What was your experience when you last tried to get Google to archive this ng?

On Tue, 26 Jun 2018 16:37:02 -0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:

Did you work through "volunteers" who actually responded, back and forth,
to your requested fixes,

I used the same "Send feedback" link which Char Jackson described
earlier in this thread.

and who answered your questions?

The only question I would have had on the map error was, when would
the fix appear on Google Maps. And "volunteers" would not normally
have the authority to answer that.


--
Kind regards
Ralph

🦊

On Tue, 26 Jun 2018 11:41:00 -0400, nospam wrote:

In article , Ralph Fox
wrote:

Every Google map has a "Send feedback" link on it, so a few years ago
when I discovered that about 140 miles of a particular US highway was
inexplicably missing from the map, I provided feedback. It took quite a
while, perhaps 6 months or so, but they fixed it and they sent me a note
telling me that they had done so.

they do need to verify it, but it's usually much shorter than 6 months.

When I sent feedback to Google Maps, Google verified and acknowledged
it in less than 6 months. However, it took a whole 6 months before
the fix actually showed up on Google Maps.

i've seen fixes appear in as little as about a week.


Correction: I have just gone back and checked the correspondence.

* Google took 23 months to verify it.
* Google took another 6 months update Google Maps.

for a total of about 29.5 months.


one was a highway that tunneled below street level in an urban area,
with commercial buildings at street level, quite common in many cities.

google maps thought there was some sort of direct highway access that
was a drop straight down from the parking garage through steel and
concrete to the highway below. not only is that very wrong, but it's a
physical impossibility.

routing prioritized the direct 'drop' versus driving a couple of miles
to the actual on-ramp, and on city streets with numerous traffic lights
along the way, thereby saving at least 10 minutes.

it was reported and fixed around a week later.


--
Kind regards
Ralph

On Tue, 26 Jun 2018 16:37:02 -0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder
wrote:

Did you work through "volunteers" who actually responded, back and forth,
to your requested fixes, and who answered your questions?

I did.

I realize Char Jackson and especially nospam knew all this inherently
considering their repeated self-proclaimed genius, but I, a normal person
of normal intelligence who works off of facts, not intuition, didn't know
any of this until I worked on it myself

It doesn't matter whether you arrived on the long bus or the short bus.
What's important is that you eventually arrived.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/defi...rm=short%20bus

On Wed, 27 Jun 2018 07:11:06 +1200, Ralph Fox wrote:

The only question I would have had on the map error was, when would
the fix appear on Google Maps. And "volunteers" would not normally
have the authority to answer that.

Drat. I just checked the private roads and trails in my area.
The site was the normal "maps.google.com" where I did "directions".

The test was a point just outside the private areas on each end.
Bearing in mind these are mountains, there is only one "short" way.
So it's easy to tell if Google routes "avoided" a section of path or road.

Good news:
* Google won't route an automobile or a bicycle on our private property.
Bad news:
* Google has no problem routing pedestrians on our private property.

The pedestrian map have an orange warning triangle saying:
"This route has restricted usage or private roads" (at the top level)
or "Restricted usage road" (in the details)

Way down at the very bottom right, there is a bar for "send feedback", in
between "Terms" and the zoom status. Clicking that asks us to log in, where
we get four choices for "send feedback"
1. Missing place
2. Missing road
3. Wrong information
4. Your opinion about maps

When you select "Wrong information", you get a few clickbox choices after
you mark the route in question, where you can submit your feedback.

I just submitted feedback for Google Maps to eliminate pedestrian routing,
so, let's mark this date to see when I get an email from them saying they
have fixed it.

The point is that maybe something like this map feedback mechanism exists
for Google's Usenet search engine?

On Tue, 26 Jun 2018 15:37:11 -0500, Char Jackson wrote:

It doesn't matter whether you arrived on the long bus or the short bus.
What's important is that you eventually arrived.

You prove me right every time you post, Char Jackson.

a. You can't add any value, and,
b. You play silly semantic games, and,
c. You are on Usenet for your own amusement.

