Closed, Says Google, but Shops' Signs Say Open By DAVID SEGAL The New York Times September 5, 2011
In mid-August, Jason Rule learned some surprising news about the coffee shop that he owns and operates in Hays, Kan.: the place had closed for good. Not in the real world, where it is thriving. Coffee Rules Lounge was listed for a few days as "permanently closed" on Google Maps. During that time, anyone searching for a latte on a smartphone, for instance, would have assumed the store was a goner. "We're not far from Interstate 70," said Mr. Rule, "and I have no doubt that a lot of people running up and down that highway just skipped us." In recent months, plenty of perfectly healthy businesses across the country have expired - sometimes for hours, other times for weeks - though only in the online realm cataloged and curated by Google. The reason is that it is surprisingly easy to report a business as closed in Google Places, the search giant's version of the local Yellow Pages. ... http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/technology/closed-in-error-on-google-places-merchants-seek-fixes.html _______________________________________________ Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
