Google Maps Invites Error Reports

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Google Maps Invites Error Reports

By Doug Caverly - Tue, 02/13/2007 - 17:32

If you see something wrong within Google Maps, you don’t have to “take it” – users can now report problems. The average user may not get a lot out of this feature, however, because it only applies to business listings.

In other words, Google Maps may still erroneously advise people to drive 10 kilometers instead of take 30 steps. But other mistakes, such as incorrect phone numbers or inaccurate hours of operation, can be fixed.

“Occasionally, this information may be incorrect or outdated,” one Google Maps Help page admitted. “Please tell us,” it continued, if “the name, phone number, or address is incorrect,” “business information (e.g. hours or payment accepted), reviews, or web references are incorrect,” or “my home phone number or address appears in this listing.”

Even if these options aren’t revolutionary, they are nice to have; Barry Schwartz (A.K.A. “rustybrick”) attributed their introduction to Mike Blumenthal. “I think Mike’s work in getting Google’s map team to spot it was the reason for the new way to report issues on unverified listings,” Schwartz wrote.

And – although they may seem like a rather minor matter to some – those “issues” have been a big deal at times. For a while, it appeared, even to an expert like Schwartz, that a business’s competitors could “hijack” its Google listings. The problem was later exposed by Blumenthal as “just an overly aggressive algorithm."

Google’s fix for Maps, then, is definitely welcome, but that’s not all the company has been up to. As our Jason Lee Miller reports, Google is also addressing potential malware sites that turn up in its search results.

News Tags: Google, maps, Reports, Boston, map

About the author:
Doug is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest eBusiness news.

21 Comments

By Guest (WPN reader) - Mon, 05/04/2009 - 15:09

Google maps address wrong where Yahoo and Mapquest correct....

At Voting location "Greenbrier Middle School Annex, 11810 Huffman Road, Parma Heights, Ohio 44130", Google Maps shows the location to be more than 200 meters east of the correct location, and across a major road (Stumph Road). Google got the address location wrong where Yahoo and Mapquest both got it correct.

By Guest (WPN reader) - Thu, 04/23/2009 - 18:53

google map highway direction

As i serching for driving direction in google map I found steps it has given is not clear . for example I was looking for driving direction from North York, Toronto to Pearson international airport in Toronto. It gave me several steps but did not mentioned highway direction. It only said take ON-401. Highway 401 goes from East to west.Direction didn't say I should take East or west. Few months ago it used to give me proper direction...Take a look plz.

By Guest (WPN reader) - Mon, 03/16/2009 - 16:34

Google Map mis-locates street address

Google Maps has chosen to use Tele Atlas data to locate 48 Tandberg Trail; Windham, ME 04062. Tele Atlas data send users off in the wrong direction. People often have traveled a couple of miles in the wrong direction before giving up and calling to find out where we are. I have attempted to pass this information to Google Maps with no resultes. Tele Atlas doesn't even offer a communication option for such an error!

By Guest (WPN reader) - Mon, 03/16/2009 - 18:52

TeleAtlas

Yes Tele Atlas does let you report errors, its right there on the front of there webstie, and has been for some time

http://mapinsight.teleatlas.com/

By Guest (WPN reader) - Mon, 03/02/2009 - 13:02

Error in Google Map page setup

I am getting an error "Error On Page" display in the lower left corner of my status bar when trying to display google maps on my page. Also if I want to change the map. Thank you for your help!

By Lawrence Suffrin (WPN reader) - Tue, 12/30/2008 - 18:22

error for addresss claude moore health sciences lib.

university of virginia, charlottesville, claude moore health sciences lib is NOT located on Harris St. Correct address 1300 Jefferson Park Ave.
The telephone number is correct.

By Ken Gionet (WPN reader) - Sun, 11/23/2008 - 00:18

google map street name error

kiwi drive in sebastian,fl street name is showing as

n tamarind circle in error.

It used to be correct but now is in error.

By A Chadwick (WPN reader) - Tue, 11/11/2008 - 19:34

Irritating Errors in Google Map (Australia)

Help!

Initially, it was amusing to find that my stats for that site has been pumped up by visitors looking for 'medical clinics in Heidelberg, Victoria Australia'.

