Mapshare Mechanics

Hey, at least you're not getting what I typically get each time I submit an online question to customer support! I usually get something like, "Your question would be best answered by calling and speaking with one of our customer support representatives." I guess only the stupid reps man the email questions? LOL

If I could discern a pattern for why I get that answer, that would be one thing. But some of the questions are very simple, and they still want me to call them. Maybe they're lonely?

I imagine Tracey gets lonely working that email desk all by herself 24x7....haha.
 
Maybe they don't want me on the phone with them... LOL I can get a little hot under the collar if the person on the other end of the line thinks I'm an idiot (or treats me like I'm an idiot).
I've run afoul of our local cable/Internet company because of that... I'm an I.T. guy and they insisted then run through their troubleshooting script everytime I called them for a modem issue - they kept telling me that the modem was fine because they could see it from their end - which was a load of BS because the modem was turned off at least one time that they said that... And when I called them on it, and they still refused to replace the modem... Well let's just say I'm probably on their black list now after taking the "tech" guy on their answering service up one wall and down the other... But I digress... :)

No answer yet - probably tomorrow, since it's been a day or so between question and reply.
 
ACcording to a TT Level 3 tech i spoke w/ Mapshare does not make changes to the Geometry of your map. Therefore if you add a road or move a road it will not show up in your map, TT uses this data to update their maps that they sell to you.

As stated earlier POI changes, road closures, road directions (one ways, etc), will show up and are distributed to others.

I think we all knew that - if it could change the geometry, then we never need to buy another map from TomTom - the community as a whole could keep updating the maps.

This got me thinking the other day - a new road was extended in my area to connect to another road. I reported it to tomtom using mapshare. It was so darn easy to connect the end of the road to the other road by using the touch screen. I mean really, how hard would it be to program the map to make the new change and at least show it on my tomtom? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

It seems to me tomtom is more concerned about how to keep the revenue flowing in by selling "updated" maps. I'll be keenly interested to see if my reported update makes it to the new map versions.

/rant
 
It seems to me tomtom is more concerned about how to keep the revenue flowing in by selling "updated" maps. I'll be keenly interested to see if my reported update makes it to the new map versions.

This will probably happen after TomTom complete merge with TeleAtlas.
Here's what I read in investor relations on TomTom homepage related
to the merge (part of open letter to TeleAtlas customers)

TomTom has developed unique technologies to collect and process map related data from our user base of over 15 million navigation devices. This information will be delivered to Tele Atlas after the proposed merger to allow Tele Atlas to substantially improve its map creation, enrichment and maintenance process. The improved maps will then be made available to all Tele Atlas? customers at the same time.

(...)

TomTom?s map related activities will be transferred to Tele Atlas when the merger completes. This process is designed to avoid any conflicts of interest and to ensure that all customers benefit from improvements to existing maps simultaneously.

Interesting, huh ?
 
Maybe they don't want me on the phone with them... LOL I can get a little hot under the collar if the person on the other end of the line thinks I'm an idiot (or treats me like I'm an idiot).
I've run afoul of our local cable/Internet company because of that... I'm an I.T. guy and they insisted then run through their troubleshooting script everytime I called them for a modem issue - they kept telling me that the modem was fine because they could see it from their end - which was a load of BS because the modem was turned off at least one time that they said that... And when I called them on it, and they still refused to replace the modem... Well let's just say I'm probably on their black list now after taking the "tech" guy on their answering service up one wall and down the other... But I digress... :)

No answer yet - probably tomorrow, since it's been a day or so between question and reply.

Your digression is probably one of the many reasons why I'm so "hostile" (someone else's word) about MapShare. I have Comcast for TV, internet, and phone (yes, phone). For those who don't live in a Comcast service area, Comcast Digital Voice is the new phone company in town, and although they CLAIM it's not a VOIP type of phone service, coincidentally every time my phone goes down, my internet connection is down too (and every time the internet goes down, so does the phone). Hmmm... It doesn't take a career network engineer (which I am, and so is my wife) to figure that one out.

Anyway, we've had nothing but trouble with the phone service, and every time the phone went down, we were the ones who had to call because everyone else in the neighborhood would get talked in circles by the customer support people. Because there's no cellular towers in this area, we also typically have to drive down the main road about 10 minutes before we get a mobile phone signal. We are also the ones who have to blindly troubleshoot the problem, because the nitwits on the customer support desk don't know their own systems.

Back in my days of working on a help desk, we had senior techs rotate through the help desk in 24/7 shifts, so that there was always someone there who could assist the customers to the max level without them having to call someone else or wait a few days for a "3rd level technician" to call them back. When I was the senior tech on rotation for the help desk, I actually liked doing it. It was very satisfying to be able to immediately solve these higher level problems for the customer directly, instead of hiding in a cubical office or operations center, waiting for a preponderance of complaints to justify the help desk finally calling me with the notion that they're might be a higher level problem (that's been going on for a week by now). Duh.

