Comments on: How Microsoft could kick some Google ass

By: rajsingh.org blog

rajsingh.org blog — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:09:49 +0000

[...] Live Maps In mass market, ogckml | No Comments Investigating the location of the WUMB transmitter, Doc Searls notes that while the Live Maps birdseye view is awesome, it’s way too hard to find and share. John [...]

By: joel johnston

joel johnston — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:27:00 +0000

I agree that MS rarely thinks things through completely. They slowly seem to be coming around to the fact that the more they comply with everyone else’s rules, the better the response from the general public. Take for instance IE8 which is “SUPPOSED” to be w3 compliant… I’m very curious if that’s actually true.

- joel johnston
check out my music http://www.j03l.com

By: Doc Searls

Doc Searls — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:24:11 +0000

Mystic, I was using Firefox for most of what I was talking about here, on two laptops: one Linux and one Mac. I will confess, however, that the graphic I used above was from Safari.

Thanks to Safari, similar nonresults, I assume, can be obtained on the iPhone.

Also, my points have to do with design and UI choices by Microsoft, and how they can improve those. I would hope that Live Search would work well regardless of the device or the browser employed. Today that’s not the case.

By: Mystic TaCo

Mystic TaCo — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:49:45 +0000

If you’re using Safari, have you tried using Firefox? I’ve found that the Live Maps service works well in Firefox in both Windows and MacOS.

By: Doc Searls

Doc Searls — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:02:27 +0000

Well, AEP528, you're fast. Well done. But why should the URL be buried behind "Send email"? Why not just "Link to this page", like Google Maps has? Again, with all the advantages Live Maps has over Google Maps, why not make hay where the eyes shine? Speaking of which, I also wanted to get a close-up view of WBUR's directional antenna. Here's the view on Live Maps. And here's the view on Google Maps. On the former I can see the actual antenna — or what I think it is, anyway, shot from what can't be more than a few hundred feet away. It's the two metal contraptions that appeared to be speared by the pylons (actually UHF TV antennae) at the top of a tower in Neeham, MA. On Google Maps, we see the tower itself, shot from space. The WBUR antenna and the pylons are too small to see, and from the wrong angle as well. Again, advantages. Which is my main point.

By: Rebecca Caroe

Rebecca Caroe — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:51:16 +0000

And the “David Baker Test” is also failed….
http://creativeagencysecrets.com/2008/01/26/failing-the-david-baker-test/

By: The David Baker Test | Creative Agency Secrets

The David Baker Test | Creative Agency Secrets — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:38:59 +0000

[...] Live.com maps feature, fails to pass the David Baker Test…. in a major way. He explains it here It’s amazing to me that Microsoft doesn’t make live.com search any easier. Take the maps side [...]

By: AEP528

AEP528 — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:44:23 +0000

This is what you’re looking at, right?

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=r18p3h92dy5v&style=o&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=3327590&encType=1

I got the URL by going to Share, Send in e-mail. Took, oh I don’t know, about 10 seconds to figure it out.

By: Jeff Schuler

Jeff Schuler — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:04:10 +0000

Maybe Microsoft isn’t prepared to handle the computational/network load consequences of making the interface easier and more accessible? (Could that be why you can’t link straight in to Live Maps?)

The bird’s eye view is prettier and holds more info, but much of the time, a low-res version that is quick, easy, and reliable will do the trick.

(In fact, maybe spatial thinking in 2 dimensions is generally more comfortable and legible for most people…)

Remember the Google web search page interface?

By: Doc Searls

Doc Searls — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:01:54 +0000

Very good comment from Jon Udell on his blog. (In case any of ya'll miss it in the list above.)