-------- Original Message -------- Subject: NPR reports on web directions Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 12:44:30 -0500 (EST) From: Ken Grabach <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Greetings, everyone. This morning on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, David Kestenbaum reported on driving directions from the web services of MapQuest, Yahoo Maps and Google Map. This included the example of a man in Los Angeles who wants to have visitors get their directions from these services because the neighborhood has a complex street pattern. The problem is that the web directions include a turn onto Loma Vista Place, which is a sidewalk with steps up a hill! Mr. Kestenbaum talks to programmers about the algorithms used to determine routes, and to Navteq, the provider of maps to all of these services. One person says the problems are "one-tenth of one percent" of the many directions requested regularly. My guess is that the number is larger because of un-reported errors. here is the url for the story: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5140674 Ken ___________________________ Ken Grabach <[log in to unmask]> Maps Librarian Phone: 513-529-1726 Miami University Libraries Oxford, Ohio 45056 USA -