Much to my surprise today, during my near-daily use of Google Maps, I was
jarred by a page design reversal that throws the map onto the right side of the page, and the search results on the
left. This was so disconcerting to me that I instinctively grabbed the monitor and dragged it across my desk to the
left, trying to get the map into its propert field of view. The page feels totally lopsided to me this way.
Even more upsetting is the removal of the Local and Directions links above the search box. Perhaps Google wants to
separate its traffic more accurately, and having those two features accessible on a single page made measurements
difficult. But the integration of the three engines was sweet, and one of the advantages that made Google Maps/Local
the leader of its field. Directions are still available from the results bubble on a map (To Here and From Here).
Maps is now automatically personalized; a notice on the left-hand sidebar announces “Starting at Yourcity, SC.”
Every search centers by default around your IP-derived location. That’s convenient. But I still don’t understand why
Google had to reverse the page layout. By the end of the day I’ll need a chirpractic adjustment.
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