Until TomTom implements a help desk like I just described above (where senior techs and/or programmers rotate shifts on the help desk), their customer support will always be poor. The customer support reps. just reply with the same scripted answers every time. Previously, I've replied to a scripted answer with something like, "A scripted answer is not going to cut it, and the one you provided does not even address the question I asked. Please re-read my question(s), and reply back with a non-scripted answer or pass it on to a senior support person so they can do so." I kid you not, I got the exact same scripted answer back (from Tracey -- always from Tracey....haha...I think that's the name of their Help Desk software). It wasn't until a complained about the answer a third time that they finally wrote a custom reply.

It's just bad customer support. TomTom is a big enough company to justify more of an investment in their help desk, to include rotating higher paid, more knowledgeable support staff through there. Until they do that, they'll always take hits for poor (or worthless) customer support.

I can't wait for the reply you get. I'm sure it will be quite a revelation....okay, it will likely be the same scripted response, but one can always dream, right?
 
I think we all knew that - if it could change the geometry, then we never need to buy another map from TomTom - the community as a whole could keep updating the maps.

Actually, what I (and most everyone else, including professional reviewers) got out of the initial reviews, press releases, ads, and general marketing on the product was that it would update the map geometry, but that there would be time limits for it (just like their is now with their weak implementation of Map Share). For example, you would receive map updates (real ones -- like POIs, road names, blockages, new streets, etc.) for a year from the date that you signed up for Map Share, and then after that you could continue downloading the existing changes (like if you reset your TomTom), but to get any future changes you would need to buy a new map, which included all the old changes.

This is what they're doing, but just with POI's, road blockages, and traffic direction changes. Had I known that, I wouldn't have upgraded to the v7 maps since the v7 maps and v6 maps are basically identical except that you can use Map Share with the v7 maps. Most major road changes or additions only come with every other map update, unless you're in a major city.

This got me thinking the other day - a new road was extended in my area to connect to another road. I reported it to tomtom using mapshare. It was so darn easy to connect the end of the road to the other road by using the touch screen. I mean really, how hard would it be to program the map to make the new change and at least show it on my tomtom? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

There is navigation software that does this -- DeLorme StreetAtlas 2008 allows you to draw in new roads and road changes on your PC in an automated fashion with an end result that looks just like the professionally produced maps, and then transfer these files to their all-in-one handheld GPS or your PocketPC/Palm PDA. Their maps are excellent, very updated, and they have 150 million POI's with accurate addresses and phone numbers. Their customer support is practically instantaneous via their forums (which paid employees monitor). Unfortunately, their routing on handheld devices is dog slow, or that's what I'd be using right now on my Palm PDA and would've never bought a GO device. However, their routing on PC is very quick and accurate, so I'm tempted to buy a UMPC, a $40 GPS receiver, and the $39 DeLorme software and just call it a day on navigation systems. Trust me, I can find other uses for the UMPC enough to justify the cost (which isn't that much higher the best GO device, which doesn't provide anywhere near the functionality).

It seems to me tomtom is more concerned about how to keep the revenue flowing in by selling "updated" maps. I'll be keenly interested to see if my reported update makes it to the new map versions.
/rant

DeLorme does it and for just $39 you get an entire upgrade -- software, features, POIs, and maps. They typically put out a full update every year. There's absolutely no reason for TomTom's map updates to cost $70+. And Map Share is just a misleading marketing scam that has done nothing but disappoint (and frustrate) the vast majority of TomTom's customers.

They need to either have Map Share start updating the maps, or they just need to let it quietly go away. In its current form, it's pretty much worthless to the customers, but TomTom sure is getting the benefit of us reporting map errors that they then turn around and make us buy via map upgrades for us to have it on our devices.
 
This will probably happen after TomTom complete merge with TeleAtlas.

TomTom only gets map data from TeleAtlas. They then convert this data into the maps for our TomTom GO units. They could just as easily use Map Share to receive suggested changes, verify the changes are accurate, forward that information to TeleAtlas, and then change it on their own maps and send it back down to the customer via MapShare. This should be done for a year, and then TomTom should have a cut-off date for all map changes. The next map update would include all the previous map's Mp Share changes, and continue to accept future changes via Map Share.

There's no reason not to do this, and the should already be doing this when their new advertising slogan is that Map Share provides the most up-to-date maps, when it obviously doesn't.
 
That's a local fix... Unfortunately that's of limited use in some cases because it changes the name of a whole road. I can think of at least two roads just in my area that the name of it changes 1/2 way down the road - and it is impossible to report that without changing the whole road name. It should allow you to select a point from A to B to change...

