I'm not too clever on the subject of mashups, so I don't know if what I'm hoping for qualifies for the description. I only wish I had the brains to do this myself, but since I don't, I have to hope that someone else has come up with the same idea and been smart enough to create the solution. This is my wish list:
When I "google" something, why can't I tick off those items that I've read, so that next time I google the same thing, I don't have to wade through all the same listings in search of a possible new entry? Perhaps a question could pop up that said "List previously read items? Yes No". How cool would that be?
When I use Google Maps to get driving directions from one place to another, why can't I save/bookmark those co-ordinates for future reference, so that I don't need to repeat the process for the same directions next time? I'd like a list of previously selected towns/addresses, from which I could identify "from" and "to" points, while still obviously being able to select other destinations not listed. Such a time saver. After all, most of the time, I look for directions from either my office or my house to some other place. Why should I have to keep reminding the system where I live/work? There should be permanent markers on the map in that position - a kind of My World situation.
I realise that both these dreams would necessitate some kid of log-in/identification, but perhaps it would be worth it. Surely someone else must have had the same frustrations? Someone less firmly entrenched as an end-user. Someone who has been able to build a solution.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Where would I find...?
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7 comments:
Thanks, Doug. Sadly, I still lack the skills to make it happen!
Karyn, Google is working on using the history and I'd expect the ability to filter things that you've seen before is about a year away.
FYI - it's fairly unlikely that a Mashup will provide this, but theoretically a search engine that used the Google API could do it - but that's beyond the level of what most mash-ups do.
Thanks, Tony - I look forward to that day! I have had one suggestion regarding my wish list, which I found via Doug's link above. I live in hope.
"Why should I have to keep reminding the system where I live/work?"
Postcode bookmarklets were actually my way in to mashups:
routefinder bookmarklets
If this is of interest, I could knock up something based on this Google map label generator that would generate a postcode bookmarklet like the ones above, built around a user provided postcode.
(Are you ok with using bookmarklets?)
tony D_o-t hirst a=T gmail d0t com or via http://ouseful.open.ac.uk/blog
Yahoo Maps (beta) allows you to save up to 10 addresses and also stores all recent addresses that you have searched on. If you fill in your work and home profile with your addresses and are logged in to the Yahoo site when you go to the Maps (beta) it will give you the option to selct those addresses. I also like the way that Yahoo has linked entities wihtin the map to their Yahoo Local listings so that you can often get reviews about places also.
Thanks for this, cj - the only thing is, it seems to be restricted to the US and Canada... and here I am in the UK. Rats - just when I was getting my hopes up, too!
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