Using navigational services online such as Google Maps is rapidly increasing, making traditional paper maps obsolete. However, with all the functionality you get from using Google Maps, there are still some significant flaws that are not looking to go away soon. These drawdowns are what still make paper maps ever more relevant today.
Let’s consider some of the disadvantages of using the Google Maps tool. We’re not trying to promote the use of paper maps or other map providers. We’re just highlighting some flaws in the Google Maps system, things we feel they already should have corrected at this point.
Table of Contents
Some Drawdowns in Using Google Maps
1. Limited Accuracy
Well, we could say that this issue plagues pretty much all mapping systems out there. However, it’s easy to see that Google Maps takes a large size of this cake.
There’s a significant inconsistency in the location data provided by the system. It’s been observed on several occasions that it produces routes that don’t lead to the destination you expect.
This inefficiency in routes is also seen where the app can’t provide live information on routes, ignoring things like blockades caused by construction or events like street fairs happening along the route. Clearly, it’s not something to solely rely on, as it could lead to a waste of time and frustration.
2. Miss Information
There have been several occasions where the entire building and landmarks are blurred out in street view. Although this is done on request by the owners due to privacy, it greatly limits the street view function. Also, on satellite view, there are cases where an entire area is blurred out or replaced with an older image.
3. Inappropriate Content
The images used on the Google Maps platform to display additional information such as street view and landmarks on a location sometimes contain inappropriate visual content. Street views occasionally show people exhibiting criminal behavior, mostly on country roads and in dangerous neighborhoods.
There have even been some cases of outright racism on display. Although we know Google continually tries to delete these pictures when reported, it’s clear they shouldn’t be shown in the first place.
4. May be Used By Criminals
This is by far the worst… there have been cases where criminals were able to identify expensive properties they could rob. These hoodlums would often use street view and satellite images to spot rich neighborhoods they can break into and sometimes identify expensive cars in parks they could carjack.
What is Google Maps?
Google Maps is a web mapping service developed by Google. It offers satellite imagery, street maps, 360° panoramic views of streets (Street View), real-time traffic conditions (Google Traffic), and route planning for traveling by foot, car, bicycle (in beta), or public transportation.
Features of Google Map
Google Maps began as a C++ desktop program designed by Lars and Jens Rasmussen at Where 2 Technologies. In October 2004, the company was acquired by Google, which converted it into a web application.
After additional acquisitions of a geospatial data visualization company and a real-time traffic analyzer, Google Maps was launched in February 2005. The service’s front end utilizes JavaScript, XML, and Ajax.
Google Maps offers an API that allows maps to be embedded on third-party websites and offers a locator for urban businesses and other organizations in numerous countries around the world.
Google Map Maker allows users to collaboratively expand and update the service’s mapping worldwide but is currently available only in selected countries.
The map was initially supplemented with Wikipedia entries about places (Why I’m interested) and businesses, but with the launching of Google Places, this information became redundant. Wikipedia entries are now shown only on the side of the search results page and not in a separate layer as they were previously.
Conclusion
Yes, we know there are some good upsides to using the Mapping system. Functionalities like additional information, multiple directions, multiple viewing options, and custom maps make Google Maps an important navigation tool.
However, the significant damages it can cause can’t be ignored, hence writing this article. We do hope much improvement is made to the system to correct these flaws.
