It’s good to see Maps Guide Jen coming out to explain the changes and answer questions. But I question the last thing she says:

“You could officially become “Jones Brothers – Dallas Plumbing and Heating.” If another user flags your listings for violating our guidelines however, we should be able to verify this name change.”

Seriously? They would verify that a business officially changed its name? At first blush, I’m a bit skeptical. But then I stop and think – what if they do try to verify a business name for a listing that has been flagged. I doubt this would be a manual process – so would they compare it to different databases (InfoUSA, Acxiom, Localeze, etc.). I’ve seen way too many instances where the business name in these various directories not only didn’t match the “official” offline business name, but they were all different.

I don’t mean to go Google-bashing — on the contrary, I think they’re making some much needed improvements and I applaud Jen, Joel and everyone else on the Maps team for being involved in this conversation. Let’s just hope they keep the improvements (and transparency) coming.

hmmm. that was a quick response by google. I wonder if they could be as quick at fixing things, cleaning up things, responding to inquiries, etc. 😉

I appreciate Jen offering complete confirmation of Google’s position on this matter, yet, I must say, I find Google’s policy to be antithetical to the way the web has caused human beings to think as a result of prolonged and lengthening usage.

It’s odd, because Google is the trendsetter in most things Internet-related, but here, they appear to be asking the business owner to act in a way that will have come to seem backward to him as a result of the tenets of Usability becoming basic in everything from online newspaper headlines to the layouts of print magazine pages. Making the purpose of the business clear to the customer is good business, and it is the descriptive noun or adjective that turns Jones’ Brothers from a blank to an a-ha.

Case in point: a client with a business called Roger’s. He sells honey. When you take the client, you teach him that it will be important that his domain name and all of the titles, tags and copy on his website and in all of his marketing efforts must refer to him as Roger’s Honey. He sees that this will create a better and clearer user experience for his potential customers. He’s always been Roger’s, but once he steps onto the web, he must be Roger’s Honey.

Once he steps onto the web. That’s the important point.

But what Google wants is a step backward. Everywhere on the web EXCEPT the LBC, act with premium concern for the user. That’s what Google’s present policy says to me. Roger’s Honey is no more of an attempt to spam than is Jones’ Brother Plumbing and Heating. At least, I don’t see it that way.

Google has to put spam-fighting measures in place to create a usable index of data, but confusing human usability with spam is taking things to a level of suspicion that strikes me as being extreme. Not neighborly. I’d like to see them reconsider this.

Well if thats the case, why is it that despite multiple spam reports do they allow these businesses with fake names to control the 1, 3, and 10 packs?

I changed my name and sent my DBA to G.