Hi! We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
But as we’re losing ad-revenue from this then why not make a donation towards website running costs?. Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2011 9:30 pm Post subject:
My 5p's worth, (not in direct answer to anyone).....
POIs on TomTom's have always been dreadful, especially in the UK, so for them to say that their POI data is an important asset, is just rubbish.
I've often mentioned as an example how for years we only had one library in the UK, according to TomTom's POIs, and how the only "Shops" we had were Harrods and "Partco Car Spares" - obviously an early commercial tie-in!.
Then TT shot themselves in the foot when they indtroduced the "Help me" menu, which accidentally showed thousands of owners just how bad the data was when their nearest Doctor or Dentist was apparently in Belgium or Dublin.
That forced them to hastily produce some "add-on" files which looked like they had been cobbled together by some semi-literate students. They were riddled with spelling mistakes and factual errors and it was easy to prove they had 'lifted' the data from the web, as many of the errors were identical to that on "directory" websites.
Much of that inacurate data was then integrated into the main POI database, so those errors continue.
For the specific "premium" POIs of Speed Cameras and Fuel Prices/locations, it's been demonstrated time and time again that their chosen data providers took them for fools and presented them with any old rubish, which TT accepted as gospel truth without any checking.
Month after month they reported "up to date prices" for petrol stations that had never existed or that had been knocked down and made into blocks of flats years ago, and getting them to accept there was a widespread problem rather then a couple of individual "blips" was a hell of a task.
Finally, just today, I chose a POI category at random to test a theory about warning distances for someone on the forum....
I wanted a category with not many entries in it so chose "Amusement parks" thinking that "Legoland" and Chessington would be the two closest to me.
But no! the category has been filled up with every high street slot machine parlor such as the twelve "Agora Amusements" within 5 miles of my home in West London and multitudes of other bingo and "Casino Slots" dives.
These are NOT what I would define as "Amusement PARKS" and just makes the whole thing pointless as no REAL Amusement Parks appear in the six screens of results any more!
Adding Google Search to the LIVE-capable models was the best thing TT could have done in the circumstances to improve the situation, but they still advertise their massive POI databse as a major selling point. _________________ "Settling in nicely" ;-)
Joined: 15/07/2003 22:59:27 Posts: 1050 Location: United Kingdom
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2011 11:01 pm Post subject:
In my experience location of TomTom (TeleAtlas) POIs are better than Googles - although Google has far more (and more information) and neither show great accuracy
While I like and use some of Googles services including Gmail and Calendars, I don't think a lot of their mapping, poi's or navigation offerings to date. And there is a lot of potential here for others to jump in and win. Just because it's google doesn't mean its good. Look at Android - everyone is buying in to it, but it unstable and the interface compared to all others is very poor (WebOS, WP7 or IOS4 are better, if less open)
POIs should be administered through the map supplier for great accuracy with their data updated via direct company input through a web interface - and if the company doesn't update it, they drop out of the list. That way companies would be forced to ensure the accuracy of their own data and POI information because more important to search (with Local Search, Local Scout etc) and of course sat nav
Unfortunately no one has cracked a seemingly simple problem, with even Googles POI updater pretty poor in all respects _________________ TomTom Go Live 6100, 600
Garmin DriveLux 50, D-Smart 70, NuviCam, 3598, 2699, 2798
Mio Navman 695
Nexus 6p, Apple iPhone 6sPlus and Microsoft Lumia 950xl running TomTom, Garmin, CoPilot, Navigon, Sygic, Here Drive, Google, Waze, MS Maps
And for the rest he doesn't know nor care. So it's different streams you need, and then merge this alltogether.
You (or TomTom) are making the mistake of assuming that everyone will use the same data source, and will ensure that the data is updated frequently by those who process and present the data. It's just not possible or practical. What about printed telephone directories, individual company web sites, etc.? The assumption that "location & navigation products and services" are going to be the prime source of data is naive. It isn't going to be the answer that everybody decides to use.
xtraseller wrote:
POIs should be administered through the map supplier for great accuracy with their data updated via direct company input through a web interface - and if the company doesn't update it, they drop out of the list. That way companies would be forced to ensure the accuracy of their own data and POI information because more important to search (with Local Search, Local Scout etc) and of course sat nav
I like this suggestion, but it does get limited if more map suppliers appear on the scene - keeping them all up to date could be a bit of a bind! _________________ Garmin DriveSmart 50 LMT-D
And for the rest he doesn't know nor care. So it's different streams you need, and then merge this alltogether.
You (or TomTom) are making the mistake of assuming that everyone will use the same data source, and will ensure that the data is updated frequently by those who process and present the data. It's just not possible or practical. What about printed telephone directories, individual company web sites, etc.? The assumption that "location & navigation products and services" are going to be the prime source of data is naive. It isn't going to be the answer that everybody decides to use.
xtraseller wrote:
POIs should be administered through the map supplier for great accuracy with their data updated via direct company input through a web interface - and if the company doesn't update it, they drop out of the list. That way companies would be forced to ensure the accuracy of their own data and POI information because more important to search (with Local Search, Local Scout etc) and of course sat nav
I like this suggestion, but it does get limited if more map suppliers appear on the scene - keeping them all up to date could be a bit of a bind!
@Daggers: I think this depends per country. In Belgium, Netherlands and Germany nearly every business is listed in the yellow pages (gelben seite / gouden gids). So the deal in those countries with yellow pages is valuable.
@Andy I understand from you that in the UK it is pretty poor. I think you can then say this goes for many other countries, since Holland, Belgium, Germany is a bit of their backyard. And what's worse is they didn't walk the talk.
@xtraseller: I like the idea, but that might just make the quality of POI's better, but the volume lower (since poi's that aren't updated are not being shown). I hear from you that Google isn't doing any better. A business opportunity for anyone who can crack it.
Posted: Today Post subject: Pocket GPS Advertising
We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
Have you considered making a donation towards website running costs?. Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!
Hi! We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
But as we’re losing ad-revenue from this then why not make a donation towards website running costs?. Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in for private messages
Log in
