the business website) is just going back to the way things are traditionally done.

We all know that already.  But your solution still isn't the same thing.  For example, I just clicked on a local hole-in-the-wall restaurant here in town that doesn't even have a website, and Google Maps tells me its business hours and phone number—plus I can see user-submitted photos of the place, including photos of their menu with prices included.  Or the auto mechanic a couple of blocks from my house:  they don't even have a Facebook page, let alone a proper website, yet Google Maps tells me their hours and phone number, along with 109 reviews.

So your solution is...what, exactly?

[kphoger]

So your solution is...what, exactly?

Google Maps.  It sounded like you were saying |vdeane| should just suck it up and quit complaining.

[The_Ginger]

AARoads Maps is just Americana with the colors tweaked to make freeways and numbered highways stand out from other major arterials. The primary dev for AARoads Maps is an Americana dev who works on that cause he likes us.

So how would one edit the OSM Americana basemap that isn't part of OSM? I have noticed some small things wrong with it at times.

[NE2]

AARoads Maps is just Americana with the colors tweaked to make freeways and numbered highways stand out from other major arterials. The primary dev for AARoads Maps is an Americana dev who works on that cause he likes us.

So how would one edit the OSM Americana basemap that isn't part of OSM? I have noticed some small things wrong with it at times (usually 2-lane roads being displayed as 4).

It doesn't show 2 lane and 4 lane roads differently...

[The_Ginger]

AARoads Maps is just Americana with the colors tweaked to make freeways and numbered highways stand out from other major arterials. The primary dev for AARoads Maps is an Americana dev who works on that cause he likes us.

So how would one edit the OSM Americana basemap that isn't part of OSM? I have noticed some small things wrong with it at times (usually 2-lane roads being displayed as 4).

It doesn't show 2 lane and 4 lane roads differently...

Oh, I guess it doesn't. Never mind then.