Developers: are you aware of mapcodes?

[Foxhound5366]

I think this is a pretty cool thing to use, and far more convenient and efficient than giving an entire address or GPS coordinates.

I also can't see a good reason why map codes can't be incorporated into Google Maps. A few people will start using it, and awareness of this format of address will quickly propagate. I think it's exactly what we need.

Also, no I didn't know it existed.

Haha, I have JUST discovered the reason Mapcodes aren't supported ... Google has their own competing system called 'Plus codes' that I've personally never heard about before somebody told me today they'd just noticed it added to Google Maps: https://plus.codes

So maybe this convinces some of the sceptics, if Google has developed their own system then I think we can accept that shortcodes for addresses are here to stay. Google being google, however, I'm reasonably certain that they're going to try and find some way to commercialise it, so I think Mapcodes is the safer long-term bet.

EDIT: Here's the story. Turns out Google launched them back in August 2015 already. The inertia with these things is crazy! https://maps.googleblog.com/2015/08/plus-codes-new-way-to-help-pinpoint.html

 

[NullHypothesis]

There was a local startup called "Waytag" that did something similar but they no longer in business.

 

[Yster21]

Haha, I have JUST discovered the reason Mapcodes aren't supported ... Google has their own competing system called 'Plus codes' that I've personally never heard about before somebody told me today they'd just noticed it added to Google Maps: https://plus.codes

So maybe this convinces some of the sceptics, if Google has developed their own system then I think we can accept that shortcodes for addresses are here to stay. Google being google, however, I'm reasonably certain that they're going to try and find some way to commercialise it, so I think Mapcodes is the safer long-term bet.

EDIT: Here's the story. Turns out Google launched them back in August 2015 already. The inertia with these things is crazy! https://maps.googleblog.com/2015/08/plus-codes-new-way-to-help-pinpoint.html

Cool that it's there, sucks that each idiot is trying to enforce his version of the same thing. They should get together and standardise.

Yeah right.

 

[Solitude]

Developers: are you aware of the Software and Web Development section of the forum? Because this ain't it.

 

[Foxhound5366]

Cool that it's there, sucks that each idiot is trying to enforce his version of the same thing. They should get together and standardise.

Yeah right.

Lol, it's Betamax vs VHS all over again. The winner will be determined by adoption. It's pretty telling that Google Plus codes were launched that long ago, and even the great Google with all its marketing resources hasn't found a way to make it stick yet. Then again, you look at some of the conversations on this thread from some of the sceptical developers, and you can see why. They need to first wrap their head around the use cases before they will consider adding it into their solutions. It's promising though that there have been no real flat-out rejections of the concept, and the major issue has been one of awareness and a "Well, I'll do it only when everybody else is doing it" mentality. Those are bridges that can definitely be crossed.

Developers: are you aware of the Software and Web Development section of the forum? Because this ain't it.

There's always one, huh It's poor forum categorization, that we've got one Forum section called 'Software' and one called 'Software and Web Development'. My defense here is that until the developers start developing solutions using this, it just remains an interesting discussion about the software that early adopters have put in place ... that, and 'Software' came first and I stopped looking at that point. Thanks for answering the questions in the OP though, it's appreciated.

 

[Solitude]

There's always one, huh It's poor forum categorization, that we've got one Forum section called 'Software' and one called 'Software and Web Development'. My defense here is that until the developers start developing solutions using this, it just remains an interesting discussion about the software that early adopters have put in place ... that, and 'Software' came first and I stopped looking at that point. Thanks for answering the questions in the OP though, it's appreciated.

It's a pleasure.

 

[encrypted]

I don't get.

I mean, maybe if we all knew what a map code was before reading this it could be semi useful. But honestly if I get an address I reading it off a website, probably on my phone. So link me to google maps so my phone will go there.

If I am on my pc I will click 'send to phone' in google. I don't think bit.ly for co-ords is gonna get much traction.

And if you write Map Code: 49.4V on a billboard some idiot is going to open a map book, go to page 49, look for row 4, column v. (That's how a map book works right ? It's been soo long)

 

[Foxhound5366]

I don't get.

I mean, maybe if we all knew what a map code was before reading this it could be semi useful. But honestly if I get an address I reading it off a website, probably on my phone. So link me to google maps so my phone will go there.

If I am on my pc I will click 'send to phone' in google. I don't think bit.ly for co-ords is gonna get much traction.

And if you write Map Code: 49.4V on a billboard some idiot is going to open a map book, go to page 49, look for row 4, column v. (That's how a map book works right ? It's been soo long)

Encrypted, did you read the first post here? Not only did I share an overview link of what mapcodes are, but I noted that one of the intentions of this thread was to determine whether developers were aware of their existence. Your opening line answers that question, so thanks.

Your objection to mapcodes on billboards also ignores convention. You could easily run a mapcode next to the symbol that represents mapcodes to help identify them, just like people still often write 'Tel:' next to a telephone number. Once mapcodes become a recognised standard, that is no longer necessary (just like we don't always write 'E-mail:' next to e-mail addresses).

I've given a bunch of other use cases here for mapcodes as well, but how about a personal one for you? You are on a beach. One of your friends starts drowning. You phone the NSRI and need to give them your exact location. How do you do this? By reading out the mapcode from the free app on your phone (or conveniently printed onto an emergency signboard nearby that gave you the NSRI number in the first place), or do you try and describe which dune you are on and what you can see around you?

That same principle applies all over. An address needs to be accurate, convenient, accessible, immune to misinterpretation and not entirely reliant on the presence of roads and street numbering.