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Because Google Maps is pushed down your throat. Whenever somebody shares their location with me it shows a tiny preview and requires to install Google Maps. Bu

Because Google Maps is pushed down your throat. Whenever somebody shares their location with me it shows a tiny preview and requires to install Google Maps. But Google Maps are the worst maps I ever had to use so I don't even have them installed. Fortunately there is quite a number of alternatives. In some countries there even are domestic competitors which usually are guaranteed to be much better than any global-scale map providers.

lucb1e 6y ago
Isn't it anti-competitive to use your dominance in one market to push yourself in another? Try googling anything that can be put on a map. Observe the Google Map popping up. I mean, it makes sense to integrate it, but I can also see how the ubiquitous Google Search now leads to ubiquitous Google Map use. Every business wants to be in the search results (free advertising) and so Google Maps has all the businesses², plus a consistently decent base layer of other data in most rich countries, making app developers (almost invariably also from rich countries) use that instead of a cheaper and in many (but not all) regards better alternative. Not that I'm not also from one of the richest countries in this world, I just happen to contribute to OSM and so know more about its coverage than the average developer would. ² OSM is less complete and more outdated for this specific kind of data, in contrast to e.g. roads, trails, landcover, power grids, and most other geospatial data.
- qwerty456127 6y ago
  By the way, there is no hard technical problem in overlaying search results of anything which has physical address/coordinates over any maps. Google could still be useful in finding local bars/gyms/toilets even without forcing you to use their maps. So they don't have an excuse for anti-competitive practices. I live in a fairly rich country but still hate Google Maps. Fortunately there are alternatives which are better in every aspect (including having all the local businesses, attractions and conveniences listed + able to tell you when to take a bus to get anywhere).

lucb1e 6y ago

Isn't it anti-competitive to use your dominance in one market to push yourself in another? Try googling anything that can be put on a map. Observe the Google Map popping up. I mean, it makes sense to integrate it, but I can also see how the ubiquitous Google Search now leads to ubiquitous Google Map use. Every business wants to be in the search results (free advertising) and so Google Maps has all the businesses², plus a consistently decent base layer of other data in most rich countries, making app developers (almost invariably also from rich countries) use that instead of a cheaper and in many (but not all) regards better alternative. Not that I'm not also from one of the richest countries in this world, I just happen to contribute to OSM and so know more about its coverage than the average developer would. ² OSM is less complete and more outdated for this specific kind of data, in contrast to e.g. roads, trails, landcover, power grids, and most other geospatial data.

qwerty456127 6y ago
By the way, there is no hard technical problem in overlaying search results of anything which has physical address/coordinates over any maps. Google could still be useful in finding local bars/gyms/toilets even without forcing you to use their maps. So they don't have an excuse for anti-competitive practices. I live in a fairly rich country but still hate Google Maps. Fortunately there are alternatives which are better in every aspect (including having all the local businesses, attractions and conveniences listed + able to tell you when to take a bus to get anywhere).