*Char Jackson has no intention on ever answering the on-tpic question.*

On Wed, 27 Jun 2018 07:21:18 +1200, Ralph Fox wrote:

Correction: I have just gone back and checked the correspondence.

* Google took 23 months to verify it.
* Google took another 6 months update Google Maps.

for a total of about 29.5 months.

Was there any indication that it was *your* correspondence that triggered the change, or
something else?

--
croy

On Tue, 26 Jun 2018 20:17:56 -0700, croy wrote:

Was there any indication that it was *your* correspondence that triggered the change, or
something else?

*What we need is help on the process to get Google to archive this ng!*

But, to answer your question from my personal experience ...
Take a look at these two screen shots I just dug up to answer that:
1. July 2016: My request for Google to change the routing on their maps
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_map1.jpg
2. Sept 2016: Google says they made the changes I requested
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_map2.jpg

I realize you asked this of "Ralph Fox", but as I recall, and as I just
reproduced earlier today, the Google Maps "feedback" assigns a ticket to
you and to you only. And then it keeps you updated, as needed, until it's
concluded.

Mine took about 1-1/2 months about two years ago (as shown above).

The email is a "form letter", from the following:
Google Maps
With the subject line of:
Thanks for your report near NAME OF LOCATION
And the body is exactly:
"Thank You. Your suggestion is being reviewed. Thank you for your
knowledge. We'll let you know once the changes are published."

And then the rest of the form letter is a map with a pin and the verbatim
text of whatever your suggestion was.

On the bottom appears a 'status' it seems, where my new ones say:
Edited on date · In review

I just searched my email, and found the earlier requests, where I can see
the solution came about 1-1/2 months later in a form letter stating:
Google Maps has been updated to correct the problem you reported.
You can see the update here.
In rare cases, updates may take up to 24 hours to appear on Maps.
If you still see a problem after 24 hours, please let us know."

Where the "let us know" is a link to the map with your GPS coordinates
(which seems to be the same interface as the original starting point was,
so I guess you just hit the "feedback" button again if you don't like what
Google changed - which kind of makes sense).

On the bottom, in the fine print, it says:
"You've received this mandatory service announcement email to update you
about your editing activities on Google Maps."

While this question is about your experience adding a Usenet newsgroup to
the Google Groups search engine mechanism, this research of mine just now
shows that Google can act on requests in as little as a month and a half
(albeit those were well-documented map-routing change requests).

I almost never fail to accomplish my goals - but adding Usenet to Google
Groups searches will need everyone's help (and not Char Jackson's & Frank
Slootweg's worthless chit chat - which only serves the purpose of their
amusement).

*What we need is help on the process to get Google to archive this ng!*

On Wed, 27 Jun 2018 00:57:21 -0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder
wrote:

On Tue, 26 Jun 2018 15:37:11 -0500, Char Jackson wrote:

It doesn't matter whether you arrived on the long bus or the short bus.
What's important is that you eventually arrived.

You prove me right every time you post, Char Jackson.

a. You can't add any value, and,
b. You play silly semantic games, and,
c. You are on Usenet for your own amusement.

Thank you for your continued contributions to c).

On Tue, 26 Jun 2018 20:17:56 -0700, croy wrote:

On Wed, 27 Jun 2018 07:21:18 +1200, Ralph Fox wrote:

Correction: I have just gone back and checked the correspondence.

* Google took 23 months to verify it.
* Google took another 6 months update Google Maps.

for a total of about 29.5 months.

Was there any indication that it was *your* correspondence that triggered the change, or
something else?


I can confirm that Google emailed me to say my report has been verified,
and that Google emailed me again to say maps has been updated to correct
the problem.

But I have no access to Google/Alphabet internals to know what was the
actual trigger. For example...

A. It could be that: Google needed 500 reports to trigger the change;
mine was not the 500th report (and therefore not the trigger); and
it was 2 years between my report and the 500th report.

B. It could be that: Google only needed one report to trigger the change;
mine was not the first report (and therefore not the trigger); but
Google were always going to take over 2 years from the first report.


