A Letter from Tim Cook on Maps

Re:A Letter from Tim Cook on Maps by siglesias on Friday September 28, 2012 @12:44PM (#4586430)

If one query matches multiple results, you can observe which result users tap and sort that one to the top. Or, if the user types in a query, gets no results, then types in a similar query and selects a result, you know that the first is likely to have been a misspelling/alternate spelling. If lots of users type in a query and don't get results, then that query can be flagged for further investigation. And so on.

All of this in addition to users reporting erroneous results.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:A Letter from Tim Cook on Maps by gojomo on Friday September 28, 2012 @01:02PM (#4586534)

And just entering the address/location queries (whether they succeed or not, and whether the user's own satisfaction is implicit or explicit) gives Apple bulk who-queries-what-from-where data that can be manually reviewed or automated-tested in followup processes.

For example, they know how dense their geo-data is; where does the volume of queries most exceed the existing density of data? Which queries actually result in someone following instructions to their terminus, and then not requerying again for a while?

Also: while Apple doesn't have a toolbar reporting every query and click into Google Maps -- as with the Google-Bing search results dustup of February 2011 -- they could be using their own automated process to trickle queries into Google Maps APIs and highlight major discrepancies with their own answers, for engineer/data-entry attention.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:A Letter from Tim Cook on Maps by glhaynes on Friday September 28, 2012 @06:13PM (#4588050)

using their own automated process to trickle queries into Google Maps APIs and highlight major discrepancies with their own answers

Cool idea; I wonder if it'd run afoul of copyright laws though.

[ Parent | on HN ]