Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by ratel 2116 days ago
It would be indeed a great feature if that was something only shared between you and your wife.

Alas you get a lot of extras to go with it: An algorithm decides that you then must be hungry so ads for Arby's (they really can't rely on word of mouth) keep popping up in your navigation.

After three such messages an algorithm decides your wife might be in the market for a divorce lawyer, because in 50%+ percent of the cases this might be a sign of marital disagreement. Your wife's newsfeeds change just a little because she is now deemed pro-divorce with messages about huge settlements and divorce horror stories, because those keep people engaged.

Safe driving...

3 comments

I've never seen ads in Google Maps, are you using another app?

I think you're sort of... following a slippery slope argument past what is reasonable expectable.

I see a lot of ads on Google Maps while navigating on the map as markers, while searching for something specific like a restaurant and if I make a route to go somewhere most of the time I get uber ads injected as an option I should take instead of using public transport.
Try looking up Noma, Copenhagen the best restaurant in the world (presumably). It then shows locations of other restaurants in the area. Aren't those ads?

As what is reasonably expected (an this is old): https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-targ...

It is not a slippery slope argument, because they have that data and can use it as they see fit. I just suggested 2 ways in which Google can make more money with information people shared with them. Why is it reasonable to expect them not to do it?

Im sorry, I thought we were talking about Google Maps navigation, not the desktop app.

on the desktop app, I don't see ads, but I see an option to "Show nearby restaurants". If I click that, the map zooms out and shows me nearby restaurants, not ads. It's all informational, not selling me something. In my work computer, I don't have uBlock Origin installed.

None of that matches reality, but it makes for some fun speculative fiction.
Actually, I've never seen an ad in my navigation (Google Maps).
Really? Just the other day it told me to turn left at the Starbucks.
The system knows about some buildings as landmarks. I don't think I would categorize that as advertising; "turn left at the Starbucks" is an extremely human way to give directions. I haven't thought about it as advertising when my parents tell people to turn left at the gas station on the corner; There's a gas station on the corner. It's an easy landmark.

Two nights ago, I had Maps tell me "turn right after the McDonald's" because there was a McDonald's at the corner.

I guess, but the street had a name. And a Burger King, for that matter.
What are the map coordinates for us to look at and see ourselves?