Hacker News Reader

Comment by sam_lowry_ | Hacker News Reader

> I've enjoyed Google Maps for many years and never paid for it.

You did pay for Google Maps indirectly as you were and still are a product Google sells to advertisers.

I feel like I have derived so much value from Google Maps, especially turn by turn navigation, than I don't even consider the advertisement aspects. I would happily pay a monthly fee to use it.

Before it you had to use paper maps or use those very expensive and crappy Garmin devices.

It used to be a joke that married couples travelling would fight over maps. The man was always driving and the wife was always reading the large unwieldy paper map. The man would get mad about a woman's trouble reading the map. The wife would retort "What happened to your vaunted sense of direction? Why are you such a cheap skate to wait until we are lost before buying a map at a service station?" Good times.

Good times for some, traumatic memories of childhood for others….

I used to have this daydream of a red line painted onto the road leading you to your destination. Never expected it to become real (in a slightly different form). Too late for me but another small way later generations will enjoy higher QoL. Few will realize the benefits beyond occasionally getting lost.

I remember back when we were at an intermediate stage of maps when you could type an address into Mapquest and then print out the directions to it and take that stack of paper with you.

Now days you can drop into the middle of almost anywhere on the globe and get mostly accurate on-the-ground directions regardless of if you walk, take public transport or drive. Made navigating Tokyo so much easier!

Google doesn't need you to pay, they only need you to do your thing using Android, Chrome, Google Analytics, Google Search, Google Maps, etc. They will monetize on your usage. I'm OK with the concept, but the implementation ethics can be, to put it gently, debatable - most of the time people are not aware of the privacy implications.

there is nothing like 'paying indirectly'.

did it overall cost them any money ? no

did it overall cost them any physical effort ? no

did google force them to use the service ? no

Does it really sting so much to admit Google Maps is a free to use service?

It's not free. Maybe your privacy is worth nothing -that's up to you to decide- but mine is close to priceless. So to me using Google maps would be hugely expensive.

lol, my privacy is worth same as yours but you are too technologically challenged to hide it online.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com