For the most part, I’ve sung the praises of Google Maps — they’re crystal clear, easy to read, vector-based maps that make navigating relatively easy. That is, until you hit San Antonio, Texas. They failed MISERABLY in helping me find my hotel (placing it nearly ten miles SOUTH of where it actually was located) and now they didn’t do so well in returning a map of a specific address.

So I plugged in the address in Google Maps and it just gave me a zoomed out map of San Antonio with a search engine-like result suggestion for Schlotsky’s Deli. So then I have to click on that link to get a better idea of where it is. I guess that isn’t so bad — but what if the business didn’t have a listing in Google? Would you be left to guessing where you were supposed to go?

Then I decided to blow off the dust of MapQuest, one that I haven’t used for several months now. And whatdya know, it actually brought me right to the location without making me click another link again.

Granted, San Antonio has a pretty weird freeway system — specifically the frontage roads that follow the freeways and the goofy (but very useful) turnaround lanes. It seems Google has trouble with San Antonio’s Loop freeways and getting the address 100% of the time.

I would give Google maps a passing grade — say a C+ for at least giving me the Schlotsky’s link, but they fail for the hotel incident. Gas is a premium these days and I don’t care to drive ten to fifteen miles the wrong way because Google said that’s where I’m supposed to go. So it’s an F for you in San Antonio. Don’t make me click so much — your maps are cool and the usability generally great, but just return the address result in the map please.

December 20, 2005, 10:51 am

Filed under: Websites

1 Comment »

1. Jamison said,

   December 20, 2005 @ 11:16 am

   Ya, the thing about geocoding is it’s only as good as the data behind it. I’m sure Google just buys the data off of whatever company did the original work. It’s too bad it’s so faulty in San Antonio….

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