{"id":1448,"date":"2008-11-10T06:47:37","date_gmt":"2008-11-10T10:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/?p=1448"},"modified":"2008-11-10T16:32:51","modified_gmt":"2008-11-10T20:32:51","slug":"google-maps-will-edit-wars-go-postal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/2008\/11\/10\/google-maps-will-edit-wars-go-postal\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Maps: Will Edit Wars go Politically Postal?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The community edit hijackings started<\/a> in the Payday Loan industries to create location confusion, moved onto theft<\/a> in the floral industries, were highlighted with a bit of pranksterism with the Microsoft Escort example<\/a> and subsequently moved into the consumer complaint arena<\/a>. As Ben Allen noted in his blog: You Deserve a Rake Today at Ickdonalds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There is certain trend to these hijackings and they beg a larger question: When will politics enter the wiki world of Google Maps hijacking? In the not too distant future, the next frontier for use of the Maps community edit feature could very well be as a virtual reflection of real politics. The disputes of the world often shift to the internet as the broad reach of the platform creates opportunity for widespread impact and the anonminity provides cover to the perpetrators.<\/p>\n

When will PETA take over McDonald’s<\/a>? When will the Armenians take over the Turkish Embassy<\/a>? When will the Service Workers Unions take over WalMart<\/a>? These listings all remain unclaimed in Google Maps and seem to be likely targets for partisans of these particular real world battles.<\/p>\n

I can only imagine the conversation between Eric Schmidt and the Turkish ambassador explaining how this could have happened.<\/p>\n

You can see battle lines forming, albeit in a limited fashion, with edit wars in several of the unclaimed listings that I highlighted last week. These edit wars<\/a>, once the province of Wikipedia, have now made their appearance in Google Maps. Two examples can be seen in the edit histories of the unclaimed Apple Corporate listing<\/a> and Google’s unclaimed Cambridge<\/a> record.<\/p>\n

Take a look at the edit history of Google’s unclaimed listing in Cambridge to get a glimpse of the opinions that have already been expressed via Maps about Google:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Nov 6, 2008<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Google Inc<\/div>\n
5 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142<\/div>\n
Edited<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
Changed address to\u00a05 Cambridge Ctr # 3-6 Cambridge, MA 02142<\/span>\u00a0from\u00a05 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA<\/span><\/div>\n
Changed phone number to\u00a0(617) 575-1300<\/span>from\u00a0(617) 575-1301<\/span><\/div>\n
Moved location 0.1\u00a0mi from\u00a0\"\"<\/div>\n
Changed name to\u00a0Google Inc<\/span>\u00a0from\u00a0PP Toucher Corporation<\/span><\/div>\n
Added category\u00a0Software Company<\/span><\/div>\n
Removed category\u00a0Big Brother HQ<\/span><\/div>\n
Removed category\u00a0Fights Zombies and Mutants<\/span><\/div>\n
Removed category\u00a0Going To Take Over The World<\/span><\/div>\n
Removed category\u00a0Hatchery\/Conditioning Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Removed category\u00a0I can’t believe this is editable<\/span><\/div>\n
Removed category\u00a0ISP (through toilets!?)<\/span><\/div>\n
Removed category\u00a0Shut up!!!<\/span><\/div>\n
Removed category\u00a0\u00a1Avi!<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0Chasity<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Changed name to\u00a0PP Toucher Corporation<\/span>from\u00a0Cyberdyne Corp.<\/span><\/div>\n
Added category\u00a0I can’t believe this is editable<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0Leon<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Nov 5, 2008<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Added category\u00a0Fights Zombies and Mutants<\/span><\/div>\n
Removed category\u00a0Fights Zombies<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0Joe<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Nov 4, 2008<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Added category\u00a0Shut up!!!<\/span><\/div>\n
Removed category\u00a0Software Company which alleges it never does evil<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0tiura<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Nov 3, 2008<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
Moved location 0.1\u00a0mi from\u00a0\"\"<\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0Micah<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Nov 2, 2008<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Changed name to\u00a0Cyberdyne Corp.<\/span>\u00a0fromNo youz can’t<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0I<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Changed name to\u00a0No youz can’t<\/span>\u00a0from\u00a0I Can Haz Cheezburger?<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0bob<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Changed name to\u00a0I Can Haz Cheezburger?<\/span>from\u00a0I Can Has Cheezburger?<\/span><\/div>\n
Added category\u00a0Going To Take Over The World<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0Queenie<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Changed name to\u00a0I Can Has Cheezburger?<\/span>from\u00a0testing<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0Pete<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Added category\u00a0Hatchery\/Conditioning Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0bsjskier<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Changed name to\u00a0testing<\/span>\u00a0from\u00a0Google Inc<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0Brian<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Added category\u00a0Big Brother HQ<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0D<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Added category\u00a0\u00a1Avi!<\/span><\/div>\n
Removed category\u00a0Avi Raz<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0bsjskier<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Added category\u00a0Avi Raz<\/span><\/div>\n
Added category\u00a0Fights Zombies<\/span><\/div>\n
Added category\u00a0ISP (through toilets!?)<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0bsjskier<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Nov 1, 2008<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Added category\u00a0Software Company which alleges it never does evil<\/span><\/div>\n
Removed category\u00a0Software Company<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0Mark Bernay<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
Moved location 34\u00a0ft from\u00a0\"\"<\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0Mark Bernay<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Oct 29, 2008<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Changed phone number to\u00a0(617) 575-1301<\/span>from\u00a0(617) 575-1300<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0mblumenthal<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
Moved location 63\u00a0ft from\u00a0\"\"<\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0mblumenthal<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
Moved location 78\u00a0ft from\u00a0\"\"<\/div>\n
Changed address to\u00a05 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA<\/span>\u00a0from\u00a05 Cambridge Ctr # 3-6 Cambridge, MA 02142<\/span><\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0mblumenthal<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
Moved location 48\u00a0ft from\u00a0\"\"<\/div>\n
Edited by\u00a0mblumenthal<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Google Inc<\/div>\n
5 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142<\/div>\n
Original<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u00ab Back<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The community edit hijackings started in the Payday Loan industries to create location confusion, moved onto theft in the floral industries, were highlighted with a bit of pranksterism with the Microsoft Escort example and subsequently moved into the consumer complaint arena. As Ben Allen noted in his blog: You Deserve a Rake Today at Ickdonalds. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":262,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-google-maps-google-local"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1448"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1469,"href":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1448\/revisions\/1469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}