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> popular service 'x' doesn't exactly fit my power user need 'y', therefore x is hopelessly borked, poorly designed, and borderline useless. So you are telling

> popular service 'x' doesn't exactly fit my power user need 'y', therefore x is hopelessly borked, poorly designed, and borderline useless. So you are telling me that wanting to see the name of a given street without having to zoom 10000x (and even then sometimes...) or figuring out how to get the directions to and from somewhere are "power users needs"? Give me a break. Google maps was way easier to user as a map before. Now it prioritizes ad revenue at the expense of what users actually want to do. There are no "power users" in this new world.

ineedasername 7y ago
Getting directions is simple. Even the author doesn't take issue with that specific functionality. And I've never had an issue with Google maps hiding street names when there was ample room to show them, but if you're more than a little zoomed out, there isn't that room. Showing only major roads is a decent trade off, as is the mouse scroll wheel for zoom in/out. Or maybe it's my own failure of imagination: how would you improve in this particular area?
- jessriedel 7y ago
  There are definitely cases where I am so zoomed in that only a couple of roads are visible on the entire screen, yet there is no name on a road and I have to drag the view down the road multiple screen widths until I can see the name. (This isn't a trade-off for advertising, it's just a flaw.) Edit: In fact, I just confirmed it now. Opened up Google Maps and started looking at small roads. For the third road I checked, Maps wouldn't show a name no matter how far I zoomed in, and I had to drag the view as described above.
- simias 7y ago
  It's really not about not having enough room. An example that I found immediately zooming at some random location on Google Maps: https://svkt.org/~simias/up/20191219-174804_map.png https://svkt.org/~simias/up/20191219-174804_map.png Note that none of the larger roads leading to the roundabout at the top-left is named, while some (but not all) smaller streets names are here. Instead you have the "D509" label copy/pasted haphazardly but that's not the actual name of the boulevard that would be used on a post address so it's of very limited use (and even leaving those labels in there's plenty of room to add the actual street name). Here's Open Street Map for the same map at a similar zoom level: https://svkt.org/~simias/up/20191219-175553_map-osm.png https://svkt.org/~simias/up/20191219-175553_map-osm.png OSM doesn't have all the bells and whistles of GMaps, but as far as the map itself it's vastly superior IMO.
  - ineedasername 7y ago
    I think the D509 type of issue is just a trade off. At least when in happens in the US: It is the "official" designation and can be used on Post, while the local name changes from town to town. That is less of an issue when navigating within the same town, more of an issue when navigating through towns: Go 30 miles along a "CR" county road and it might change names 4 times. Rather confusing for directions to make it look like you have to travel down 4 different roads for that one leg of the journey. I suppose Google could show both though, depending on zoom level.
- normalnorm 7y ago
  > Getting directions is simple. Even the author doesn't take issue with that specific functionality. Yes he does. You touch anything and state is erased. Don't know exactly which one of the search results you want to go to? Tough shit, the interface works against you. And still, getting directions used to be simpler. Now you have to decipher unlabeled hieroglyphs, and the interface keeps changing. You can't even get used to it. You are constantly being nudged to do shit that is not what you really want to do, such as "exploring your neighborhood". > And I've never had an issue with Google maps hiding street names when there was ample room to show them, but if you're more than a little zoomed out, there isn't that room. Showing only major roads is a decent trade off, as is the mouse scroll wheel for zoom in/out. Luck you, I guess. I have this problem all the time. A better trade off: if I searched for "Market Street", show that label! That would be a start. And frequently labels aren't shown even when there is plenty of space. Oh, and why not show the scale of the map by default? Is this also a "power user" feature? I thought it was a crucial piece of information when reading a map... > Or maybe it's my own failure of imagination: how would you improve in this particular area? Easy. Revert to the interface circa 2010. It had none of the above problems.
  - tmd83 7y ago
    Exactly. It basically forces you to walk with the map open and not just do like 'keeping walking straight until you see road x'. Such a damming thing when you are walking 15-20 minutes to a place in a new city or even in an unknown area in your city.
  - ineedasername 7y ago
    Granted, some good ideas.
- IggleSniggle 7y ago
  I've given up on street names. The problem of unlabeled street names is worst in cities (where you generally need directions the most) because the GPS has a high chance of being lost due to tall buildings and other disruptions. I should be able to get directions without having the GPS. If the GPS is lost, I really need those street names, NOW, without touching my phone.
Legogris 7y ago
Don't get me started on names of bus stops

