Sayonara Google Maps: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:19, 10 December 2024

Jcastle.info Update: Sayonara Google Maps! I've switching over all the Maps on my site to the free and open source Leaflet Maps. Leaflet is great because you can also mix and match other types of Open Source maps in their API. I'm now using the common ESRI World Topographic maps that I've used on

Sayonara Google Maps

2024-12-10

Jcastle.info Update: Sayonara Google Maps!

I've switching over all the Maps on my site to the free and open source Leaflet Maps. Leaflet is great because you can also mix and match other types of Open Source maps in their API. I'm now using the common ESRI World Topographic maps that I've used on the map of photo locations for some time already. I like that they have both Japanese and English for most locations and have a good representation of topology, but I may test out some other maps in the future. I like this map service to keep the topographic lines and indications and the maps areas bilingual as possible.

Google sent me a notice the other day that under their new "Service Model" the current usage on Jcastle.info will cost me starting from 1800 yen PER MONTH, based on hits. I knew it would go like this some day. They have been shifting some functions to their premium service for awhile. A couple years ago I even had to register a credit card with them to maintain my API access. Now they are sneakily changing the terms to trick people into paying who might miss the email...

When the Google Maps API was first launched, within days, I had a mapping service up and running on Jcastle. I registered it with Google and someone even contacted me about this innovative use. At the time it was also connected to faceted (filtered) search so any castle search results could be pinned to a map! The person thought it was very cool and was going to use the concept to market, for example, mapping bank branches or restaurant locations tied to filtered search.

Jcastle.info also appeared in a National Geographic article a few months later about "citizen mappers" or something like that. You're welcome Google, now kiss off. The new Google service terms don't take affect until March 1, 2025, but this really irritated me so why put off the inevitable. It only took me about 90 minutes to make the changes.

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@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 |NewsTitle=Sayonara Google Maps
 |NewsDate=2024-12-10
-|NewsBody=I'm switching over all the Maps on my site to the free and open source Leaflet Maps.  Leaflet is great because you can also mix and match other types of Open Source maps in their API. I'm now using the common ESRI World Topographic maps that I've used on the map of photo locations for some time already. I like that they have both Japanese and English for most locations and have a good representation of topology, but I may test out some other maps in the future. If you know of any good ones for Japan, please let me know. I like to keep the topographic lines and indications because many castles on this site are in the mountains or the topology of the land is important to the castle itself. I also like to keep the maps as bilingual as possible.
+|NewsBody=Jcastle.info Update: Sayonara Google Maps!
-Google sent me a notice the other day that under their new "Service Model" the current usage on Jcastle.info will cost me starting from 1800 yen PER MONTH, based on hits. I knew it would go like this some day. They have been shifting some functions I used to use (directions, altitude profile, gpx import etc) to their premium service and a couple years back I had to register a credit card with them to maintain my API access. Now they are sneakily changing the terms to trick people into paying who might miss the email, but have a card on file...
+I've switching over all the Maps on my site to the free and open source Leaflet Maps.  Leaflet is great because you can also mix and match other types of Open Source maps in their API. I'm now using the common ESRI World Topographic maps that I've used on the map of photo locations for some time already. I like that they have both Japanese and English for most locations and have a good representation of topology, but I may test out some other maps in the future. I like this map service to keep the topographic lines and indications and the maps areas bilingual as possible.
-When the Google Maps API was first launched, within days, I had a mapping service up and running on Jcastle. I registered it with Google and someone even contacted me about this innovative use. At the time it was also connected to faceted (filtered) search so any castle search results could be pinned to a map! The person thought it was very cool and was going to use the concept to market, for example, mapping bank branches or restaurant locations tied to filteered search. Jcastle also appeared in a National Geographic article a few months later about "citizen mappers" or something like that. You're welcome Google, now kiss off. The new Google service terms don't take affect until March 1, 2025, but why put off the inevitable. it only took me about 90 mnutes to make the changes.
+Google sent me a notice the other day that under their new "Service Model" the current usage on Jcastle.info will cost me starting from 1800 yen PER MONTH, based on hits. I knew it would go like this some day. They have been shifting some functions to their premium service for awhile. A couple years ago I even had to register a credit card with them to maintain my API access. Now they are sneakily changing the terms to trick people into paying who might miss the email...
-If you notice anything odd, or any leftover Google Maps, please let me know!
+When the Google Maps API was first launched, within days, I had a mapping service up and running on Jcastle. I registered it with Google and someone even contacted me about this innovative use. At the time it was also connected to faceted (filtered) search so any castle search results could be pinned to a map! The person thought it was very cool and was going to use the concept to market, for example, mapping bank branches or restaurant locations tied to filtered search.
+Jcastle.info also appeared in a National Geographic article a few months later about "citizen mappers" or something like that. You're welcome Google, now kiss off. The new Google service terms don't take affect until March 1, 2025, but this really irritated me so why put off the inevitable. It only took me about 90 minutes to make the changes.
 }}