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Google Maps to Rule Them All

I think that Google should be pushing Maps into social media harder because it currently controls the majority (the number I’ve seen recently is ~70%) of the online map market, but is getting undercut, mainly by Waze. For Thailand, outside of urban centers, Waze is complete trash (as are all other competitors except for dedicated GPS systems like Garmin). Plus, there are already 30 million Local Guides worldwide according to Google.

This is a step in the right direction: Google Maps tests a social networking feature with the ability to ‘follow’ Local Guides

Full disclaimer: I am an active Local Guide

If Google Maps would integrate the user-contributed traffic and police reports of Waze into an optional view of the current system, it would just be SO GOOD… Or how about attacking social media from a location-centric (specifically maps-centric) standpoint? And reinstating all the functions/data of Google Reader as well? Before Facebook and Insta cause the collapse of all non-soc media websites? kthxbai

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Why TripAdvisor Sucks.

Holy shit, no wonder Northeast Thailand is so misunderstood:

The closest the Mekong River comes to Maha Sarakham province is around 170 kilometers away, in Mukdahan. One of the tributaries of the Mekong, the Chi River, does flow right through Maha Sarakham province and city, so it is connected, but if you want to use that logic, I nominate the Adriatic Sea as a wonderful Thing to Do in Maha Sarakham Province.

Also, the Mekong probably shouldn’t be grouped into Nature & Parks anymore since the water is barely flowing at times and most of the wildlife is dead and gone. The most accurate description for the foreseeable future is, “Heavily Exploited Power Source Where Giant Catfish Once Lived.”

I clicked the green See 1 Experience button shown in the lower right corner of the graphic above (the actual page is here). It took me to a page called OVERVIEW MEKONG DELTA (My Tho – Ben Tre)… Both of those places are in Vietnam for fuck’s sake! Not sure if Trip Advisor is aware if these two countries are not same same or if they are aware and it’s all just keyword games (because the word “Thailand” is in the link for a page having nothing to do with Thailand), but either way, it’s fucking despicable… Shitty travel sites should at least be responsible for lightly educating the shitheel tourists and backpackers they foist on the locals, yo.

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Khon Kaen, two months ago

It takes me so long to put things up on this blog these days. There’s posts I’ve been wanting to publish for more than a decade lol. Anyways, since another trip to Khon Kaen is coming up either tomorrow or this weekend, I wanted to put up some more photos of another back in August.

Artemis Archery, Khon Kaen
Mina getting lessons from the Thai Robin Hood
My favorite passenger seat pursuit is snapping photos all the way until we arrive.
Found a curry resto in Khon Kaen!
Oh lassi!
At KK airport dropping someone off, I think.