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Post by vectorspace
I guess I'll chime back in a bit regarding the topics daknife mentioned...
daknife wrote: ...but on why so many locations should not be mapped the not advertising is a big one that I totally support.
I'd like to point out that I do support any policy that is made clear. Once I saw Waze posting brands on the map, I wondered about this. On the other hand, debating an ephemeral notion to not landmark business based upon what a Champ may have heard from someone at Waze, but doesn't really speak directly about it, is not really doing service to those editors that care and trying to contribute ideas. I would rather such policy just be stated plainly with some explanation and rationale.

Specifically about posting businesses, I think I was clear that I don't believe every single business should be mapped. I don't think most should be mapped. I only think a few "landmark" businesses that are important to the community should be mapped. A lot of directions one gets from friends is something like "the second right after the Walgreens." Placing landmarks gives me a spatial concept of where I am as opposed to a bland grid of roads.

Specifically about a business model, I would think posting some businesses would not hurt Waze because landmarks are so very less visible than their flags for Dunkin Donuts and Ramada.

Finally, Waze itself already includes all the landmark types. Why would they be put in the list if they were not intended to encourage mapping such items? It seems really easy for Waze to just auto delete everything of a certain type or not display it if it is that big a deal.
daknife wrote: One other consideration vectorspace has not made. What happens when all those little landmarks start pressing together? They turn into one big blob of landmark, with names floating seemingly at random. Those of us who have edited for a while have seen areas where nearly everything is/was marked as you think it should be, and the landmarks are useless. ...
I'd like to correct that impression. I have made that consideration implicit in my comments. I don't like the map tiled with landmarks. I have seen local level-1 editors and some new AMs start adding every single business. I have seen people that own businesses get on mostly to put their business into Waze, like a bed and breakfast I saw once.

It quickly is clear that POI Search is much better for some things because businesses change, close, move, etc. Upkeep of a huge number of landmarks would be a nightmare and would lead to a mess that would not be sustainable. Upkeep of some critical community-relevant and traveler-relevant landmarks of many types is not a problem from what I have seen. I also think it makes the map on the client so very much more useful and interesting. That should make Wazers more interested in using the app.
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Post by vectorspace
daknife wrote: We the users have no business marking any businesses. What seems like a good idea may actually be one, until it costs Waze the big advertising contract needed to keep the company and thus the app alive.
I guess I have to reply to this, not in opposition, but in confusion. On a number of topics I have seen various editors debate the intricacies of editing, what's right what's wrong, and some that seem equivalent how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. That's all great for this very very small community of editors that can would normally read this post.

I thought another operational model of Waze was to let every Wazer edit the map. That massive number of editors will never read your policy not to mention the Wiki, and if we're lucky, maybe they will watch the cool training videos.

So... until the policy the Champs are considering is integrated into the operational editing of every user, then this makes little difference at all.

Also, I doubt Waze would let what's on the map interfere with a big contract for revenue. It is just too easy to script delete all Walgreens landmarks if CVS pours millions :D into Waze. I certainly want Waze Founders profitable so they can keep the app going, then sell off the company to Google or some such thing and retire until their next adventure.
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