Cautionary Tale re. Internet Mapping Services

Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
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From a Letter to the Editor in PC World, Sept. 2006 - digested by me.

" PCW has recently reviewed Internet Mapping Services and GPS devices ("Never Ask For Directions Again") - they are not always trustworthy.

"Two people perished in early April in our part of Montana after using a map (and directions) downloaded from the Internet. They were sent onto a road that local people know is closed for a good portion of the year. They became stranded in a location with no cell phone service and died of hypothermia while trying to walk in the snow for help.

"These mapping and navigation services do not take into consideration extreme weather or road condiditons. You should ask about your route when you stop for gas or a meal at a restaurant. The locals will certainly tell you if you are making a mistake following the service's directions

"B.W. Trout Creek, Montana"

I checked on Snopes and didn't find anything like this as a hoax. I realize that the areas where such things might occur are few and far between, but still it is food for thought! Computer generated data does not trump experienced people.

.bh.
 

AaronB

Golden Member
Dec 25, 2002
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Getting your vehicle stuck can't be blamed on any map. It's up to the driver to figure out if their vehicle can navigate the terrain ahead.

If Mapquest mistakenly tells you to drive across a frozen lake in the middle of the summer and your car ends up sinking, who is to blame? Mapquest or the idiot that tried to drive across the water?
 

cmetz

Platinum Member
Nov 13, 2001
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How many lives have been saved because people were able to get places thanks to GPS units and computerized maps? In emergency vehicles as well as their dispatchers having auto-routing computerized maps, or private citizens able to more quickly get from random places to the nearest hospital.

It's not how much harm using a technology could bring, it's how much harm VS how much good.

I assert that this technology does a lot more good than harm.