Thread: Google Maps Useless

Google Maps Useless

Is it just me or does anyone think the google maps are any use?
I took them off my site early on when I tried it out. It is so inaccurate that it basically thinks everyone in my town lives in the same street.
Perhaps on a national directory it's quite handy, if perhaps you don't know where London is, for example. But for a local, small town directory where it would be really, really handy to have a ready made map it's actually useless.
I don't know about where you folks live but in the UK, a post code is enough the take you to the exact street. So really, with a door number and a postcode you can pinpoint anyone.
Interestingly, if you try google maps through a browser on google's actual site, it's pretty accurate - it seems to be just the API jobby that's useless.

Re: Google Maps Useless

I think this is perhaps a user issue more than it is a problem with Google Maps.

If a user is being vague in their location, which isn't a bad idea, perhaps Google has a default location for that location.

Re: Google Maps Useless

Not sure what you mean Sarge, a postcode isn't vague. Like I said it takes you down to a part of a street. I don't know how zip codes work but uk post codes will get you pretty close, usually within a hundred yards or so, all you need then is a door number.
When I tested it with my post code the arrow showed me living in a field five miles away.

Re: Google Maps Useless

Version 3.0 will be a lot more accurate. In the WP admin, you'll be able to select your Google maps country instead of it just using the default http://maps.google.com".

So I bet if you go into the code and change it to http://maps.google.co.uk/" your results will be much better. I don't remember the exact location but do a search in functions.php for http://maps.google.com and that should be the spot to replace.

Re: Google Maps Useless

YES. Thank you so much David, that worked a treat - it's pinpoint accurate now. That is so excellent, having that map back on really enhances my site. (Wish I had thought of that fix)
I can't tell you how pleased I am with that, thanks so much.
Ian

Re: Google Maps Useless

Just FYI, post codes in the US are pretty vague. For example, I live in a town withabout, oh, 500k people. At any rate, our town spans a pretty wide area, including the outlying country areas, and the small city space. I'd guestimate it spans about 5-8 sq. miles. We have ONE zip code for our entire area. If I plop that zip into google maps main page, it puts me square in the center of town. My actual residence is over 5 miles away from that.

Re: Google Maps Useless

Thanks David, I love that little tweak, works lovely. Before, I used to get sent to indonesia quite a lot. mucho mejor amigo, gracias!!

Re: Google Maps Useless

I am working on giving users the option of giving latitude and longtitude to show the google maps for their ads and in the event that it doesn't exist to default to the Google maps for classipress.

Re: Google Maps Useless

An update and FYI for UK users.

I was premature in thinking it was working ok. It only works if you put an accurate and full address in the field, which is what Sarge was getting at earlier:

The problem, it turns out is that the Royal Mail own's the Royalties to Post Codes and doesn't let Google or anyone else have them without paying a fee.

That explains why filling in an address works well on the map but using post codes is inaccurate. It seems it's not google's fault.

This is only an issue in the UK because of the Royal Mail way of doing things.

Someone has coded a solution using an ajax search together with the maps api but the coding is in javascript and I don't kow how to embed that in php.
The solution is found here http://www.tomanthony.co.uk/blog/geocod ... e-map-api/

If anyone can find a way of embedding that into classipress I would be interested. Until then, I shall just leave the maps off.

Pity.