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GBO Forum Topic 579194: Feedback on new Google gas price maps (Temporary Archive)[edit | edit source]

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Version: 20141001 6:51 PM PDT --CampKohler
Backup: 20141001 --CampKohler


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Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,307 Points:540,225 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Sep 19, 2014 8:44:53 PM

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scoutmaster - since lowiowagas mentioned that "the 'heat map' is now back if you zoom out enough on the gas price map", it seems reasonable to assume that the problem he was reporting was with the new "Map Gas Prices" map, not with the new heat map.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,505 Points:2,165,725 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Sep 19, 2014 8:38:44 PM

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Profile Pic lowiowagas All-Star Author Iowa

Posts:511 Points:263,530 Joined:Mar 2008 Message Posted: Sep 19, 2014 6:09:50 AM

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Ohh.. so you DO admit that there is a problem with the new map scoutmaster.. Nuff said!



lowiowagas All-Star Author Iowa

Posts:510 Points:263,410 Joined:Mar 2008 Message Posted: Sep 18, 2014 4:45:05 AM

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Seems like we can now get back on track on bringing up actual problems with the new Gas Price Maps...

New Issue: I updated a Mid-Grade station's price from the 'main page' price list. It correctly updates on the main page price list, but the map is stubborn by showing a price 17+ Hours old and not showing the 'newer' updated price (the actual price value did change from the original value).

Looking on the GasBuddy Tracker for known issues and problems for the new maps, this is indeed a NEW ISSUE that need to be added to the tracker. CampKohler, can you add this to the list?

It is a significant 'bug' that ranks up there with not being able to update prices on the map, not showing exact posting times, missing the price reporter's nickname in the balloon, etc...

On the plus side, I did notice a "km scale" on the map. This does not help much however because US distances more commonly use Miles. And the 'heat map' is now back if you zoom out enough on the gas price map (also not on the tracker, but discussed for quite some time in this forum).

Sure would be nice to see a MOD actually say they are reading these posts on "their own" website forums, and that they are working on fixing the maps. This is post 373 with no Moderator acknowledgement!!!

[Edited by: lowiowagas at 9/18/2014 7:45:35 AM EST]



Profile Pic TimLee Champion Author Chattanooga

Posts:13,751 Points:2,590,140 Joined:Jul 2006 Message Posted: Aug 31, 2014 3:05:14 AM

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Thanks to all for info on App Maps "Follow Me" menu selection. As seems to be the case in the App world there is zero documentation, zero help, no FAQ. The implementation varies between the App versions. On some it is a selection on title bar, on iPhone it is a symbol, but on Note 3 there is no indication, you have to tap the menu button. Many Apps are great, but the lack of documentation on 99% of them is mind dumbing stupid.

Back on OPs topic, that is what is so bad about the Web page maps change. Total lack of any communication or documentation about the changes. Everything seems to be going down the Alice In Wonderland approach of the App world!!!



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,936 Points:1,688,090 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 29, 2014 10:46:31 PM

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jrsva, that must be the (former?) address I was thinking of. I always get Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center mixed up. They are near each other and I've not spent any time in either one.

At first I was thinking that the founders had moved to the Bandana Square office, but now I'm thinking it could be different programers Opis has hired. Do we know if the founders are still working for GB? Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,490 Points:2,161,050 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 29, 2014 9:38:18 PM

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Hmmmm, the address that I have for GB is 7964 Brooklyn Blvd #318, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445 612-875-2766 That predates the buyout by OPIS so I don’t know if that address is in use anymore.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,823 Points:1,654,710 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 29, 2014 2:37:07 AM

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jrsva, that is an idea. I don't know where it is, but think sometime in the past I read something about a suburb that is not near me. However, just a couple of days ago I saw something, might have been in the price increase alert email, that had an address for GB that was not in MN. It might have been VA. I assumed it is where the new owners are located, but don't really know.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,381 Points:2,116,250 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 28, 2014 9:51:08 PM

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I cannot say it ain’t so, Scrap, but one of the Mods told me that no money changed hands for GBD participation. Possibly he was talking about the basic level but did not say so. I dunno. GB probably thinks they get more prices posted and more accurate prices, though the latter is definitely not true.

Goldie, you’re right there in Twin Cities, march in to GBHQ sometime and talk to those folks face to face. I would love to have a report on what the HQ is like.



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,058 Points:2,856,960 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 28, 2014 8:19:02 AM

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Some years ago a moderator explained that there were different levels of GasBuddy Direct. The lowest level was free but the higher levels that involved their logos on the maps, advertizements on the price boards and their prices being listed before other stations prices (other stations that had newer time stamps) involved payment to GasBuddy.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,823 Points:1,654,710 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 28, 2014 4:24:36 AM

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Well, I guess I was misinformed. But the price postings of GB Direct is another reason I liked looking at who posted. Some of them in our area were the ones we considered unreliable. For example, it was determined that some of the SAs in the GB Direct program were posting the price that included a 3¢ discount that they give for using their rewards card. It's not the actual price.

What does the website get in exchange for letting them have those big flags that often cover up their competitors who are very close by?



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,553 Points:1,973,730 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 27, 2014 10:54:05 PM

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jrsva: Excellent idea! Thanks.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,381 Points:2,116,250 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 27, 2014 10:11:42 PM

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“Rich, here in Twin Cities the stations with icons are the ones who paid to have them displayed”

Not really. The station icons on the web-site maps and search lists are for stations in the GB Direct program. This is a program that allows company management to submit prices for their stations directly rather than being “spotted” by members. No money changes hands in this program but it does give the site an aura of favoritism due to the preferential treatment of some stations — logos, top-of-list positioning, ads for other products. This ill-conceived program seriously erodes GB’s reputation for unbiased price reporting. The appearance of impropriety is damaging even if there is no actual impropriety.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,381 Points:2,116,250 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 27, 2014 9:57:30 PM

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CK, if you want to archive all of the relevant comments, all the way back to the OP on 17 July, you can Ignore several members, which will allow the older posts to be visible. Then, if you want to see what one of those Ignored said, take him off Ignore and put someone else on. With a little bit of Ignore/Unignore you can read this thread all the way back to Day One.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,553 Points:1,973,730 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 27, 2014 11:30:11 AM

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Rich, you are right. I should have been quoting Movrshakr. Sorry.

As I mentioned earlier to LM, this topic has more than 4 pages of replies, so the oldest ones have dribbled out of of our view (but LM didn't think starting a second topic to preserve all replies in the first was the thing to do). As this topic contains the highest degree of contemporary wisdom, today as an experiment, I started saving the replies from July 28th to a Notepad file. I don't know if these will ever be useful or what could be done with them, but Bob's your uncle.



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 27, 2014 11:20:20 AM

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CK, Your last post is a bit confusing. You seem to have misquoted me. I have not been participating in the ignore tangent.

With regard to Follow Me, I think what you have said was exactly my point. When searching for gas to buy, this feature is useful in determining if the lowest price gas along the route is close enough to be worth detouring to.

Uses of the app map might be another topic all together.

RG [Edited by: RichWLIN at 8/27/2014 2:21:05 PM EST]



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,553 Points:1,973,730 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 27, 2014 11:05:15 AM

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Rich: >> "...will not see my posts." And, to be complete, it must be said, nor will you see any topic that you started INCLUDING ANY REPLIES BY OTHERS WITHIN. So one must keep in mind that the Ignore option can theoretically have a wide-ranging effect depending on the writing habits of the "Ignoree."