But, the continuous erroneous visits through Google Map (Aus) is becoming a nuisance, as I have to "weed out" those visits, to get the true stats for the site.

Please tell me how to wake up Google Map Team re this problem

Cheers

Andrew

By Guest (WPN reader) - Sat, 10/18/2008 - 12:56

store does not exist

Store does not exist in the below location...Please do correct it as it is very misleading.... Thanks

Toys R Us
2819 John F Kennedy Blvd, Jersey City, NJ
(201) 330-0829
Link: <http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Toysrus&sll=40.75814,-74.042659&sspn=0.003576,0.009613&ie=UTF8&ll=40.739193,-74.064717&spn=0.015088,0.038452&z=15&layer=c&cbll=40.731839,-74.067065&panoid=9_MQlF0T-wcpZYCDK_N0pg&iwloc=B>

By Silvia Lopez (WPN reader) - Tue, 09/02/2008 - 15:53

New street name correction

My parents moved to a new neighborhood. The street name is: JUNIPER SHORES, Houston, TX 77044, but the google map shows JUMPER SHORES. Hopefully this is something Google can report to the data feeder for the maps. Thanks.

By SANDY WELCH (WPN reader) - Fri, 08/22/2008 - 17:21

update road number to a road name in SC

In Myrtle Beach SC, there is a road that has changed from its road number to a new road name:

S-26-615 is now called Leisure Lane

This road is near the Carolina Bays Parkway Hwy 31 exit, as it exits onto Hwy 544; it is between the Carolina Bays Parkway Hwy 31 and the Intracoastal Waterway...

Our church, Parkway Community Baptist Church, is located on this newly named road, and we are having our grand opening on September 14th. Is there any way that you can get the name corrected?

Parkway Community Baptist Church is located at 118 Leisure Lane, Myrtle Beach SC 29588.

SANDY WELCH 843-995-7263 email mrsjuice@sc.rr.com

By anji (WPN reader) - Wed, 08/13/2008 - 06:06

unresponsive script

A script on this page may be busy, or it may have stopped responding. You can stop the script now, or you can continue to see if the script will complete.

Script: http://maps.google.com/intl/en_ALL/mapfiles/122/maps2.api/main.js:422

By Frank Barth (WPN reader) - Mon, 07/07/2008 - 17:03

maps

The google map of my address and about 40 neighbors is not correct. If you google 3731 Chardonnay Drive, Rockledge, FL 32955 the map targets an area about 1/2 mile away. I live in Brevard County, FL

Access www.brevardpropertyappraiser.com and access my address then access the map function you can see the correct location.

Mapquest also has this erroneous data . i cannot find a way to contact them.

I think that emergency services uses this google feature and will respond to the wrong address for fire, police, ambulance etc for my whole neighborhood.

Thanx FB

By Scott (WPN reader) - Mon, 06/23/2008 - 10:49

While doing a search for

While doing a search for treadmills, Google suggested "did you mean" threadmill? It then goes on to list treadmill sites.

By Ben Johnson (WPN reader) - Thu, 05/22/2008 - 10:53

Johnson Road, Rockville, VA

Johnson Road, Rockville, VA 23145 is shown as someone's private driveway. It actually starts @ 37-42-15-36N and 77-38-58-87W and ends @ 37-41-58-40N and 77-38-41-35N. Quarry Hill Lane (not Road) also ends at the same ending coordinates as Johnson Road. It begins @ 37-41-37-10N and 77-37-45-43W.

By Ralph De La Luz (WPN reader) - Tue, 03/11/2008 - 22:31

ERROR ON GOOGLE MAP

DUNKIN DONUTS AT 1571 BANDERA RD, SAN ANTONIO, TX CLOSED SEVERAL YEARS AGO... UNKNOWN NAMED DONUT SHOP THERE NOW.

By Kurt Benjamin (WPN reader) - Fri, 02/22/2008 - 15:47

Google maps errors

Try reporting the errors to Tele-Atlas. They are the map data provider for google, and they are far more interested in fixing their mistakes. After all, they really are the one's that get paid for the service. Google would rather just find another service provider.

By Jim (WPN reader) - Wed, 04/11/2007 - 00:31