ineedasername 7y ago

Getting directions is simple. Even the author doesn't take issue with that specific functionality. And I've never had an issue with Google maps hiding street names when there was ample room to show them, but if you're more than a little zoomed out, there isn't that room. Showing only major roads is a decent trade off, as is the mouse scroll wheel for zoom in/out. Or maybe it's my own failure of imagination: how would you improve in this particular area?

jessriedel 7y ago
There are definitely cases where I am so zoomed in that only a couple of roads are visible on the entire screen, yet there is no name on a road and I have to drag the view down the road multiple screen widths until I can see the name. (This isn't a trade-off for advertising, it's just a flaw.) Edit: In fact, I just confirmed it now. Opened up Google Maps and started looking at small roads. For the third road I checked, Maps wouldn't show a name no matter how far I zoomed in, and I had to drag the view as described above.
simias 7y ago
It's really not about not having enough room. An example that I found immediately zooming at some random location on Google Maps: https://svkt.org/~simias/up/20191219-174804_map.png https://svkt.org/~simias/up/20191219-174804_map.png Note that none of the larger roads leading to the roundabout at the top-left is named, while some (but not all) smaller streets names are here. Instead you have the "D509" label copy/pasted haphazardly but that's not the actual name of the boulevard that would be used on a post address so it's of very limited use (and even leaving those labels in there's plenty of room to add the actual street name). Here's Open Street Map for the same map at a similar zoom level: https://svkt.org/~simias/up/20191219-175553_map-osm.png https://svkt.org/~simias/up/20191219-175553_map-osm.png OSM doesn't have all the bells and whistles of GMaps, but as far as the map itself it's vastly superior IMO.
- ineedasername 7y ago
  I think the D509 type of issue is just a trade off. At least when in happens in the US: It is the "official" designation and can be used on Post, while the local name changes from town to town. That is less of an issue when navigating within the same town, more of an issue when navigating through towns: Go 30 miles along a "CR" county road and it might change names 4 times. Rather confusing for directions to make it look like you have to travel down 4 different roads for that one leg of the journey. I suppose Google could show both though, depending on zoom level.
normalnorm 7y ago
> Getting directions is simple. Even the author doesn't take issue with that specific functionality. Yes he does. You touch anything and state is erased. Don't know exactly which one of the search results you want to go to? Tough shit, the interface works against you. And still, getting directions used to be simpler. Now you have to decipher unlabeled hieroglyphs, and the interface keeps changing. You can't even get used to it. You are constantly being nudged to do shit that is not what you really want to do, such as "exploring your neighborhood". > And I've never had an issue with Google maps hiding street names when there was ample room to show them, but if you're more than a little zoomed out, there isn't that room. Showing only major roads is a decent trade off, as is the mouse scroll wheel for zoom in/out. Luck you, I guess. I have this problem all the time. A better trade off: if I searched for "Market Street", show that label! That would be a start. And frequently labels aren't shown even when there is plenty of space. Oh, and why not show the scale of the map by default? Is this also a "power user" feature? I thought it was a crucial piece of information when reading a map... > Or maybe it's my own failure of imagination: how would you improve in this particular area? Easy. Revert to the interface circa 2010. It had none of the above problems.
- tmd83 7y ago
  Exactly. It basically forces you to walk with the map open and not just do like 'keeping walking straight until you see road x'. Such a damming thing when you are walking 15-20 minutes to a place in a new city or even in an unknown area in your city.
- ineedasername 7y ago
  Granted, some good ideas.
IggleSniggle 7y ago
I've given up on street names. The problem of unlabeled street names is worst in cities (where you generally need directions the most) because the GPS has a high chance of being lost due to tall buildings and other disruptions. I should be able to get directions without having the GPS. If the GPS is lost, I really need those street names, NOW, without touching my phone.

Legogris 7y ago

Don't get me started on names of bus stops