Suggestions for improving the Google Map

[+JeremyR]

Ok, in the monster Google Earth KML overlay thread, I suggested to the powers that be that ironing out at least some of the larger flaws in the GC.com Google Map would be a fair compromise for the loss of the GE KML overlay. However it's just been buried in the mass of 'I want it back' posts so I thought I'd start a new thread and list some of the ways that Groundspeak could improve the Google Map's usability and functionality. So...

• Change the map's initial location to match the logged-in user's home coordinates
  Currently the map as linked to from /seek/ always starts centred on Green Lake Park, Seatle. This is not exactly user friendly, as 99.9% of users then have to either enter their address or manually zoom and pan to move the view to their prefered location. Groundspeak know our chosen home coordinates, which would be a much more natural starting position. Curently the only link to the map which starts on the home location is found on /my. This makes sense in a way but having it default to 'home' if no coordinates are specified on the query string makes more.
  
• Remember our chosen filters
  Particularly the 'Hide My Finds' and 'Hide My Caches' filters, both of which are always disabled when the map first loads. For users who've found a large proportion of their local caches, the map is initially covered in yellow smileys that obscure the unfound caches, particularly in cache-dense areas. It makes more sense for these filters to be enabled by default or even better, have the site remember whether the user had it enabled or disabled last time because you don't normally come to the Google Map to lookup caches you've previously found or that you own.
  
• Provide a filter (on by default) to hide caches on the Ignore List
  This is a no-brainer. I chose to ignore a certain cache because I don't want to see it in listings due to it's immediate proximity to a recycling centre (read: rubbish tip). It stands to reason that I don't want to see it on the map either.
  
• Provide a filter (also on by default) to hide disabled caches
  Another no-brainer. Nobody (except perhaps the reviewers) goes to the Google Map to see disabled caches. Also, the difference in icon colour between active and disabled caches is fairly slight. There really should be a stronger, more obvious differentiation.
  
• Improve the 'Zoom to Address' tool
  It could be used for so much more than just geocoding addresses. For starters, the ability to enter a GC number and centre the map upon it would be immensely useful. Many of us plan a trip around a certain cache that we wish to find and then look for other nearby caches to expand the day. This is easily done by going to the cache page and then scrolling down to the Google Maps link under the cache description but it adds steps to the process that needn't be necessary (leave the map to go to /seek/, search for the cache, open the listing, go back to the Google Map). It's over-complicated.
  
• Option to select PQs on the map
  This allows the user to filter the map in any conceivable manner without much extra work for Groundspeak's Lackeys. The ability to view PQs on the map is already present but a dropdown list to select and view a PQ straight from the map (i.e. without going to /pocket/ first) would be preferable for the same 'less steps' reason as mentioned in the previous idea.
  
• Improve the interface
  Particularly thinking of the right-hand pane here. It's cluttered already and would be even more so if more options were added without a redesign. A categorised list of collapsible option groups (such as 'Zoom to...', 'Filters', 'Pocket Queries', etc) would be ideal. Is the list of cache types, names and numbers necessary? It's possible to obtain this information from the map (icon and their tooltips contain the info), having it listed on the right is just duplication.
  

These are just the ideas I came up with in a few minutes - I'm sure others can contribute more. Groundspeak stated in the original release notes regarding the removal of the KML overlay that the "introduction of full-featured Geocaching.com Google Maps has made the KML link somewhat redundant". Well I don't think I would call the current map "full-featured" given that it lacks a great deal of the flexibility of the KML overlay it supassed. I think it only fair that if you're removing the KML overlay that improvements to the Google Map come with it.

[+JBnW]

In addition to these, I'd like to suggest adding a short time lag between zooming and/or panning the map, and when it makes the call for the caches. Seems to me that it spends a lot of time "requesting geocaches" (and freezing the redraw and additional panning) even though I don't have the map set to the search location yet. I do know that as I'm panning and zooming, it's calling for geocaches a lot more often than needed, and would guess that has to be unneeded burden on the servers. Cheers!

[+Raine]

JeremyR: Thanks for that list. A few of those are already on my "todo" list for a redesign.

 

JBnW: When you pan the map it already has a 1 second lag. Maybe I need to either increase that time OR set it as an option.

 

-Raine

[+Semper Questio]

How about generating a bookmark list and/or a pocket query directly from those caches listed on the map?

[+solo63137]

I love the suggestions, especially the 1st one on the default map location.... I had thought about this myself several times and wondered if it was there, but I did not know how to set it...

 

Thanks for putting these out there... And thanks to Raine, for looking into the possibilities of making them a reality...

 

Now if we could only do something about the forums performance... I get aleast 3-4 timeouts a day where I type a really long message (OP or response), hit submit and like 2 minutes later I get some type of error...

Edited May 29, 2009 by solo63137

[+JBnW]

JBnW: When you pan the map it already has a 1 second lag. Maybe I need to either increase that time OR set it as an option.

 

-Raine

Raine, thanks for the reply. What I see is when zooming and panning, the map is still drawing new segments when the request for geocaches starts. Maybe that 1 second ticks away there, but when it's trying to do both at the same time, the request freezes the redraw and prevents any further zooming or panning. I know I can zoom out far enough to exceed the maximum limit and prevent the request, but that gets to be a pretty big map. On your suggested alternative, here's something for everyone to shoot at; how about unautomating the cache request. Pan/zoom the map to where you want be, then click a side button to start the call?

 

Ready, Aim,...

[+J-Way]

Default location: Mine's sorta there already. The default cache search location on the main page is my home coordinates. I click "go", then "map it", and I'm looking at Google maps at my home coordinates.