New Functions for Linking External Provider Locations (Google Pin)
In the past, the WME PIE Script provided a valuable feature that allowed us to directly view the exact location of a place on Google Maps overlaid on the Waze map. Recently, this functionality was removed at Waze's request.
Most editors, including myself, consider this feature essential. Taking this opportunity, I suggest we request improvements to this linking tool. Below are some current issues and proposed solutions:
Issue 1:
Currently, WME allows the same CID to be added multiple times to the same place. This creates disorganization in the links.
Solution 1:
Block duplicate additions of the same place. In the search list, duplicate places could be highlighted with a different color to indicate they have already been added.
Issue 2:
Often, the first result in the list when adding a place is not the correct one. It could be a branch, located in a different neighborhood, city, or even state, leading to incorrect links and misdirecting drivers.
Solution 2:
Sort search results by proximity to the place's coordinates. Additionally, when hovering over a result, the map should visually highlight the exact location of the place (a feature previously available in PIE).
Issue 3:
WME allows the same Google place to be linked to multiple Waze places. It’s unclear how Waze determines the correct location for the end user, but this behavior should clearly be avoided.
Solution 3:
Prevent a Google place from being linked to more than one Waze place. In the search list, hovering over a linked Google place should indicate which Waze place it is already associated with.
Additional Suggestion:
Instead of relying solely on lists for links, WME could include a new layer that displays Google places directly on the map. To link a place, users would only need to click on it.
Building on this idea, WME could allow updating the PIN of Google places directly within the tool, eliminating the need to open Google Maps to request PIN corrections.
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J0kerNL commented
This feature is definitely needed. In the Netherlands we have a lot of EVCS charging points which are close to each other, without this it is impossible to determine which one is which and which Google Place belongs to what charging point.
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TxAgBQ commented
As long as the Waze app continues routing to bad GMaps places, we need to be able to see where they're linked so we can override them, and PIE with the Google Link Enhancer did that... until it didn't.
Until the Waze app finds a way to always route to the Waze-mapped place/address first we will be forced to try to deconflict the two when we get Update Requests. Of course, that's "free" to Waze but comes at the cost of taking us away from improving other areas of the Waze map.
Waze editors need more abilities to see (and fix) Google Maps problems, not less
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Ed Simmons commented
"The WME PIE Script provided a valuable feature that allowed us to directly view the exact location of a place on Google Maps overlaid on the Waze map."
This and the ability to see if a place is premanetly or temorarly closed is the loss of a major feature. And in the long run will cause many errors in the linking of google pins
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Jiong Sheng Hoo commented
I will only say this, before you remove an existing convenience, be sure to have a solution at hand first.
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snyowl commented
I would like to see the functionality of WME PIE script restored. It allows us to confirm the location of a PP, and alerts if it is too far away from the Google pin. Sometimes, this has alerted to me that the Google pin is incorrect and I have been able to notify GM
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Bob McCormick commented
Additionally:
Using script functionality, there was great value in seeing the location of the Google Maps place in WME. This adds confidence that a GM place being linked in WME is correct. Further - when I typically found the ping for a GM place to be off, I would go into Google Maps and suggest a correction.
What we really need is a harmonious POI database between both products, Waze and Google Maps. Crazy that we have a lot of duplicate places in each map, and maintaining all that duplicate meta data as well.
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Anonymous commented
I’ve been thinking about this: Waze has the Koi Fish project, which aims to unify maps so they reflect reality more consistently. In the real world, a road is represented in a single way, but in Waze, we have maps drawn differently, like X and Y. The project's goal is precisely to achieve this unification.
However, why is the logic different when it comes to places? Why do we use two separate databases (Google Maps and Waze), when in the real world there’s only one reference? I know the integration process is complex, but it’s worth thinking "outside the box."
If Waze were mine (laughs), here’s what I would do:
Remove the option to add Places directly in the app and in WME.
Link the existing Places in WME to their corresponding Places in Google Maps, creating a direct relationship between the databases.
Send divergent or unique cases to editors for review, ensuring data consistency before integration.
Unify the Places databases into Google Maps, as it is a broader and more reliable reference. Google usually has more up-to-date information about a place’s activity (whether it’s active or permanently closed), as most of the time it’s the owner themselves who makes these updates.
Allow WME to load Places from Google Maps as a unified database, consolidated with the old Places from WME.
Reintroduce the options to add Places directly through WME and the app, but now with a unified and centralized database, making management easier and reducing errors.
These new Places would be registered in a single database and would automatically reflect in both platforms (Google Maps and Waze), where it would also be possible to define their arrival point as usual.If none of this is enough to convince Waze of the need for these changes, please consider reinstating the functionality of WME PIE. It is essential for addressing map issues, correctly linking locations, and ensuring that drivers reach their destinations accurately, providing an excellent navigation experience. Without this tool, we cannot guarantee the quality of user report handling.
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MapOMatic commented
Thank you for posting this! Another feature that was previously included with the PIE script (and removed at Waze's request) was the ability to see when a linked Google place was marked as permanently or temporarily closed. Being able to view this within WME is important since we don't want users routed to places only to find that they're no longer in business, but Google Maps would have had it correctly marked as closed. That's a bad look for Waze.
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krzycholub commented
I agree with all Suggestions!