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Groundspeak Pulls The Plug On Google Maps

Zor

If you haven’t noticed already, you will soon enough. The geocaching maps previously used by the official geocaching website are no longer powered by Google. As a result of this, many of the previous map options are now gone. They have been replaced by OpenStreetMaps. If you want to read the official statement from Groundspeak about this change, click here.

Now, before people go off and start complaining about GSP’s change, please be aware that this is not something that they had any control over. It is in fact a change to Google’s map API license. If you are using the map API for more than 25,000 hits per day, you are now required to pay a fee for usage. This did not exist previously. According to GSP, they do about 2,000,000 (two million) hits per DAY on Google maps. In order to prevent having to offset the costs by charging more on geocaching.com, they opted for the OpenStreetMaps which are still available for free.

The biggest issue folks are having with the new maps appears to be the fact that it is slower, has far less detail than was available with Google, and the satellite view is no longer available. If you have concerns about streets that are missing, OpenStreetMaps does have the ability for you to update their maps directly with new map data. If streets are missing, you can go in and add them yourself if you have the time and effort to do so. I have not explored the specifics about this but will be looking into it soon.

For those still looking for satellite maps with Google, feel free to download a copy of Google Earth and install Groundspeak’s geocaching viewer. It will provide you all of the caches available on geocaching.com from within Google Earth. It does not filter finds or your hides, but it is still better than nothing. The other option is to simply use your pocket query or GSAK GPX file and open it in Google Earth and it will show you those caches on the satellite map.

There is also a GSAK macro which will place your GSAK database on a Google map.

Feel free to post your comments on this subject here and if you have any suggestions/alternatives to the new map feel free to post them as comments as well.

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Zor

I am Zor. The creator of protoculture. Otherwise known as a geeky father of two, husband to an awesome wife, and a hardcore geek.

12 thoughts on “Groundspeak Pulls The Plug On Google Maps”

  • I agree with your forum post. This is a decision forced on Groundspeak by Google’s change in licensing policies. As much as I will miss the Google maps (especially terrain view), I find the Mapquest and OSM maps are adequate replacements. In fact, I’m actually happy that the new maps will actually show the cache icons on my iPad, as they didn’t previously show on the beta maps. Now the icons aren’t clickable yet, but I’m sure that’s coming.

    Now if they’ll just move the puzzle icons on the maps for the ones that I’ve solved, I will be a happy customer.

  • It has really messed up the apps that used Google maps. C:GEO will only show the nearest 20 and the official app will show whatever you get when you call up the “nearest caches” and use the show on map function.

  • I hate the choices that they give us. None are as good and clean as Google

  • I can understand the decision. This will take some getting used to. Hopefully there will be a solution soon so I don’t have to get used to the alternative maps.
    In the meantime, I’m glad there are a few P&Gs out there that I haven’t found yet.

  • the google maps api stance on FREE usage has not changed.

    the problem groundspeak has, and will continue to have is with the openness/freeness of the data provided free to them by us, the users.

    if they’d show the data for free, they’d be allowed to use google maps for free. see section 9.1 of the google maps api terms of use http://code.google.com/apis/maps/terms.html

    • Groundspeak doesn’t charge for the use of the maps though, evulc. Never has. Premium and basic members have the same maps. Only difference is premiums can hide found caches, and display PQs – which isn’t a function of the map but of the groundspeak page.

      So, I guess I’m now more confused than before about this decision, as it made sense if groundspeak was going to be charged for the use of them – but not if they could get away with it for free!

      • a site that charges money and uses google maps api will need to pay google. a site that charges no money is able to use google map stuff everywhere as long as the result is open.

  • Maybe because there is a user fee for premium members Google is taking a hard stance and is going to bill them for the usage. Who knows..

  • Ha! My countrymen in the Czech Republic are caching nuts, the sport is reaching hardcore levels there.

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