Mary Branscombe (marypcb) wrote,
Mary Branscombe
marypcb
  • Mood: busy

Bad data or bad mapping?

Google maps knows where the Space Needle is. Windows Live Local puts it four streets away from the tower at 203 6th Avenue North because that's the street address for the business. It also places the Seattle Center Space Needle about 300 yards to one side of the actual structure; that's the nearest building so it's probably where the official 400 Broad Street address actually is. I wonder if the exposure of mapping ites will make businesses think more about getting their address data right so customers can find them. The aerial view also labels the Space Needle structure (twice in fact; it does the same for both sides of the memorial stadium). That's a lot more information, and it's accurately represented, and the tools for seeing the bird's eye view, putting the details of the address in a pop-up box on the map and creating pushpins are easier to work with than the minimalist Google information in the search results (for me at least). The aerial view even has arrows for the direction of one-way streets.

And my usual complaint about Windows Live: all US all the time. If I search for London Eye, I get an eye clinic in Kentucky - and an advert for the South Bank. OneCare Live doesn't show up to anyone outside the US. I have no idea when non US applications will get to try Windows Live Mail. Guys: the Internet crosses national boundaries. The Internet business model isn't the only thing that matters here.
Tags: design, london, maps, rant, search, technology
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