TIDBIT - You can't get there from here

Many of you have probably already seen this, but take a look at the last "Point of Interest" in Adena's latest newsletter -

http://www.gismonitor.com/news/newsletter/archive/012005.php#point

She claims it no longer works or she could not get it to work.. It did work for me last week.. maybe MS has fixed it in the meantime. Anyway, there is screenshot.

Eric

This thread would not be complete without the Register's take on the glitch -
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/24/msn_driving_instructions/

Eric

Australian IT says -

"It turns out that there's a simpler explanation: people who make mapping software tend to smoke crack."

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,12014766^15309^^nbv^,00.html

Eric

I made an inquiry to a product manager at Microsoft who explains -

"Microsoft works with the top data providers to aggregate the most accurate and up-to-date information as possible, and the MapPoint team of cartographers uses a complicated routing topology to calculate routes and pull together the best information from each to stitch into our maps.

"In this case one road segment was attributed incorrectly in the topology, causing the routing algorithm to ignore that road and therefore caused the error in calculating the route. We are currently working a fix, and we expect it to be available in early February."


Eric

Lovely. It'll take months for microsoft to stop giving the wrong directions. At least the destination appears in the correct position. Better than MapQuest. MapQuest sent our guests on a scavenger hunt to find our hotel, which the moved over a mile away and onto another street. They took over a year to fix once we notified them of the error and 20 follow-up messages with no response from MapQuest. :(

The trip from Haugesund to Trondheim in Norway is interesting. Even if you select Shortest Route, it suggests a side-trip to the UK via ferry, total distance of 390.3 miles and 51h22m travel time.

Surprisingly, the return trip (without the merry jaunt to Tyne, England) is 456.9 miles but only takes 11h46m.

Is this replicable with the offline version of MapPoint, and/or has anyone found something like this in North America?

I found this link in the latest issue of GIS Monitor -
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/webservices/0,39020378,39185514,00.htm

Eric

"In this case one road segment was attributed incorrectly in the topology, causing the routing algorithm to ignore that road

But what about all the other cases documented at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/28/flying_car_all_at_sea/

Presumably other roads..