Thursday, March 11, 2010

Fix an Error on Google Maps

The Other One discovered Google Streets today. Last summer the Google van came through our area and now it is posted so all can see the lovely Town of Wolfville if they so choose. (But sadly, not our Village of Canning, I just checked.)
While talking about this over supper tonight, we lamented that sometimes Google gets it wrong. Like our local intersection just down the road, which Google maps has listed as being named Pereau Bridge. I can understand how this happened. Locally the Pereau Branch Road would be written as Pereau Br.
Br. would certainly seem to suggest that this is a bridge to someone somewhere who isn't familiar with the idea of branch roads. Branch roads are traditional short cuts between two main roads, and almost certainly has the same name as one of those main roads. Hence, the Pereau Branch Road connects the Pereau Road (that runs through the settlement of Pereau) with the Habitant Road (that runs through the settlement of Habitant.) It could have just as easily been named Habitant Branch Road, but I digress. Branch roads are usually dirt, and probably were made by a farmer though his own farm instead of going round the long way. As our Branch Road is not very long, it could look like a bridge to someone far away in a mapping centre.
But ever sticklers for accuracy, we decided that Google must have some way of editing the information on their maps, because this is the information age isn't it? Turns out there is an easy way to do this, although it may take some time for the changes to come into effect. Under maps help there is a hyperlink called Fix an Error on Google Maps. Cool. I did it, and got a notice that it was in the works. I can't help feeling my friends Reny, JaySee and Mark, all map makers in their own way, would be proud.

1 comment:

Kurt said...

Yeah, google street view is pretty neat...... I'll send you a shot of my condo with my van parked in front of it.....
Kurt