[dennyabraham]

I'm teaching my partner to drive and I've noticed that Google Maps will suggest very different routes to the same destination. It's also less accurate in estimating times, adding 5-10 minutes for its indirect routes versus taking straight paths.

Another thing I've noticed is that some directions will use businesses ("take a left after McDonald's") as landmarks in navigation. I'm beginning to believe the routing noise was introduced to allow navigational ads.

If the effectiveness of a core product is being compromised for monetization, is this what's also happening to their Search?