I tried out the Follow Me feature on the iPhone (activated by clicking a very non-GBO-looking stylistic arrow in the lower right hand corner of the map). It worked OK, accurately following me on a two-block walk to snag a nearby set of stations. This feature may be easier —and use less cellular usage—to use than the lists, because when you are zoomed in close enough, there are no stations visible EXCEPT desirable station that you would want to report (vs. the lists, which may contain stations miles off your route and requires constant refreshes to keep desirable stations on screen).



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,890,275 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 27, 2014 10:29:50 AM

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. The "links" I refer to are at the top right OF EACH POST (as I said). Look at the top right of EVERY post...It reads "Ignore (name), Report Abuse."

It is the first of those that I was suggesting would solve some of the problems here. If you think what I write is crazy and distracting, find one of my posts and click the control. After that, you will not see my posts.

[Edited by: movrshakr at 8/27/2014 1:31:16 PM EST]



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 27, 2014 4:05:58 AM

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"Please clarify, what is "follow me feature"?"

After switching from the station list to the map mode in the current version of the app, there is a menu selection (upper right corner of the title bar) with the single option to turn on the "follow me" feature.

When activted, your position is tracked on the map along the route you are traveling. This is similar to a GPS application but with gas station brands and locations identified on the screen.

I find this useful when in need of fuel while traveling in an unfamiliar area.

RG



Profile Pic TimLee Champion Author Chattanooga

Posts:13,639 Points:2,545,115 Joined:Jul 2006 Message Posted: Aug 27, 2014 3:01:46 AM

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Please clarify, what is "follow me feature"?



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,188 Points:491,050 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 26, 2014 8:05:32 PM

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> You are referring to the "Post a Reply"!

No, since movrshakr wrote, "at the top right of *each post*" (emphasis mine) and the "Post a Reply" link only appears twice on the page, that's clearly not it.



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 26, 2014 2:12:35 PM

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I like the brand logotypes on the maps in the new app. I understand that this is a personal preference and not all that important in the scheme of things, but the app developers seem to have their act together. The intermittent brand displays here on the full web site seems haphazard. IMO there is something to be said for homogeneous design between the full site and app whenever possible.

I don't really use the map feature all that much, except for a quick visual to see how far out of the way a station with the lowest price along my route is. I have almost never entered prices with it, again with the exception of zeroing bogus prices on the full site (while we still could). I'd sure like to see this capability come back; however, it is probably less necessary now than it once was.

Since the Android app upgrade, I find the "follow me" feature of the map useful at times.

Hopefully, the web site development team is working to restore some of the more desirable features folks are requesting.

RG [Edited by: RichWLIN at 8/26/2014 5:14:36 PM EST]



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,553 Points:1,973,730 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 26, 2014 1:39:10 PM

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Rich: >> ...on the full web site...only part of the stations appear with their icon, and sometimes only part of a certain icon type."

I think the reason for this is simply that the apps and the full site are differently designed. What I observe in Sacramento is that, on the iPhone app, every station on the map has an icon (either proprietary or generic), but on the full site NO site has an icon, even in the balloons and on the detail pages, EXCEPT for partnered stations (which are very few). I don't know why the difference between the designs; maybe one was already locked in by contracts when the other was done, etc.

My feelings about logos: On app map: Not very useful, because they are so small and location is sufficient. Some logos, e.g. Safeway, really stand out, but the others are so visually bla that they might as well not be there. On app lists: Very useful to pick out a nearby station from the rest. On full site map: Might be a useful option at the initial scale, because streets are not easily identifiable without zooming. On full site FSL: Not very useful over the Station Names. I made my FSL, so I ought to know which stations are where.

One question that comes to mind is why not put some part (two or three letters?) of the Station Name on the station markers of the full-site map, so at the initial zoom, you could pick out the brands? As it stands, except for the partnered stations, every station has the identical appearance of every other. Well, that gets the mind riffling back through all the map suggestions we have had submitted over the years, which would get us too far afield from the OP.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,890,275 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 26, 2014 8:08:56 AM

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, I repeat... the control (link) in the upper right of each post will solve this problem for you.



Profile Pic TxJeans Champion Author Tampa

Posts:7,001 Points:737,135 Joined:May 2004 Message Posted: Aug 26, 2014 3:58:57 AM

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Jrsva: <<<I’m in exactly the same position as Bugc except to say that the new maps themselves are great, being up to date and offering satellite view, but the features available to users of the maps are sorely lacking. As far as I know there have not been any recent changes. We are still hoping that a moderator will join the discussion and tell us how to bookmark a map view that will preserve the zoom level and time limit, as we could do with the old setup.

The zoom/time thing is an annoyance but the main reason I rarely use MGP for price entry is that Escape no longer works to re-enter prices. It is no big deal for a couple of prices but it gets time consuming and frustrating to re-enter a whole list.>>>

I have been fortunate that since the change I have not been traveling or driving much, so my FSL are working for me. but I agree about the "escape" not working. I also would like when you click on map for a station that you can see the other near by stations. Yesterday I was looking to find a particular brand of station since I have the discount cards to use.

With the APP, I didn't quickly see how to filter for just that one brand. With the full site, I was able to find the group of stations, and there was one station that had MUCH higher prices than all the other of that brand. So much so, that my immediate thought was - what are the other stations in the neighborhood doing. I clicked on the map pin and could only see the location on Google Map of that one station. I didn't take time to play with zooming, or anything else as I was in a hurry.

The other annoyance was to add that station to my FSL, but since it brought up the station page and not the gasbuddy station page I could not.

Off to look to see what the prices did overnight and if this one chain is going to do a Speedway ;-).

goldiolds:<<<But you know what, we shouldn't have to explain to you every little detail of why something is working or not working for us, and then repeat it again and again, just because it is not the way you do things. Our concerns and reasons are valid on their merits.>>

It has become more and more of a pattern since I started reading these forums. Just go through thread after thread and you see the same pattern.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,823 Points:1,654,710 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 25, 2014 6:47:06 PM

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Scout, either you're not reading carefully or I"m not making myself clear. Maybe both.

If I go to post a price and I don't see that I already did it, the second time will be the *same* price from the *same* time, not any fresher. And if I'm posting it thinking it's the one I haven't yet posted, then that one might not get posted at all.

As I said, when I'm looking at the prices, sometimes it is to decide where to go to get gas for myself. I use the maps for that, because I'm looking over an area that spans several municipalities and I'd have to do each town separately and it just doesn't work for me to do it that way. Additionally, I need to see them spatially, to see where they are, distance, which is not always as the crow flies, but depends on which roads are involved, etc.

"If you are posting a new price for this station, who cares? You will be over writing the bad price anyway."

Many of us care about the integrity of the prices that are posted. Not just one or two mistakes, but if someone is consistently just guessing.

And as I also said previously, it has enabled me in the past to see that a couple of different people were not posting accurately. I didn't always have a new price to post to watch them and the patterns. I wouldn't normally report them just based on that, but it helped me to see if it looked like a pattern instead of just an honest mistake the times when I actually saw the prices.

Another time I saw someone had posted a bunch of unreasonable prices at unreasonable times and I did report that. I didn't have prices to post for all those stations. The mods appreciated knowing about it and took care of it.

But you know what, we shouldn't have to explain to you every little detail of why something is working or not working for us, and then repeat it again and again, just because it is not the way you do things. Our concerns and reasons are valid on their merits.



