Google Aims to Get More Precise by Open Sourced Maps
April 13, 2018
Google Maps is the king of direction finding but the king wants to know if it can go further. The already decently accurate system wants to use open sourcing to get a better handle on addresses and businesses you have on your map. We learned about the interesting method for pulling this off from a Tech Radar story, “Finding an Address on Google Maps Becomes Easier with Plus Codes.”
So, what are these miracle open sourced tools?
“Plus Codes are basically an open sourced solution that represents an easy to understand addressing system that works at any part of the world. It allocates address based on dividing the geographical surface into tiny ’tiled areas’, attributing a unique code to each of them.”
Seems like an interesting move by Google. However, we are skeptical about the ability to improve maps through this method. Other open source mapping tools, like OpenStreetMap, have recently come under fire for not being very accurate and turning away users. We already know that Google will have an accuracy edge here, but we simply don’t see the appeal for users overall. Look back in a year or two and this will be in the famous Google Graveyard with Glass and other swing-and-miss ideas.
Patrick Roland, April 13, 2018
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