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Google Is Forcing Routebuilder to Shut Down

12 points by bootload 11y ago

bootload 11y ago
"I’m hoping that if a few people post this on social media, Google will reconsider its decision to cut off Maps API access to RouteBuilder." Probably won't. OpenStreetMap might be the future.
- Piskvorrr 11y ago
  As the original developer writes, porting the whole thing to a different API would be too demanding for his schedule. Perhaps someone else might want to pick up the project/create an OSM fork? (as a side note, that's exactly why we have avoided Google's semi-walled garden on a recent project: "it works, until someone Just Decides that it shouldn't work for your project specifically, and there's nothing you could do about that.")
  - bootload 11y ago
    "As the original developer writes, porting the whole thing to a different API would be too demanding for his schedule. Perhaps someone else might want to pick up the project/create an OSM fork?" Yes, a fork of some sort would be good. Future cartographic software tools should look to OpenStreetMap before google.
    - Piskvorrr 11y ago
      They are - but note that useful routing in OSM is a very recent (few years) feature, and still depends on data coverage (which varies wildly from one country to another).
dragonsh 11y ago
Don't trust for profit organizations. Google might project itself as champion of open source but the reality is their revenue is a result of standing on open source. Without gnu and Linux they will not even exist. WHen they needed google maps user they opened up. But given their profit motive they will have to shut down others which conflict with their profit. Its better to port service to something open source like openstreetmap. Google is turning into do every evil to generate value for shareholders.
- bootload 11y ago
  "Don't trust for profit organizations." I'd qualify that. If you are a for-profit or there is no alternative (as in the case of this tool). There's nothing wrong with using commercial systems, just don't expect their interest to align with yours.

12 points by bootload 11y ago

"I’m hoping that if a few people post this on social media, Google will reconsider its decision to cut off Maps API access to RouteBuilder." Probably won't. OpenStreetMap might be the future.

Piskvorrr 11y ago
As the original developer writes, porting the whole thing to a different API would be too demanding for his schedule. Perhaps someone else might want to pick up the project/create an OSM fork? (as a side note, that's exactly why we have avoided Google's semi-walled garden on a recent project: "it works, until someone Just Decides that it shouldn't work for your project specifically, and there's nothing you could do about that.")
- bootload 11y ago
  "As the original developer writes, porting the whole thing to a different API would be too demanding for his schedule. Perhaps someone else might want to pick up the project/create an OSM fork?" Yes, a fork of some sort would be good. Future cartographic software tools should look to OpenStreetMap before google.
  - Piskvorrr 11y ago
    They are - but note that useful routing in OSM is a very recent (few years) feature, and still depends on data coverage (which varies wildly from one country to another).

dragonsh 11y ago

Don't trust for profit organizations. Google might project itself as champion of open source but the reality is their revenue is a result of standing on open source. Without gnu and Linux they will not even exist. WHen they needed google maps user they opened up. But given their profit motive they will have to shut down others which conflict with their profit. Its better to port service to something open source like openstreetmap. Google is turning into do every evil to generate value for shareholders.

bootload 11y ago
"Don't trust for profit organizations." I'd qualify that. If you are a for-profit or there is no alternative (as in the case of this tool). There's nothing wrong with using commercial systems, just don't expect their interest to align with yours.