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 25, 2014 5:43:08 PM

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The app has an icon for every station. Some are just generic pumps while others have the company logotype. Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,823 Points:1,654,710 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 25, 2014 12:15:42 PM

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Rich, here in Twin Cities the stations with icons are the ones who paid to have them displayed -- on the website. I know nothing about the apps. At least that is how it WAS. Now, who knows?



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,823 Points:1,654,710 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 25, 2014 12:12:35 PM

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Scout, I don't have a cell phone, so no, I don't use the apps.

There are several reasons why I like to see who posted last. Most importantly to see if it was ME. If I have more than a couple stations, sometimes I forget which ones I've already posted. If I go to post and see I've already done it, then I don't do it again. Another reason is that some posters are known to be unreliable.

So whether to know if I should give credence to that price (if I'm looking to decide where to buy gas) or to catch people who are posting wrong prices, it makes a difference. I've explained all this before.



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 25, 2014 7:43:04 AM

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Another thing that still seems odd to me about the new maps here on the full web site is that only part of the stations appear with their icon, and sometimes only part of a certain icon type. Currently, I can see Marathon station icons in some nearby towns, but this isn't uniform and not all Marathon stations are displayed with the icon.

In fact, very few station icons are displayed here on the full web site, while in the app most major brand stations are displaying their respective icons in the very same areas?

If the station icons can be displayed accurately in the app, why not on the full web site?

RG [Edited by: RichWLIN at 8/25/2014 10:44:19 AM EST]



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,823 Points:1,654,710 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 25, 2014 7:14:05 AM

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Because we can't easily see who posted last, I think sometimes I'm accidentally reposting a price I'd already entered myself. It's too many steps to look for who posted last, and then go back to start all over with the maps.

Last night I went somewhere that is a very occasional thing for me. Two of the stations I passed were just a few doors down from each other and neither had been updated recently enough to show up on the default map, so I clicked "show all", went through the tedious steps of posting one station, then had to start all over again to post the second station, including having to go to "show all" again. Of course, it's not just a matter of clicking, it's having to wait for it to reload that is the bigger issue.

Previously it would have been a simple matter to go from one to the other.

It's the same situation for me, I'm posting fewer stations now. [Edited by: goldieolds at 8/25/2014 10:15:05 AM EST]



Profile Pic bugc Champion Author Boston

Posts:17,484 Points:3,498,575 Joined:Mar 2004 Message Posted: Aug 25, 2014 6:36:14 AM

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Yes, the escape to update was a great advantage, since prices seldom change. Beside not being able to use the escape, you don't have a view of the before prices, so updating is prone to typos and mistakes. I now use my faves to update, since I can see the price reference.

OK, that's a convenience and preference issue, but it has cut down the number of prices I post, since the process is much more of a hassle.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,381 Points:2,116,250 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 24, 2014 9:16:27 PM

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Bugc, “I used to be a big fan of the old maps but have not been using the new ones. Have there been any recent changes or fixes?”

I’m in exactly the same position as Bugc except to say that the new maps themselves are great, being up to date and offering satellite view, but the features available to users of the maps are sorely lacking. As far as I know there have not been any recent changes. We are still hoping that a moderator will join the discussion and tell us how to bookmark a map view that will preserve the zoom level and time limit, as we could do with the old setup.

The zoom/time thing is an annoyance but the main reason I rarely use MGP for price entry is that Escape no longer works to re-enter prices. It is no big deal for a couple of prices but it gets time consuming and frustrating to re-enter a whole list.


Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,188 Points:491,050 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 24, 2014 7:55:20 PM

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RichWLIN - sorry, I wasn't suggesting that the initial detective-work to determine how GB selected the default location was off-topic.

I do think the discussion of the accuracy of various "IP locator sites" is going a bit far afield.



Profile Pic TxJeans Champion Author Tampa

Posts:7,001 Points:737,135 Joined:May 2004 Message Posted: Aug 24, 2014 7:37:59 AM

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Rich, I believe that LarryMarg was referring to the usual argumentative discourse fostered by a particular poster...one that cannot disagree in an agreeable manner but turns everything to a negative discussion that keeps the discussion from moving forward in a positive discussion of fact finding.

Of course, if the MODS would chime in on the entire map discussion, this could be put to bed. [Edited by: TxJeans at 8/24/2014 10:40:40 AM EST]



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 24, 2014 7:29:06 AM

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LarryMarg says:

"Unless GasBuddy is your ISP, perhaps you folks should start a new topic under "Off Topic" and continue the discussion there?"

WTF? The title of the topic that you started is: "Feedback on new Google gas price maps"

Some of us noticed that the gas price map defaults to a location a great distance from where we live and or work. Because this apparently isn't uniform for all members, trying to sort this out was a relevant tangent to a somewhat broad topic title.

For some, the default map condition seemed ambiguous and certainly no different than if "...GasBuddy is your ISP..." since the MGP would still be defaulting to a location other than the areas where we log in. It is the discontinuity of the default area among members that has been being discussed as "Feedback on new Google price maps".

I can understand why you don't want to talk about this any more, but this line of thought does not belong in "Off Topic"; some of us were actually trying to clarify, not muddle, how the default MGP map is being generated.

RG



Profile Pic bugc Champion Author Boston

Posts:17,484 Points:3,498,575 Joined:Mar 2004 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 9:10:25 PM

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So back to discussing gas price maps.....

I used to be a big fan of the old maps but have not been using the new ones. Have there been any recent changes or fixes?



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,188 Points:491,050 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 7:59:38 PM

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Unless GasBuddy is your ISP, perhaps you folks should start a new topic under "Off Topic" and continue the discussion there?



Profile Pic Byte_Doctor Champion Author Akron

Posts:6,324 Points:1,220,690 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 7:15:52 PM

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Sorry, I thought from his recent behavior it might be different this time. They say that a tiger can't change it's stripes, seems that applies to him as well.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,890,275 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 5:47:38 PM

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. There are two commands/controls at the top right of each post. The left-most one will solve this problem for you.



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 1:53:25 PM

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Once again, the desired effect is obviously to turn the immediate topic away from rational thought and discussion by introducing information that is not pertinent to the subject, and purposely beclouding any facts provided by others with nonsensical half-truths.



Profile Pic Byte_Doctor Champion Author Akron

Posts:6,324 Points:1,220,690 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 1:14:03 PM

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"And if I use whois.arin.net it tells me the ISP for my current location is in New Jersey! I'm in Maryland right now. "

Which is completely irrelevant of course.



Profile Pic Byte_Doctor Champion Author Akron

Posts:6,324 Points:1,220,690 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 1:13:28 PM

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"Plug in your IP and you will see! "

I have, and it identifies my location as being in a city 25 miles away - which just happens to be one of my ISP's co-location server locations.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,890,275 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 12:30:11 PM

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. The IP locator sites will locate the IP to an AREA, and then put the marker generally in the geographic center of that area.

If that happens to land on top of your house, it is pure coincidence.

And the area, as discussed before, is the area from which the IP group is served. That MAY be near you, or it may not. It is conceivable (I do not know) that databases know that IP addresses served out of Mayfield, in the range of X to Z, are always assigned to customers in Junefield--and put the marker for such an address (like Y) in the center of Junefield rather than the center of Mayfield. [Edited by: movrshakr at 8/23/2014 3:35:44 PM EST]



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,553 Points:1,973,730 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 11:34:10 AM

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Be that as it may (and I am sure that it is), nevertheless and moreover, has anyone come up with a way to feed the zoom level and Time Limit to the map? [Edited by: CampKohler at 8/23/2014 2:36:51 PM EST]



Profile Pic Byte_Doctor Champion Author Akron

Posts:6,324 Points:1,220,690 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 11:00:26 AM

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"Very relevant. I doubt the server is across the street from my current location which is where whatismyip.com said it was. "

Considering whatismyip.com gives city/state/country location data, I'm not sure what you could be referring to that would give that level of geographical accuracy.

