I'm not the only person defecting to Google Maps either
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Since I am an avid Google Map user, I was delighted to learn how to use the Satellite and Terrain overlays to help out with the given driving directions. I have also marveled how the KML popup bubbles that are shown on the map have been continuously expanded to include more and more relevant information about the specific location. Being able to read reviews about a specific location and getting access to the location's URL provides tremendous value added content that keeps me coming back to use Google Maps for all of my direction searches. The recent addition of Street View to Google Maps delights me even more as I can final get a real life preview of surroundings near my destination.
Recently, though, I realize that I have been "Moogling" – Combining the mashed up power of Google Maps with Google Search – with great success. Instead of first using Google Search to discover the website for a destination, and then using Google Maps to plot its location, I worked in the opposite direction. My first real moogling experience happened just two nights ago when I was searching for "an Asian restaurant that started with a P near my place of work." A Google search ("Asian food
Maps.google.com -> Search criteria "food Asian loc:
The KML popup for that location provided the restaurant's reviews and URL. Finally, the Street View option familiarized me with how the location would look from my car, removing any doubt I had about finding the location.
While moogling will not always be the best and fastest search technique, now that I have discovered its capabilities, I am looking forward to using can defiantly keep it in my arsenal of searching tools.
"moogling"... i love it! i moogle all the time and didn't even know it!
ReplyDeletei ditched mapquest years ago as well. the directions continuously got me lost or taking streets that changed direction or didn't exist anymore. And you could forget about navigating through new developments or construction. yet, it still surprises me how many folks still use mapquest. it's even still a verb to some. "oh, just mapquest it." I'm like, "for real? you still use that? it's so 1.0!" I liken it to my grandmother still referring to the refrigerator as "the frigidaire." I guess that which comes along and amazes first gets the glory for eternity.
but tell me this... have you moogled directions from your house to some desired location only to view the satelitte image of your house?! ha! GUILTY! i just wish they woulda captured my still AFTER i stained my porch and just gave the lawn a fresh cut. ah well...