Giving directions like the locals do

Nancy Scola | December 21, 2009 - 12:46pm | 3 comments | Email This!

Here's a neat little example of localization. Google found that people in India are often less likely to use proper street names when giving directions than they are to say "turn right at the water tank." And so now, that's how Google Maps India gives directions -- by treating natural and human-made landmarks as just as valid markers as what city planners call their roads. (One wonders what a customized New York City version of Google Maps would look like. If my own experience is any indication, it would never return that "could not recognize that address" error message when you typed in a destination, preferring instead to just make it up.)

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India has a beautiful culture

by Lexie P on December 22, 2009 - 12:17am

India has a beautiful culture and traditions though they really have something that confuses most visitors and tourists in their country even in the internet they still have given the wrong directions. I have observed such things, communication is a one factor or barrier with regards to relaying things like messages and even directions. so, If you have plans to go there better take a translator or something. On the other hand though homeowners in other countries like India experienced the foreclosure of their primary residence, a lot of foreclosures were residential, but not primary residences – they were rental properties. Can you imagine renters all of a sudden finding their landlord had defaulted, and they had to find a new home? (A wise man once observed that all landlords should get the electric chair – and those with children should have increased voltage.) A new federal law gives renters in foreclosed properties 90 days to pack up and move, before any evictions may begin, and they need short term loans for a hotel room.

Swedes do it the same way.

by Bob Jacobson on December 22, 2009 - 1:23am

My experience in Sweden, confirmed for me by locals, has been that people are more accustomed to giving directions in terms of "state" -- where and what one is doing and encounters on the journey -- rather than by numbers and place names. Once it was difficult for an informant to guide me to a shop five blocks away other than to say "turn left at the next intersection and then go four blocks and turn right, then go to the third house." He had no idea the actual street address.

This method worked, but it didn't get me more "unlost." It was difficult to learn and give directions in this way until I had been a resident for three months -- and even then, my knowledge at the level of points in space, time, events, and relationships remained slim.

Google should extend the state method of voyaging to other versions of Google Earth yet at the same time encourage sharing of standardized and thus more easily conveyed data. This way we can experience both geospatial modalities and learn to work within each.

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RouteGuru pioneered this innovation!

by aviagr on December 23, 2009 - 7:49am

Great post, @Nancy.

But we would like to let the world know that we (RouteGuru) pioneered this innovation (landmark-based driving directions) back in 2007.

Please check out our product for a technology demonstration (live for Delhi area since May 26, 2007).

We use Google Maps API to (and only to) display our route on a graphical map.

We also claim that our landmark-based directions technology is better than Google's. Please compare for yourself for any pair of locations in Delhi-NCR.

It's sad that Google, a company with corporate motto "Don't be evil", is promoting their good launch as a pioneering ‘innovation’, without a mention that we have been evangelizing this innovation in the same market (India) since 2007.

But thanks to this launch by Google, global markets are opening up to this age-old concept now. Indeed, we have started receiving (a) recognition (Google Maps Mania | pluGGd.in) as pioneers of this technology, and (b) new interest in our technology and business from markets that were foreign to us till now.

Thanks again for the post and enabling this discussion.

Cheers,
Avinash
Co-founder, CEO, RouteGuru
(Avinash at RouteGuru dot com)