Given that whatismyip.com gives city-level accuracy, the possibility that your ISP's server as reported by whatismyip.comis in the same city as yours is very good (though in my case, it even gets that wrong - it reports a city that is 25 miles away).



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 6:52:17 AM

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Here we go again. Once the scoutmaster makes a contention, there is no indignity he won't suffer to argue it to the ground even in the face of clear evidence that he is wrong.

Because the scoutmaster lives in a metropolitan area, it is likely that the ISP server that is allocating his IP address may indeed be located in the same city as his residence. This does not mean that the same is true everywhere.

Rather than just accepting the results others have provided and comparing them with his own in an effort to come to a better understanding, he seeks out any opportunity to be obnoxiously contrary and is hell-bent on a narrow minded argument based solely on, and in defense of, his very limited understanding of the discussion.

RG



Profile Pic Byte_Doctor Champion Author Akron

Posts:6,324 Points:1,220,690 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 6:42:23 AM

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"My IP is where I am, not the servers. "

Irrelevant. The IP is in a block of addresses that a particular server hands out to clients. It is that server whose location is known and given out by services like whatismyip.com, not your computer/device.



Profile Pic Byte_Doctor Champion Author Akron

Posts:6,324 Points:1,220,690 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 6:14:32 AM

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Sorry scoutmaster, but you are wrong. It won't / can't give your location, but rather at best it will give the location of the ISP's server that you are connecting to (which, depending on the size and infrastructure of the ISP, may or may not be the "location" of the ISP). In many cases, the ISP doesn't even know your physical location, only your billing address.



Profile Pic bugc Champion Author Boston

Posts:17,484 Points:3,498,575 Joined:Mar 2004 Message Posted: Aug 23, 2014 5:35:00 AM

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I miss the old data entry method. I'd love to have it back.


Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,381 Points:2,116,250 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 22, 2014 9:51:25 PM

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Movr, I feel sure that everyone here knows how to bookmark MGP so it opens on the desired location. The fascination is with the weird way that GB handles this and with working out the details of how it is done. Having figured it out, we should not have to talk about it anymore unless someone still does not get it.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,381 Points:2,116,250 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 22, 2014 9:42:29 PM

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"You should know who your ISP is without doing this. And this doesn't tell you the location of your ISP only you."

Rich is correct in his description of how IP addresses work. True, most folks probably know who their ISP is but many probably do not know where its servers are located. That is what one finds out from whatismyip.com; the location given is for the servers that handle your IP address, not the location of your personal computer, as the tests that Rich and I have run make abundantly clear.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,890,275 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 22, 2014 6:41:04 AM

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. I don't see the fascination with this issue--that the maps don't center in the right place for some people.

Since lat/long is still honored in a url, just save one in a bookmark that opens where you want it.

format is

http://www.gasbuddy.com/map_gas_prices.aspx?z=8&lat=28.183990&long=-80.633484

using your .com site and your coordinates of course.

Of course, the zoom level and time limit are not set--but they aren't when you open from the MGP link either. [Edited by: movrshakr at 8/22/2014 9:42:19 AM EST]



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,058 Points:2,856,960 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 22, 2014 6:27:22 AM

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I can't access the IP site from work. I work for the DOD and the DOD has blocked that site.



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 22, 2014 5:41:33 AM

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Scrapheap,

Is the ISP info you provided generated from a personal or work IP address? I'm assuming that you use both; many people do. I'm just wondering if anyone else has tested multiple accounts as I have, and if so, what their results were?

I also tested the MGP from my Droid phone using a Verizon 4G connection resulting in an entirely different location in the far SW part of the state. You can try this simply by disabling WiFi and visiting the full web site with a browser while connected to Verizon via 4G.

RG [Edited by: RichWLIN at 8/22/2014 8:42:09 AM EST]



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 22, 2014 5:16:50 AM

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Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but it is my understanding that the public IP address is assigned by the ISP using a server or bank of servers that has defined range of IP addresses. The physical location given by whatismyip.com is most often the location of said servers. Large ISP companies may have many such banks of servers in different areas of the country, with as many different IP range allocations, enabling them to provide Internet services over broad areas.

Querying the discovered public IP address using a whois.com lookup, in my case, returns the New Jersey billing address or corporate division headquarters provided by the company.

At least in my case, the public IP address for my Comcast business account has been identified as originating from a suburb of Chicago, Illinois and this is where my MGP map defaults even though it is some 275 miles from here.

My residential Comcast account (only 1/2 mile from the business location) is assigned a different public IP address with the location identified as Bloomington, Indiana and this is the area where my home computer MGP defaults even though it too is some distance from my location.

This leads me to believe that the default MGP area is created with its center near the ISP server where my public IP addresses originate. This may not be true in all cases, but these are my observations from southern Indiana.

RG


Profile Pic Byte_Doctor Champion Author Akron

Posts:6,324 Points:1,220,690 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:12:30 AM

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"That link is for your IP, not your ISP. " True, however the IP belongs to your ISP and thus the link can be used to determine your ISP and in fact includes your ISP in the information it provides.


Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 22, 2014 5:16:50 AM

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Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but it is my understanding that the public IP address is assigned by the ISP using a server or bank of servers that has defined range of IP addresses. The physical location given by whatismyip.com is most often the location of said servers. Large ISP companies may have many such banks of servers in different areas of the country, with as many different IP range allocations, enabling them to provide Internet services over broad areas.

Querying the discovered public IP address using a whois.com lookup, in my case, returns the New Jersey billing address or corporate division headquarters provided by the company.

At least in my case, the public IP address for my Comcast business account has been identified as originating from a suburb of Chicago, Illinois and this is where my MGP map defaults even though it is some 275 miles from here.

My residential Comcast account (only 1/2 mile from the business location) is assigned a different public IP address with the location identified as Bloomington, Indiana and this is the area where my home computer MGP defaults even though it too is some distance from my location.

This leads me to believe that the default MGP area is created with its center near the ISP server where my public IP addresses originate. This may not be true in all cases, but these are my observations from southern Indiana.

RG



Profile Pic Byte_Doctor Champion Author Akron

Posts:6,324 Points:1,220,690 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:12:30 AM

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"That link is for your IP, not your ISP. " True, however the IP belongs to your ISP and thus the link can be used to determine your ISP and in fact includes your ISP in the information it provides.



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,058 Points:2,856,960 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:02:09 AM

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Proxy: No Proxy Detected City: washington State/Region: district of columbia Country: us - us flag ISP: verizon online llc Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,381 Points:2,116,250 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 21, 2014 10:38:59 PM

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Under the old MGP system the map always opened focused on Asheboro, NC. I asked the Mods about this in a PM, "Another problem with the map is that it has a default location of Asheboro, NC, which pops up every time I open the map. I have never been to Asheboro and have never searched for gas prices in that area. How did it come to be my default location and how can I change it to something useful?”

We had a back-and-forth on this but they never had an explanation or a fix for it. It had nothing to do with my ISP location. I solved the problem by bookmarking the MGP locations that I used frequently so I no longer had to use the MGP link in the main menu. Those bookmarks still work to get to the desired location but the zoom and time settings are ignored, as noted in the OP.


Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,381 Points:2,116,250 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 21, 2014 10:21:11 PM

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Scrap, the following info from IP Lookup, more information most likely explains your odd result:

“The IP Address Lookup tool . . . is not 100% accurate due to many different factors. Some of those factors include where the owner of the IP has it registered, where the agency that controls the IP is located, proxies, cellular IPs, etc. If you are in the US and the controlling agency of the IP is located in Canada, chances are the IP address lookup results will show as Canada. Showing a Canadian IP while in the US is very common among Blackberry users on the Verizon network.”


Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 21, 2014 3:01:31 PM

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Home from work now and it's the same drill for the public IP address on the residential account:

Proxy: No Proxy Detected City: Bloomington State/Region: Indiana Country: US ISP: Comcast Cable Communications Holdings Inc

Both of ISP's servers are some distance from our locations.

RG



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 21, 2014 1:05:05 PM

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If you want to know what your public IP address is, you can simply visit http://www.whatismyip.com/

In my case, it returned the following data pertinent to this discussion:

Proxy: No Proxy Detected City: Mount Prospect State/Region: Illinois Country: US ISP: Comcast Cable Communications IP Services

Mount Prospect is a small village near Des Plaines, a suburb of Chicago, IL where my MGP when logged on here at work defaults to. I think this settles the question of how the default MGP is derived on some of the sites.

RG [Edited by: RichWLIN at 8/21/2014 4:08:07 PM EST]



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 21, 2014 9:22:05 AM

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I failed to mention in my last post that while my phone is connected to WiFi, either at home or at work, I get the same results as when making the tests with a PC at both locations.

Disabling WiFi and connecting to the Internet with a 4G connection resulted in an entirely different location, near Evansville, Indiana.

RG



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,139 Points:1,141,730 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 21, 2014 9:00:49 AM

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"Apparently my ISP, Verizon, is located in a park in Manitoba Canada."

That's interesting. I disabled WiFi on my Verizon smartphone, opened a browser, navigated to IndianaGasPrices.com and the MGP defaults to the Evansville, Indiana area about 130 miles from here in the SW part of the state.

Just a thought, but maybe you're on a proxy server that doesn't permit tracking or accurate location?

Anyone else here using Verizon as their ISP?

RG


Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 21, 2014 8:20:13 AM

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LarryMarg, yes thank you, I did that before they reinstated being able to back track to the maps. But that is more tedious to me than just going back, but why shouldn't it come back to the zoom level where it was previously?

I continue to wish that they would just go back to the way it was, which was, for my purposes, more efficient, quicker and easier. :-((

If this is just a temporary situation, can live w/ it. But if it is the new norm, it will decrease my use of this site for the direct purpose thatI [Edited by: goldieolds at 8/21/2014 11:27:45 AM EST]


Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,045 Points:2,854,050 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 21, 2014 8:18:05 AM

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Apparently my ISP, Verizon, is located in a park in Manitoba Canada. [Edited by: Scrapheap at 8/21/2014 11:18:26 AM EST]



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,124 Points:1,137,280 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 21, 2014 7:45:06 AM

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At my office on a Comcast Business class account, the following observations were made:

From the IndianaGasPrices.com site the default MGP is of the NW suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.

From the IndyGasPrices.com site the default MGP is of the Indianapolis metro area in central Indiana.

From the LexingtonGasPrices.com site the default MGP is of the greater Lexington, Kentucky area.

From the KentuckyGasPrices.com site the default MGP is once again of the NW suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.

My local Internet Service Provider for the residential account is apparently located in Bloomington, Indiana. The ISP location for the business account must be located near Des Plaines, a NW suburb of Chicago, Illinois.

In both instances, either from a residential or business account, the results I see indicate that when logged into full state sites the MGP's are defaulting to the location of the member's ISP; while, metro areas like Indianapolis and Lexington seem to default to the MGP of the respective area.

It should be noted that the metro area sites also have their own heat maps and the MGP areas may be tied together?

RG [Edited by: RichWLIN at 8/21/2014 10:46:53 AM EST]



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,124 Points:1,137,280 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 21, 2014 6:55:48 AM

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Ok, back at the house this morning so I'll report what I see from a residential (noncommercial) Comcast account.

From the IndianaGasPrices.com site the default MGP is of the nearby Bloomington, Indiana area in southern Indiana.

From the IndyGasPrices.com site the default MGP is of the Indianapolis metro area in central Indiana.

From the LexingtonGasPrices.com site the default MGP is of the greater Lexington, Kentucky area.

From the KentuckyGasPrices.com site the default MGP is once again the Bloomington, Indiana area in southern Indiana.

I'm heading into the office now and will report back shortly what MGP areas are returned by default while visiting these same GasBuddy sites but logged into a Comcast Business class account.

RG



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 21, 2014 6:48:22 AM

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goldieolds - As I mentioned below, you can right-click on "Report Prices" and select 'Open Link in New Tab" (or the equivalent for your browser) to work around the "going back / zoomed out too far to be useful" problem.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 21, 2014 2:40:05 AM

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When I'm logged into my home site, the metro area of Twin Cities (Minnesota) but go to the price maps in a different state (Hawai'i), they are opening up to my home site. But the times are local, so if it's midnight and I want to enter a price for say, 11 pm here, the choices only go as late as 7 pm, b/c Hawai'i is 5 hours behind us. It used to show the time at the site where I'm posting to, ie, Twin Cities local time.

When I enter a price from the maps, and then back up to the map to enter another, goes back to the default view which is zoomed out too far to be useful.

I was thinking, earlier, as I was entering, about a certain poster that had been posting incorrect prices, probably w/o actually seeing the station. It was fairly routine, as far as I could tell, since I didn't always pass those stations everyday. But I was following his price entering over time, and warned him a couple of times (before I knew we weren't supposed to do that) and got a suspicious response. I notified the mods and he stopped posting for those stations.

With this new set, up I'd not have figured that out. It's now way too tedious to see who is posting and keep track like that. Not worth the bother too me. Too bad. It'll degrade the site, if we can't do our best to keep it accurate.

There are other examples, too.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 20, 2014 9:50:03 PM

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Scout, maybe it matters whether your home site is a state site (like mine) or a metro site (like yours). Regardless, it is a crazy way to run a mapping program, to have different processes based on state v. metro home site.



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,124 Points:1,137,280 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 20, 2014 3:46:51 PM

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Jrsva, I'm working out of town today. Will try your suggestion tomorrow.

Thanks all.

RG



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,535 Points:1,971,240 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 20, 2014 11:18:12 AM

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LM: This topic has grown to the 4th page. Would it be wise to now start a "Feedback on new Google gas price maps II" topic for any continuation in order that nothing falls into the GBO bit bucket?

If you do start a new one, be sure to make a last post with a link to the new topic (start new topic first to get the URL), maybe using all caps for the instruction-following-challenged. And then monitor the old one in case someone posts anyways, in which case re-post your "last" post again.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 19, 2014 10:48:54 PM

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Scout, “I just went to the Atlanta site and the MGP map defaulted to Atlanta and the same thing happened in Baltimore and Akron. The only difference from what I posted before is I have logged into Atlanta, Baltimore and Akron before but not Indiana or Wyoming. I logged into both Indiana and Wyoming but was still taken to the Pittsburgh MGP map.”

This seems to be a bizarre behavior. It makes no sense for the map focus to depend on whether one has visited a site previously or not. It turns out that the key difference is whether one visits a state site or a metro site. That makes no sense either but remember, this is GasBuddy, so making sense is not a priority.

