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google maps outage, google maps , The World Goes Directionless as Google Maps Suffers Outage
The world has been plunged into chaos as millions of people who rely on Google Maps to find their way around suddenly lose access to the popular mapping service. The outage appears to have started at approximately 1:45 AM EST, and at the time of this writing it’s still affecting users worldwide, including in large cities such as New York City and Los Angeles. More than half of the people who are currently searching for the location of the nearest local taco stand are getting search results that look like this (see below), which will surely lead to many more accidents. The World Goes Directionless as Google Maps Suffers Outage
What Happened
The world panicked when Google Maps went down. It felt like a glitch in reality that could end civilization as we know it, or at least prevent people from getting to work on time. Thankfully, it was just temporary. We’re not sure what happened but no worries, everything is back to normal now.
What Made it So Bad
It’s not every day you realize how much you depend on a smartphone app for one of your daily tasks. If you needed to get somewhere, whether it was an important meeting or an event that wasn’t to be missed, and suddenly your iPhone or Android phone gave out, leaving you unable to get directions, it could cause panic.
And Where Are We Now?
Do you need to know your location or have directions? Don’t worry. This is an opportunity to gain perspective. If we lose our sense of direction, we can regain a sense of where we are through reflection and exploration. Look around. What do you see? Who is in your community? Who would be interested in supporting your purpose and goals? How can they help you out?
How Could This Happen?
This is a nightmare scenario for both business travelers and Uber drivers. If you’re planning to travel in an unfamiliar city, have multiple apps on your phone with backup maps—and maybe even some paper backup if you’re really worried about being directionless.
Is There an Alternative to Google Maps?
Have you considered OpenStreetMap? It’s an open-source project which aims to collect maps of all countries, and it’s growing incredibly quickly. It might not be ready for prime time yet (the app is a little rough around some edges), but give it time: we think that OpenStreetMap will become one of your most valuable tools for route planning.
Is this the End of Navigation?
The outage came at a critical time for thousands of drivers around North America who use Google Maps for both turn-by-turn driving directions and real-time traffic updates. While many smartphones offer alternate mapping applications like Apple’s iOS maps and Nokia Here, there is only one clear go-to solution: Google Maps. By all accounts, it appears that users were not able to access their local maps or map services via desktop, laptop or mobile device.
Could it Happen Again?
Without a doubt, it could happen again. Technology goes down unexpectedly all of the time. That said, some simple precautionary measures would go a long way to preventing such a situation from happening again. For starters, it might be wise for users to consider alternatives to Google Maps on their smartphones; such as Apple or Waze apps.
