Why using Google Maps every time you go somewhere has a big downside

Jamie McKane said:
Using Google Maps, or any GPS or maps tool, is something we all do.

The use of services like Google Maps is even more popular when going somewhere new.
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So we'll use Google Maps, but keep our eyes open too.

That’s a solution, that'll work for me and you.
 
The same can be said for passengers in the vehicle. It's often only the driver paying attention to how (turns/landmarks etc) the vehicle gets to the destination.
 
How about our airline pilots and ship captains turn off GPS as well and let's see how their 'wayfinding abilities' improve. What a stupid study.
 
3WA said:
WTAF? Also, to sit that way, your hips have to bend funny too.
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Precisely! … sooo much useful info for Sunday.

Maps are even more popular when going somewhere new.
Bendy hip joints are even more popular when knees bend the other way .
 
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Napalm2880 said:
How about our airline pilots and ship captains turn off GPS as well and let's see how their 'wayfinding abilities' improve. What a stupid study.
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are there 'landmarks / skymarks' in the sky ?
 
This reminds me of my cousin who was at the time a navigator for British Airways. As a backup they still had to learn to navigate the "old way" by taking readings on the stars. He explained to me how they entered the data into a chart, did the calculations, and added 100 miles - because that was how far they traveled while doing the calculations!
 
alphabyte said:
This reminds me of my cousin who was at the time a navigator for British Airways. As a backup they still had to learn to navigate the "old way" by taking readings on the stars. He explained to me how they entered the data into a chart, did the calculations, and added 100 miles - because that was how far they traveled while doing the calculations!
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^^^o_O Jeez , thanks this got me Googling. And I thought navigating in a car was tough before GPS.
Baffles me how pilots & air traffic controllers manage to get us all there with GPS & current technology - the old way’s just mind blowing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_navigation
Civilian flight navigators (a mostly redundant aircrew position, also called 'air navigator' or 'flight navigator'), were employed on older aircraft, typically between the late-1910s and the 1970s. The crew member, occasionally two navigation crew members for some flights, was responsible for the trip navigation, including its dead reckoning and celestial navigation.

A private pilot planning a flight under VFR will usually use an aeronautical chart of the area which is published specifically for the use of pilots. This map will depict controlled airspace, radio navigation aids and airfields prominently, as well as hazards to flying such as mountains, tall radio masts, etc. It also includes sufficient ground detail – towns, roads, wooded areas – to aid visual navigation.


Early air navigation beacons !
Beacon1.jpg
 
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I use it mainly for getting around traffic. Having recently travelled abroad I had a good idea of where I was driving but still used google maps to get me through traffic.
 
No sweat if I lose my "wayfinding abilities". I'll just use Google Maps to find them for me again. That's what it's there for after all.
 
Rouxenator said:
I use it mainly for getting around traffic. Having recently travelled abroad I had a good idea of where I was driving but still used google maps to get me through traffic.
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This - I like to know what my ETA will be and which areas will be slow due to accidents and breakdowns.
Some people have good direction - some don't. At least with Maps everyone gets there.
 
I remember being new to Joburg back in 2006 and accidentally took a wrong turn... into Alexandria. Had to try and navigate my way out with my laptop and a digital map on the seat next to me. Even Chuck Norris would've broken a sweat.

This is one technological dumb-down I'd gladly accept.
 
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