Akron, Atlanta and Baltimore are metro sites so MGP displays the metro map. Indiana and Wyoming are state sites so MGP displays the home site of the member.

To confirm this I visited Roanoke, Richmond, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Seattle, and several others. In each case MGP displayed that metro area’s map. I also visited West Virginia, Indiana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and several other state sites. In each case MGP displayed a map centered on the location of my ISP, which is about 8 miles from my physical location. (A web site can determine the ISP of a visitor but it can’t get the actual location of the visitor unless it queries that user to enter information.)

Rich, try a couple of state sites and a couple of metro sites from both home and work and see if you get the same result that I got. Next week I will be in a nearby city and will have an opportunity to see what happens from that location.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 19, 2014 10:04:04 PM

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“However, the resulting map just displays ‘No stations found,’ and no gas stations are listed.”

That is probably because you made the code changes to a local file, which is then unable to draw on the GB database of station info. If GB would allow users to add parameters to the URL, as we could with the old maps, some of the problems discussed here would be resolved.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 19, 2014 3:38:38 PM

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I did a little playing around, and discovered that if I save the Map_Gas_Prices.aspx as a local HTML file and change the parameters to gmap_init(), they do affect how the map appears. So, changing the 11 modifies the zoom level; changing 'A' to 'D' causes the Fuel Type to display Diesel, and changing '24' to '96' causes the Time Limit to be set to 96 hours.

gmap_init(false, 11, 40.748119000000, -73.986397000000, 'A', '24');

However, the resulting map just displays "No stations found", and no gas stations are listed.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 19, 2014 2:25:31 PM

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"I would think passing the URL parameters to the Google stuff would have to happen in the server by Map_Gas_Prices.aspx. "

But the lat long in a saved url is being honored ???



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,535 Points:1,971,240 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 19, 2014 1:46:49 PM

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movrshkr: I would think passing the URL parameters to the Google stuff would have to happen in the server by Map_Gas_Prices.aspx.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 19, 2014 11:29:14 AM

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When I am logged into my home site of Twin Cities and click on Map Gas Prices, it goes to the Twin Cities, only zoomed out too far to be useful. But it is the correct area. I can't remember what it did when I "time traveled" to Hawai'i. I think I had to put in my local MN zipcode.

Sorry, I don't understand most of the technical jargon, or programming.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 19, 2014 7:05:56 AM

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So this javascript is determining the "look" of the map...

<script> var __s7 = GasBuddy_ASPX.GoogleMapGasPrices;var __s8 = false; gmap_init(false, 11, 38.591650000000, -121.436691000000, 'A', '24') </script>

but having the lat/long in the url overrides the lat/long in the script. Where does THAT happen?

And since it is clear that "local numbers" can override what is in the script (that is: local numbers are being processed in lieu of the script numbers), can we figure a way to also inject our own zoom level and time limit (I'd like mine to show "All")?



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,124 Points:1,137,280 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 19, 2014 5:48:19 AM

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Ok, as far as I can tell the default map position must be related to the location of the ISP.

At work, we are using Comcast Business class and the MGP map defaults to the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. About a half mile away at home, we also use Comcast for internet service but the MGP map defaults to Bloomington, Indiana. This is apparently the location of the ISP for non-business consumers in my area of the state.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction and helping clarify this.

RG



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,124 Points:1,137,280 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 19, 2014 4:01:21 AM

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Thanks all. I will look into this further later today when I get back to the office.



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,045 Points:2,854,050 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 19, 2014 3:51:45 AM

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When I open the MGP, I see the entire North America. If I zoom in without moving the map, I zoom in on the Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba Canada.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 18, 2014 10:48:31 PM

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I found the same line of script as CK (with different lat/lon), line 761 of the source code. Regardless of which GB site I log into, the map appears centered on the same lat/lon, which is the location of my ISP. I code web sites in html but I’ve never learned javascript so I don’t have any idea how this thing works but it appears that it defaults to the location of a member’s ISP.

Rich, do you know where your ISP is located? If it happens to be Des Plaines, IL, that would confirm my suspicion.

You can override the lat/lon by adding it to the URL in the format Larry shows in his OP but the script ignores the zoom level, fuel type and time limit in the URL. [Edited by: jrsva at 8/19/2014 1:54:20 AM EST]



Profile Pic bimmergary Sophomore Author Virginia

Posts:127 Points:623,980 Joined:Mar 2009 Message Posted: Aug 18, 2014 10:06:00 PM

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Maybe your IP address?



Profile Pic bugc Champion Author Boston

Posts:17,473 Points:3,494,125 Joined:Mar 2004 Message Posted: Aug 18, 2014 9:13:03 PM

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I see similar results.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,535 Points:1,971,240 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 18, 2014 8:48:44 PM

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OK, I officially don't know how they do it. I cleared my cache and cookies and then went to Indianagasprices.com and there was the Sacramento map (and a Sacramento ad!). Same with another browser. So how do they know where I am?



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,535 Points:1,971,240 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 18, 2014 8:32:07 PM

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They have finally defaulted the map to something besides the whole U.S.

Excerpt from view source: var __s7 = GasBuddy_ASPX.GoogleMapGasPrices;var __s8 = false; gmap_init(false, 11, 38.591650000000, -121.436691000000, 'A', '24')

gmap_init is what sets the map up: Don't know what false is for. The 11 is the zoom level. The 38 & 121 are the lat and long. A is the Fuel Type (regular). 24 is the Time Limit hours.

Rich: Obviously they have to pick someplace in Indiana, so why not there? Obviously only a very few will be satisfied with the pick. Too bad they didn't load the script parameters from a user's stored config. Or they could provide a place menu that will have the lat & long for each place, the user selecting which one he wants. If the menu item was then made a URL parameter, the user could bookmark that.

Hey! I just noticed that I get the same coordinates no matter which site I visit; it's centered on Sacramento even when I look at the Indiana site. So does that mean I have a cookie set that it is using regardless of which site I visit? Maybe if you could get your hands on that, you could adjust it as you desire. Hmmm... [Edited by: CampKohler at 8/18/2014 11:36:27 PM EST]



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,124 Points:1,137,280 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 18, 2014 11:24:48 AM

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For some reason my Map Gas Prices view defaults to a NW suburb of Chicago even though I'm on the IndianaGasPrices.com web site?

The center of the map is near Des Plaines, Illinois. I am about 275 miles or so south of that location in southern Indiana.

Any ideas as to why? Surely this isn't the default for Indiana?

RG



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 15, 2014 9:42:39 PM

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Good work, Larry. I knew someone, somewhere, would have a screen shot of the old MGP. Case closed at last.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 15, 2014 10:41:08 AM

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scoutmaster - I found a screenshot of the old MGP in CK's PhotoBucket, and saved a copy in my album.

Note that the title contains "Map Gas Prices", not "Gas Price Heat Map"; the address bar contains "Map_Gas_Prices.aspx"; and the old-style gas price map clearly has the horizontal zoom and the "Copyright GasBuddy" in the lower left.

Cheers!



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 14, 2014 10:48:40 PM

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jrsva, sorry. Think I was half asleep.

I thought that the middle link you were talking could zoom down to a gas price map, like the old ones. I have that middle link now and see that it doesn't do that at all. So my question is not relevant.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 14, 2014 10:17:23 PM

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Goldie asked, “Jrsva, does take the price posts the old way?”

Sorry, I can’t decipher that question; I think something is missing. Please try again.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 14, 2014 8:36:20 PM

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scoutmaster - no, they weren't. CK, who posted the picture, confirmed that it was the MSL map, not the MGP map.