I hear ya bro!!! That drives me nuts!!! :mad: I wish I could click and drag on the specific section that I want to change. I have submitted changes through Mapshare, and to TeleAtlas months ago, haven't heard anything
:rolleyes:
 
I'm reconsidering my MapShare participation. While I've given more than my share of work for non-profit organisations, I hate giving my time to a company that will reap benefits from my participation and sell me its wares at full cost to me and the other participants and consider that as unethical. Even more so when it is done giving false pretenses. If I understand the updates we get for free, it only deals with street names, directions and corrections to POIs. I'm not overly impressed... Unless one travels extensively all over the continent, it won't matter much for most of us. If one has a peculiar interest in a chain, there is a high probability he will already have a separate ov2 file for it. For instance, I have a Costco file with markers for those that have gasoline. I also have one with most supermarkets in the USA. IOW, I don't rely totally on the included POI.dat. I also have the radar db for Canada which is largely based on a true sharing philosophy and available for free.

I understand Tele-Atlas and Tomtom are businesses that need to make a profit. But the present MapShare program can be considered as profiting from their customers' innocence.
 
I know I am new to the TT & computer world but why is TT not using Google Earth or Maps to fix ther map problems. I mean come on the road outside my driveway is a closed loop & has been for 5 years but is is not shown on My Rider.But is updated on GM. Even a program's like tyre dont flow seamlessly I assume it is because the two maps dont Jive.

Just my 2@ Guess it would be nice to here from one of the TT guys that are on the site regaurding this.

GT
 
I know I am new to the TT & computer world but why is TT not using Google Earth or Maps to fix ther map problems. I mean come on the road outside my driveway is a closed loop & has been for 5 years but is is not shown on My Rider.But is updated on GM. Even a program's like tyre dont flow seamlessly I assume it is because the two maps dont Jive.

Just my 2@ Guess it would be nice to here from one of the TT guys that are on the site regaurding this.

GT

No kidding!!! Whatever they pay TeleAtlas for their maps it's a rip-off!!!
:D
 
Well, to get this thread back on topic, I found this list of what the CA POI files correspond to.

Link to original thread on YourNav: http://www.yournav.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10872

Sorted Numerically:
7310 Car repair/garage
7311 Petrol station
7312 Car rental facility
7313 Parking garage
7314 Hotel/motel
7315 Restaurant
7316 Tourist information office
7317 Museum
7318 Theatre
7319 Cultural centre
7320 Sports centre
7321 Hospital/clinic
7322 Police station
7324 Post office
7326 Pharmacy
7337 Scenic/panoramic view
7338 Swimming pool
7339 Place of worship
7341 Casino
7342 Cinema
7349 Winery
7352 Ferry terminal
7360 Camping ground
7365 Embassy
7366 Border crossing
7367 Government Office
7369 Open Parking
7373 Shopping centre
7374 Stadium
7376 Tourist attraction
7377 College/university
7380 Railway station
7383 Airport
7385 Exhibition centre
7395 Rest area
7397 Cash dispenser
9352 Company
9357 Beach
9360 Ice skating rink
9361 Shop
9362 Park and recreation centre
9363 Law courts
9364 Mountain Peak
9365 Opera
9367 Concert hall
9369 Tennis court
9371 Water sports
9373 Doctor
9374 Dentist
9375 Veterinarian
9377 Convention centre
9378 Leisure centre
9379 Nightlife
9380 Marina/yacht basin
9800 Legal/solicitors
9801 Legal/other
9902 Amusement park
9906 Church
9910 Car dealership
9911 Golf course
9913 Library
9927 Zoo
9930 Rental car parking
9935 Mountain pass

Sorted alphabetically:
7383 Airport
9902 Amusement park
9357 Beach
7366 Border crossing
7360 Camping ground
9910 Car dealership
7312 Car rental facility
7310 Car repair/garage
7397 Cash dispenser
7341 Casino
9906 Church
7342 Cinema
7377 College/university
9352 Company
9367 Concert hall
9377 Convention centre
7319 Cultural centre
9374 Dentist
9373 Doctor
7365 Embassy
7385 Exhibition centre
7352 Ferry terminal
9911 Golf course
7367 Government Office
7321 Hospital/clinic
7314 Hotel/motel
9360 Ice skating rink
9363 Law courts
9801 Legal/other
9800 Legal/solicitors
9378 Leisure centre
9913 Library
9380 Marina/yacht basin
9935 Mountain pass
9364 Mountain Peak
7317 Museum
9379 Nightlife
7369 Open Parking
9365 Opera
9362 Park and recreation centre
7313 Parking garage
7311 Petrol station
7326 Pharmacy
7339 Place of worship
7322 Police station
7324 Post office
7380 Railway station
9930 Rental car parking
7395 Rest area
7315 Restaurant
7337 Scenic/panoramic view
9361 Shop
7373 Shopping centre
7320 Sports centre
7374 Stadium
7338 Swimming pool
9369 Tennis court
7318 Theatre
7376 Tourist attraction
7316 Tourist information office
9375 Veterinarian
9371 Water sports
7349 Winery
9927 Zoo

At least we can get an idea of what POIs are actually updaing.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

No members online now.

Latest resources

Forum statistics

Threads
28,825
Messages
194,357
Members
67,758
Latest member
J0ey2024

Latest Threads

Back
Top