Mike Blumenthal

There have been a number of recent posts in the Google Maps forums from apparently legitimate locksmiths that have raised the issue of illegal locksmith activities to new levels. One locksmith has apparently gone to the extent of hiring a private investigator to track down the locksmith scam artists and posted personal detail about the …

Updated by Joel 03/04/09 9:00 PM EST The question of how to suspend/delete a duplicate listing in the Local Business Center has always been somewhat confusing. Several readers had reported, and I had experienced, the outcome that if not done properly EVERYTHING IS REMOVED from Maps. It leaves one a little gun shy. Here is …

Maryland Ruling Supports Anonymous Postings – Wendy Davis, MediaPost “On the one hand, posters have a First Amendment right to retain their anonymity and not to be subject to frivolous suits for defamation brought solely to unmask their identity,” the court wrote. “On the other, viable causes of actions for defamation should not be barred …

Google has been working hard recently at limiting the ability of bulk uploaders to spam the Maps Index. Their efforts have significantly cut the frequency of reports of large scale abuse. However it appears that the new Yellow Pages are out and more than fingers walked on over to Google. Massive amounts of Remote Call …

Rob Reynolds works for Pop-A-Lock, a large multi location locksmith chain. He coordinates their SEO and SEM activities particularly the Google maps/local business listing efforts and is also a central figure in Pop-A-Locks efforts at combating the scammer/spammer issue. Here is a recent comment that he offered up in reply to my recent posts on …

Yesterday, Google announced that maps created via Google Map Maker have been formally migrated and integrated into Google Maps. This is a significant moment for world mapping, Google’s move towards mapping independence and for the competition between Google and other Mapping sites. Historically, the two primary mapping data suppliers, TeleAtlas & Navteq have focused on …

The Locksmith industry has always looked to me like an industry of self dealing and dishonest promotion that, when combined with Google Maps, created a mosh pit of sleaze. As a result I never examined it very closely in the context of Google Maps. Locksmiths are a little hard to love. They aren’t Mom and …

Google has upgraded the wording and massaged the layout of the business listings in Map & Text Views. The most obvious change is the larger and more prominent search title at the top of the listing, reinforcing the what and the where of the search for the searcher. While the category information is now presented …

There have been a growing number of public and private reports of the dreaded message upon attempting to enter the Local Business Center:  System Error  We’re sorry, but we are unable to serve your request at this time. Please try back in a few minutes.  Typically these reports in the Maps forums are followed by …