Can You Really 100% Trust Google Earth For Directions?
Written by Chad on August 25th, 2008Now, I would have thought that Google uses the same data for both GMaps and Google Earth. But I see now that I was really wrong in that presumption. So, you have to wonder.. since they don’t match up and Google Earth has a lot of wrong information.. can you really rely on them for correct directions?
I am sure that for 90% of the users, it works perfectly and they don’t notice any problems. But lets say I wanted to give someone directions to Railroad St in Orangeville. In GMap that would work fine if they searched there.
But lets say they used Google Earth instead.
As you can see, there is no Railroad Street in Google Earth.
You would think that at least road data would be consistant between the two applications.
25
AM
Yes, they are strangely different. Also the geocoding done by maps.google.com is different (and better) than that provided by their geocoding API. What’s up with that? I guess it’s just a “competitive” advantage to owning the API.
25
PM
The short answer is no, you cannot, because I don’t believe Google Earth is intended to provide accurate driving directions.
Conversely, how do you know that Railroad St isn’t the label that is incorrect?
I understand the point is about the consistency in data across two similar programs from a company, and you are right, there should be a consistency.
Luckily Google wants your help, too:
http://earth.google.com/support/bin/request.py?&contact_type=data
25
PM
@mike: Well, considering I can spend 3 minutes and walk down to the street and look at it.. I would say 100% I am right and Google is wrong
And I am not giving Google my time for free for fixing their data.
26
PM
It seems Google are quite keen on free labour, streetview,GE… Not to mention cities giving them free data and then thanking Google for the privilege.
27
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There is a difference because Google has different licensing agreements with different digital map vendors. The Google maps website uses digital maps licensed from NAVTEQ. NAVTEQ maps are also the primary maps used on Garmin navigation systems, among others.
The Google maps API and the Google Earth program both use digital maps licensed by Tele Atlas. Tele Atlas maps are used by TomTom, HP, BMW, Audi, among others.
As someone who researches these maps on a daily basis– you will find errors in both systems, at similar frequencies. Some locations will certainly show one vendor as having much better maps than the other vendor.
You can also report map errors to both companies at the following locations:
http://mapreporter.navteq.com
http://mapinsight.teleatlas.com
Although in both cases don’t expect your suggested changes to happen at a fast pace. It takes a long time for them to verify the information and include it in their maps.
9
AM
They even give a different names of cities and villages.
Many villages in Bulgaria have turkish names in Google Earth, which is very very abusing and injures national interests!
I think Google don’t care for an interest, different than their own financial interest.