--
Kind regards
Ralph

🗺ï¸�â�Œï¸�ðŸ�Œï¸�ðŸ�Œï¸�📆ï¸�📆ï¸�ðŸ�Œï¸�🠚§ï¸�🚧ï¸�ðŸ�Œï¸�📆ï¸�📆ï¸�ðŸ�Œï¸�ðŸ�Œï¸�✔ ï¸�

On Wed, 27 Jun 2018 19:59:36 +1200, Ralph Fox wrote:

B. It could be that: Google only needed one report to trigger the change;
mine was not the first report (and therefore not the trigger); but
Google were always going to take over 2 years from the first report.

In my case, it's almost certain, if not certain, that my report was the
*only* trigger. There's almost zero chance anyone else filed it, since I
know *all* the owners and they left it to me to resolve.

1. July 2016: My request for Google to change the routing on their maps
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_map1.jpg
2. Sept 2016: Google says they made the changes I requested
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_map2.jpg

So we know that Google, at least for Maps, fixes their routing errors in
about a month and a half, based on a single request.

Those like nospam & Char Jackson who say that's inefficient are just morons
who likely have never been successful at anything in their entire lives.

The goal here is to be successful at archiving this newsgroup, where
perhaps those on alt.fan.dejanews and comp.internet.services.google may
know better than those here how to be successful at the task.

On Wed, 27 Jun 2018 01:27:56 -0500, Char Jackson wrote:

Thank you for your continued contributions to c).

To satisfy your urges at humor, now you try sarcasm, since your silly
semantic games don't work.

Char Jackson ... why don't you simply admit that you're a bona fide moron
who can't possibly help anyone solve any difficult problem?

Alienating you benefits everyone!

On Wed, 27 Jun 2018 19:59:36 +1200, Ralph Fox wrote:

I can confirm that Google emailed me to say my report has been verified,
and that Google emailed me again to say maps has been updated to correct
the problem.

Ah, so they actually give some sort of real feedback. So many organizations only send the
canned message that they are serious about customer support, and then never respond after that.

But I have no access to Google/Alphabet internals to know what was the
actual trigger. For example...

A. It could be that: Google needed 500 reports to trigger the change;
mine was not the 500th report (and therefore not the trigger); and
it was 2 years between my report and the 500th report.

B. It could be that: Google only needed one report to trigger the change;
mine was not the first report (and therefore not the trigger); but
Google were always going to take over 2 years from the first report.

Interesting possibilities. It's easy to imagine a single person handling all the errata, with
a backlog that doubles about every ten days!

--
croy

On Wed, 27 Jun 2018 04:01:25 -0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:

But, to answer your question from my personal experience ...
Take a look at these two screen shots I just dug up to answer that:
1. July 2016: My request for Google to change the routing on their maps
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_map1.jpg
2. Sept 2016: Google says they made the changes I requested
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_map2.jpg

I realize you asked this of "Ralph Fox", but as I recall, and as I just
reproduced earlier today, the Google Maps "feedback" assigns a ticket to
you and to you only. And then it keeps you updated, as needed, until it's
concluded.

So they do actually deal with such matters. Good to know. Thanks.

--
croy

Arlen Holder wrote:
[...]
The goal here is to be successful at archiving this newsgroup, where
perhaps those on alt.fan.dejanews and comp.internet.services.google may
know better than those here how to be successful at the task.

This suggests that you've seen the information you got from Jim in
news.software.readers.

Did you contact Google in the way he pointed to?

[N.B. I'm responding here, as not to 'pollute' the n.s.r thread.]

On Wed, 27 Jun 2018 06:33:08 -0700, croy wrote:

On Wed, 27 Jun 2018 19:59:36 +1200, Ralph Fox wrote:

I can confirm that Google emailed me to say my report has been verified,
and that Google emailed me again to say maps has been updated to correct
the problem.

Ah, so they actually give some sort of real feedback. So many organizations only send the
canned message that they are serious about customer support, and then never respond after that.


FWIW I did get what was clearly a canned message at the time I sent the feedback.
My feedback was on Google Maps' directions sending cars where they could not go.
The canned message was as if I had reported an "inappropriate" image in Street View
on Google Maps.


--
Kind regards
Ralph