techtuesday
Google Maps is the latest victim of user updating gone bad. Much like Wikipedia whose major contributions come from the average Joe types, Google maps is experiencing the same woes. Wikipedia has to change thousands of entries per week I am guessing of users trying to be funny, defacing a hated celebrity, attacking religious figures, and just generally rewriting history out of spite. Tech News World reported the following on Jan 13, 2014.

“Google apologized after Google Maps briefly changed the name of a Berlin intersection, “Theodor-Heuss-Platz,” to its Nazi-era moniker, “Adolf-Hitler-Platz.”

Google released a statement explaining that user-submitted edits for Google Maps are reviewed by Google moderators or “the community of mapping volunteers.” One way or another, this unfortunate edit slipped through the cracks before being changed back within a few hours.”

This will not be the last time we see something like this. With the task of mapping the side streets and roads of the world being so hopelessly monumental, the help needed to accomplish the feat, and access by some of the trolls on the internet – it’s just a matter of time.

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