You've apparently forgotten what the MGP maps looked like. (They say that the memory is the second thing to go. Unfortunately, I can't remember what the first thing was... :-)

Let me refresh your memory a bit.

If you had followed the link that jrsva had posted, and read the How do we correct the map used for Map Gas Prices? topic, you'd note that the OP said "look at the MGP map (left) vs. Google map (right)".

You replied to that topic, but didn't claim that the map wasn't a MGP map.

jrsva also replied, writing "I would still like to understand why GB uses Google Maps for everything else on the site (MSL, locations for individual stations) but keeps the less detailed, less useful GB maps for Map Gas Prices."

In the Gas price maps in Ft. Collins and Colorado need to be updated topic, jrsva wrote "GB uses Google Maps in the MSL; why not use them for Map Gas Prices??" You replied, "Yeah updated maps are what is needed."

In the Mile Marker Numbers on Interstate Exits on Maps? topic, Byte_Doctor wrote, "One wonders why GB can't use Google Maps for the Gas Price Maps as well." And you apparently agreed that the MGP isn't Google maps, writing "That question has been bantered around a lot, Byte_Doctor. And there has never been a good reason as to why Google Maps isn't used for all maps on this site."

Now, can we put this distraction to rest, and get back to discussing problems with the new Google maps as compared with the older GasBuddy maps?



Profile Pic TxJeans Champion Author Tampa

Posts:6,988 Points:732,725 Joined:May 2004 Message Posted: Aug 14, 2014 8:35:05 PM

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CK - there was discussion in the past year, maybe 6 months or less...not the 2011



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 14, 2014 5:32:49 PM

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> You use to be able to zoom into the street level on the heat maps

I know that, scoutmaster. But I'm talking about the MGP maps, not the heat maps.

> and they were different than the MGP maps.

For you, perhaps, but for everyone else they were the GasBuddy maps, not the Google maps.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,535 Points:1,971,240 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 14, 2014 4:27:23 PM

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movrshakr: My post here of Jul 24th at 8:59 PM (Eastern time) also addresses the fact that he MGP map balloon is sometimes off the edge.

LM: That map was from the MSL from a site back east and marked up by me for some problem way back when.

Tx: From some blurb on Google maps in 2011: "Google Maps API now costs $4 per 1,000 requests. Devs will have to cough up. Apps and websites that use the Google Maps API will soon have to pay $4 per 1,000 visitors Google announced today. There is an allowance for small sites – the first 25,000 map-loads a day are free.

I suppose one could count the requests and simply cut off use of the map after 24,499 requests and display a msg: "Map use has been cut off for the remainder of the day; come back tomorrow." [Edited by: CampKohler at 8/14/2014 7:28:44 PM EST]



Profile Pic TxJeans Champion Author Tampa

Posts:6,988 Points:732,725 Joined:May 2004 Message Posted: Aug 14, 2014 2:30:27 PM

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Reposting.. --- scoutmaster may not see this post because we are on mutual ignore, though I am sure he knows how to get around that. So if someone else wants to repeat this for him, fine.

The maps that scoutmaster provided pictures of look like the Master Station List maps, not the gas price maps. In the last few months, I recall a discussion about this. Someone more experienced noted that the MSL maps were Google maps while the Map Gas Prices map was not. They said that there is a hefty price hike for using Google maps if those maps exceed a certain threshold of hits. He speculated that since the MSL maps aren't used much, they are unlikely to exceed that threshold while the Map Gas Prices map would almost certainly exceed that threshold.

--- I also recall the conversation about the cost of hits to Google maps and the MSL vs MGP maps.



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,045 Points:2,854,050 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 14, 2014 2:24:24 PM

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scoutmaster may not see this post because we are on mutual ignore, though I am sure he knows how to get around that. So if someone else wants to repeat this for him, fine.

The maps that scoutmaster provided pictures of look like the Master Station List maps, not the gas price maps. In the last few months, I recall a discussion about this. Someone more experienced noted that the MSL maps were Google maps while the Map Gas Prices map was not. They said that there is a hefty price hike for using Google maps if those maps exceed a certain threshold of hits. He speculated that since the MSL maps aren't used much, they are unlikely to exceed that threshold while the Map Gas Prices map would almost certainly exceed that threshold.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 14, 2014 11:12:56 AM

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scoutmaster wrote: > That's one is from CampKohler.

CK - Any comment on where this map came from?

scoutmaster - we're not talking about the heat maps, we're only talking about the MGP maps, which most of us saw with the same map data and zoom control as the heat maps, but which were MGP maps, accessed via "Map Gas Prices", not accessed via heat maps. [Edited by: LarryMarg at 8/14/2014 2:16:20 PM EST]



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 14, 2014 7:06:17 AM

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scoutmaster - where did you get that image? It's certainly a Google map, but I never saw a map like that from the GasBuddy site. I only saw maps that look like what you refer to as "the heat map". However, note that I never zoomed in from the heat maps to see the MPG map; I always used the "Map Gas Prices" link (or a bookmark saved from the "Link To Map" button on the MGP map).



Profile Pic lowiowagas All-Star Author Iowa

Posts:509 Points:262,590 Joined:Mar 2008 Message Posted: Aug 14, 2014 2:14:02 AM

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MODERATORS - are you waiting for 250 posts before you 'acknowledge' there is a problem with the new maps??? This is post 245, still no Moderator replies...

Checkout http://gb-tracking.wikispaces.com/ for a brief recap of the 24+ bugs found with the "new" Google based maps.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 14, 2014 12:41:06 AM

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jrsva, does take the price posts the old way?

Scout, posting to the maps now takes me a lot longer than 3 seconds more than before, for *each* station that I'm reporting.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 13, 2014 10:47:03 PM

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Very interesting post from Larry about 7 below here. From my home site (Virginia), when I hover the mouse over Maps on the main menu bar I see only two choices, Gas Price Heat Maps and Map Gas Prices. The first opens to the whole US, from which one can zoom in to any desired location. The second opens to my local area and can be zoomed in or out. These are exactly the same map except for the opening zoom level.

When I log in to newyorkgasprices.com I see exactly what Larry described. The middle button links to the old-style MGP map except that the zoom feature is nonfunctional here. After further exploration I found that the various metro sites in New York offer the three choices in the Maps menu but the state site offers only two, just like Virginia. Metro sites in Virginia also offer three options. Apparently this is a special feature for metro sites that is not available on state sites.

Scout, look at the middle link under Maps on your Pittsburgh site. If you actually look at it you will see what everyone here is talking about except that this one is frozen with the various features disabled. It even includes the button in upper left, Link To Map, which used to allow one to bookmark MGP for a specified lat/lon, zoom level and time limit. These old bookmarks now recognize the lat/lon but ignore the zoom and time functions.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 13, 2014 9:57:19 PM

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“Neither of those was a ‘Map Gas Price’ (MGP) map. The MGP maps didn't have that zoom bar on them. The Gas Buddy maps did. I still contend the MGP maps have always been Google maps.”

Sorry Scout, the map on the left is an old-style MGP map with the same zoom bar that it always had. Did you follow the other link and read the comments from a moderator, stating that the MGP maps were commissioned by GB from an independent source. They were not Google. Why don’t you give this a rest? You have said repeatedly that you rarely used the maps. Others here have used them extensively and know whereof they speak.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 13, 2014 9:16:10 AM

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. Just found yet another annoyance with the new maps to add to the hundreds already found...

