Google Maps and the Continued Expansion

I could never imagine trying to drive to an unfamiliar location without Google Maps. Everywhere I go, I am continually dependent on the sheet of paper I printed out with turn by turn directions. If I feel I'm a little lost while on the road, I use my smartphone to help me out. Listening to parents and older adults talk about how they used actual maps seems like rocket science to me. Indeed, this new technology assists drivers tremendously in addition to GPS devices. With other applications available, why is Google the default service that the majority of consumers use? As explained in Siva Vaidhynathan's book Googlization of Everything, specifically the chapter entitled "Googlization of Us," internet users are becoming more and more dependent on Google. Whether or not this is a positive step for society culturally and morally, Google is simply the best and most comprehensive product to use. Personal experiences with Yahoo! maps and MapQuest have not been positive and the preference for Google showcases that other consumers share my sentiment. The new maps application for the iPhone 5 has been under heavy scrutiny for leading drivers in the wrong direction and for not including some streets that do exist. Regardless of the larger issue at hand, the better product always win. The better product is Google.

Google Maps and its Street View has set the bar extremely high for navigation applications. In this recent eWeek article, Google Maps and Street View are expanding even further. Pictures of the Grand Canyon will be included and Google Maps will include information about the terrain and vegetation of the land. The goal Google is trying to accomplish with all this new information is to present an accurate and easy to understand picture of the entire world right to the consumers' fingertips. MapQuest, Yahoo!, and Apple are no where close to achieving this type of product. The fact that those competitors struggle with giving accurate and up-to-date directions showcases what a difficult concept navigation can be. With construction, weather conditions, and traffic information all contributing factors, there is never one way to get to a destination. The amount of options available to the consumer and that the application should present is quite perplexing. The article also describes that Street View is looking to have 150 college campuses on file within the next year. Not only will this serve as a good tool to compare and contrast how different campuses look, it may eliminate college visits all together and totally change the game when it comes to college admissions. Endless possibilities are presented as Google continues its expansion.

Vaidhynathan presents an argument that today's internet user will not have a broad scope of the world because it will only trust what Google presents to them. While many cultural and moral issues arise from this "internet monopoly," Google has the best product. Attempts such as the Bing vs. Google challenge will need to increase if consumers are expected use any other type of internet platform. We see the same in the smartphone business as Samsung and Motorola want customers to know that the Apple iPhone is not the only smartphone on the market. Consumers will always gravitate towards the better product. As bad as it may sound, issues such as dependency and limited perspective are not the forefront of concerns for a typical internet user. The consequences of "Googlization" are unknown and so are the long-term effects. As of right now, my choice for searching content and directions would be Google because the consumer always wants to use the best.