+Marky Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 I noticed different links on the cache pages. Did this happen at the same time we added Geocaching.com maps? --Marky "All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers learn to steer with a backlit GPSr" Link to comment
+beejay&esskay Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 That's when I noticed it. Mapquest is still available, just not labeled as "best". I'm still trying to decide if MSN is really best. I assume this change results in some income to the site. Link to comment
Jeremy Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 You thought wrong. MapPoint does turn by turn directions, so in my opinion, is best. Jeremy Irish Groundspeak - The Language of Location Link to comment
+southdeltan Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 I'll admit that at first I thought MapQuest was totally replaced and I was upset. I didn't see Mapquest at first glance. With all due respect, an opinion does not make it the best, I still think it should say (suggested). I haven't had time to check out the 'turn by turn' directions but if they're the same as MS's Streets and Trips, then they leave a lot to be desired. The directions are not always the best or even the shortest when it comes to S&T's. Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad that there is a new option. I wonder if it'd be possible to add other 'free' mapping links, like Yahoo? I have no idea if there are fees involved with this, just a question really. southdeltan "Man can counterfeit everything except silence". - William Faulkner Link to comment
Jeremy Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 quote:Originally posted by southdeltan:I wonder if it'd be possible to add other 'free' mapping links, like Yahoo? I have no idea if there are fees involved with this, just a question really. If you have a good link to maps online, show me how to inject latitude and longitude into a string and I'll add it. Jeremy Irish Groundspeak - The Language of Location Link to comment
Gert Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 Jeremy, quote:Originally posted by Jeremy:You thought wrong. MapPoint does turn by turn directions, so in my opinion, is best. That might be your opinion, but I just submitted a cache and noticed the new link. I clicked the link and tried to zoom in, but - nothing. The cache is outside the US (in Austria, but I also tried a cache in France) When I try to zoom in, the scale changes but the map I see, doesn't change. It looks about the same of what usually displayed on the map pages (i.e. it simply sucks) Zooming out works. They do have the map data for the area, when I enter my home address in the mappoint homepage, I get a detailed map. Gert Short cuts make long delays. Link to comment
+southdeltan Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Jeremy: quote:Originally posted by southdeltan:I wonder if it'd be possible to add other 'free' mapping links, like Yahoo? I have no idea if there are fees involved with this, just a question really. If you have a good link to maps online, show me how to inject latitude and longitude into a string and I'll add it. Jeremy Irish Groundspeak - The Language of Location So, if we run across a nice online map that has that capability - send an email to contact@Groundspeak? I wasn't aware how you guys did that but I do now remember that mapquest does have lat/log capabilities. sd "Man can counterfeit everything except silence". - William Faulkner Link to comment
+Divine Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 I have similar experience with Gert. You can't get a detailed map from the cache page link, but with address you will get it. Unfortunately the area in Finland where the service gives street address accuracy and very detailed maps is very limited. Outside that area it gives a useless map with no streets - just dots describing cities. In MapQuest service there are detailed maps in the same area, and you can get at least some kind of a map with some streets outside that area. That makes MapQuest clearly "the Best" solution for me. Too bad even that ain't that good. - I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory. - [This message was edited by Divine on September 27, 2003 at 10:30 AM.] Link to comment
iryshe Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Divine:That makes MapQuest clearly "the Best" solution for me. Too bad even that ain't that good. Good points. Considering that no maps are really that good, I'll just get rid of "best" from any of them. Jeremy Irish Groundspeak - The Language of Location Link to comment
robertlipe Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Jeremy: If you have a good link to maps online, show me how to inject latitude and longitude into a string and I'll add it. I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but for my internal geocaching apps, I've standardsized on the Rand McNally maps. This is the map I see for my Oozy Rat cache. http://www.randmcnally.com/rmc/directions/dirGetMap.jsp?A=Oozy%20rat%20in%20a%20sanitary%20zoo&z=large&l=9&T=35.921667&N=-86.861667&h=false&c=USA&sLatLongAddr=true&val=CNT The lat and long are the obvious entries in the URL, but if you'd like help adding that linky link, drop me a line. It's probably possible to minimize the GET options; I really didn't bother. The new maps are nice. Capping the max zoom at 30 miles was something I was going to suggest. (Yes, I was the one that zoomed out to the 3000 mile scale within the first few minutes it was up. :-) Please do consider adding a width and height qualifier to the img tag for the map itself so that the legend doesn't hop around on the page as it's being drawn. Link to comment
+CYBret Posted September 28, 2003 Share Posted September 28, 2003 I just checked out MapPoint on a couple of my caches. WOW! Can't speak for every area, but the maps for around here are very detailed. I've used the MapPoint program for a while but had no idea this was available online. One question, what's the deal with the backwards "h" thing next to the word "Cache?" Looks like it's on all the maps. Bret "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again." Mt. 13:44 Link to comment
+Stunod Posted September 28, 2003 Share Posted September 28, 2003 quote:Originally posted by CYBret:One question, what's the deal with the backwards "h" thing next to the word "Cache?" Looks like it's on all the maps. I think it is a bracket to the left of the word CACHE and then a pointer to the thumbtack. It might make more sense if there were more than 1 line of text. Try doing an MapPoint search for a street address and city. "Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson Eamus Catuli AC005895 Link to comment
HetGeleTeken Posted September 30, 2003 Share Posted September 30, 2003 Why is mappoint better ???? 4 Europe I can't get any detail on the maps, Mapquest did !!! why do we need a label best next to Mappoint if they aren't International like geocaching is. Dissapointed !!! Link to comment
+Divine Posted September 30, 2003 Share Posted September 30, 2003 quote:Originally posted by HetGeleTeken:why do we need a label best next to Mappoint if they aren't International like geocaching is. See Jeremy's post a few posts above this. He promised to get rid of the 'best' labeling. I'm sure this will happen soon enough. What's peculiar in MapPoint maps is that they seem to be difficult to link to. In my previous post to this thread I tried to link to certain map in MapPoint to demonstrate my point, but couldn't link to the map I tried to. The turn-by-turn directions feature seems to be working with addresses, but not with coords. - I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory. - Link to comment
+RuffRidr Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 quote:Originally posted by robertlipe:I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but for my internal geocaching apps, I've standardsized on the Rand McNally maps. I've also brought up the Rand McNally maps in another thread. In my opinion they are the best of the lot. Very detailed and very nice looking as well. I hope that TPTB take a look at them and add them as an option as well. --RuffRidr Link to comment
+The Cheeseheads Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 The Rand McNally maps are pretty slick, and not too difficult to make your own! - - - - - Uh oh... Link to comment
+Marky Posted October 1, 2003 Author Share Posted October 1, 2003 Look at the bookmark URL we came up with in the Randmcnally.com thread. Just save the text as a URL bookmark and then all you have to do is highlight (select) any coordinate then select the bookmark and it will map it for you. The text of pushpin is kinda weird so you could change that if you didn't like it. Knowing that you can do fun javascript stuff in bookmark URLs is useful. --Marky "All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers learn to steer with a backlit GPSr" Link to comment
+Captain Morgan Posted October 8, 2003 Share Posted October 8, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Cheesehead Dave:The Rand McNally maps _are_ perhaps good, but remember that they cover only USA... Link to comment
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