When I click a station to open its balloon, the two buttons to report prices or get details are "off screen bottom" within the balloon and there is a scroll bar to get to them--as always with the new maps, more work to do the same thing we used to do with ease.

I admit that I use various adjustments to make things larger, because I have to to see them. Hence, I make no excuse for that. THAT may be causing it, but it did not throw the old map balloon into a tizzy. . Please, GasBuddy, either fix this mess or go back to the old maps. [Edited by: movrshakr at 8/13/2014 12:16:35 PM EST]



Profile Pic w1zly All-Star Author Tampa

Posts:889 Points:194,960 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 13, 2014 7:00:12 AM

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Go back to the old maps please



Profile Pic ModelWarships Champion Author Missouri

Posts:7,266 Points:1,562,955 Joined:Jul 2008 Message Posted: Aug 13, 2014 6:49:48 AM

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Is this ever going to be fixed? New maps suck so bad, that I am now the only one posting in my area.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 13, 2014 6:19:41 AM

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scoutmaster - that's the same zoom bar I always saw on my GasBuddy MGP maps until they changed over to the Google maps. Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 13, 2014 6:09:44 AM

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Interesting - if I put the cursor over "Maps" on the navigation bar, there are 3 choices below that: "Gas Price Heat Maps", "New York City Gas Price Heat Maps", and "Map Gas Prices".

The first selection now brings me to a map of the US which is a Google map (has the Google copyright and the vertical zoom bar). From this map I can zoom in until I see local prices.

The second selection brings me to the old GasBuddy-style map (GasBuddy copyright in the lower left, horizontal zoom bar with the words "Zoom out" and "Zoom in" on either side). From this map, I can't zoom in to see the gas price map. Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 13, 2014 1:48:33 AM

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The map now opens to the local area; no longer have to put in the zipcode to get to it. And I can also now arrow back to the map after putting in the prices; no need to open a separate tab. But it's slow. My experience with Google maps is that they've always been slow, so is that why? Or b/c they're still working on it?

I am having trouble with the zoom not doing what I ask it too. Also still don't like the new format for entering prices, all the additional steps and slowness.

I entered a comment for one of the stations I posted tonight, giving the price with a car wash, which is the price they display on their sign. I see no where the comments actually show up, though.

Still don't like the new format, way of entering prices on the maps, the slowness, etc.

Wouldn't it have been nice if they had bothered to tell us that some of the things we were up in arms about were only temporary? It would be nice now to know whether the things that are still aggravating are only temporary or are going to stay this way.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 12, 2014 10:17:28 PM

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I can assure everyone that the MGP base map was NOT a Google map until the update a couple of months ago. I’ve been bitching about that in these forums for several years. Since the matter keeps coming up, I did a little sleuthing and found this thread from January 2013, which includes a response from a Moderator that makes it clear that the maps used in MGP are not from Google. Further, this link points to a small section of a map from the old MGP. In the lower left corner it says, “Copyright 2006-2013 GasBuddy.” Nuff said.



Profile Pic MadFueler Champion Author Winston-Salem

Posts:3,512 Points:671,390 Joined:Sep 2012 Message Posted: Aug 12, 2014 9:26:59 PM

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I, too now find that I can zoom in from the heat map - and as an added plus, I can do so easily using a "reverse pinch" on my tablet. (Before, I had to use the zoom buttons and arrow keys - very awkward.) The state boundaries could be more distinct - and, of course, they still need to get the balloons to show only MSL-checked grades - but nevertheless, it's a vast improvement from my perspective.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 12, 2014 7:08:14 PM

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Gas_Buddy - maybe he was just trying to "bump" the topic, so that the moderators would notice it and post a status update?

> (Naive, aren't I?)

Ditto. :-)



Profile Pic bugc Champion Author Boston

Posts:17,473 Points:3,494,125 Joined:Mar 2004 Message Posted: Aug 12, 2014 4:55:55 PM

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Checking tsparky57's report, I discovered that most maps now zoom between heat maps and price maps. YAY!

Some links don't work yet. I found the best way to try it out is to search for a zip code, then try zooming....

Perhaps tsparky57 caught the maps while the code update was transitioning. Zip 93534 now works for me.



Profile Pic tsparky57 Rookie Author California

Posts:1 Points:18,620 Joined:Jan 2012 Message Posted: Aug 12, 2014 4:04:54 PM

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Heat maps don't show anything in zip 93534. Do a search and ~40 show up in the area. Click on an individual station map and only the station shows on the popup map.



Profile Pic bugc Champion Author Boston

Posts:17,473 Points:3,494,125 Joined:Mar 2004 Message Posted: Aug 12, 2014 4:55:55 PM

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Checking tsparky57's report, I discovered that most maps now zoom between heat maps and price maps. YAY!

Some links don't work yet. I found the best way to try it out is to search for a zip code, then try zooming....

Perhaps tsparky57 caught the maps while the code update was transitioning. Zip 93534 now works for me. Profile Pic tsparky57 Rookie Author California

Posts:1 Points:18,620 Joined:Jan 2012 Message Posted: Aug 12, 2014 4:04:54 PM

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Heat maps don't show anything in zip 93534. Do a search and ~40 show up in the area. Click on an individual station map and only the station shows on the popup map.



Profile Pic Gas_Buddy Champion Author Maryland

Posts:29,419 Points:3,531,745 Joined:Aug 2004 Message Posted: Aug 12, 2014 3:13:33 PM

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Apparently pdhaudio83 hit the "Post Message" link too soon. As a long time member, I have faith he'll return and "update" his post.

(Naive, aren't I?)



Profile Pic pdhaudio83 Champion Author Grand Rapids

Posts:2,708 Points:375,485 Joined:Oct 2001 Message Posted: Aug 12, 2014 9:31:35 AM

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.


Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 9, 2014 10:07:55 PM

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BTW - you can use the "Map a station" functionality to work around the loss of the ability to open the map at a desired location and zoom level. If there's a station close to where you want the map centered, click on the station, click on "Station features", then click "Map". If you like the way the map is positioned and zoomed in, bookmark it.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 8, 2014 3:34:11 AM

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Scout, as I tried to explain, I was trying to be accurate in posting it for the time I actually saw it. When I did that, it wouldn't replace it b/c the incorrect price had been posted later, so that is the one that stayed. It always does that. I finally posted it at a time that was a few hours later than when I saw it, in order for it to be late enough to replace the incorrect one.

Again, I do not have a mobile device, so can't post until I get home. I guess that didn't matter in this case, b/c the incorrect price would still have been later than my correct one.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 7, 2014 7:20:18 AM

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I had a heck of a time trying to zero out and change a price that I was pretty sure was wrong. I'd checked prices at that station about 3 hours prior to posting (no mobile means of posting). I posted prices for all three grades but the midgrade didn't post b/c there was a more recent price posted. That person had posted only midgrade, and that price was 20¢ higher than the price I saw, and this was late at night. This is a station I've monitored a lot, and I know its patterns, and that posting did not fit it. I tried to change it for the time I saw it, but finally gave up and posted it for the current time, in order to make it later than the incorrect price.

In addition to not being able to zero it out, all the steps involved with posting were much more difficult than before, which I would have done much more easily from the maps. Each time I tried the zeroing or posting the correct price, it took me to the page that said that my midgrade price did not update, but I couldn't re-post the price directly from there, b/c it didn't show that station anymore. Eventually I did it from my fsl, but it continued to show the incorrect price. I think it probably worked when I used the later time (not the actual time I saw it).

Such a mess and waste of time.

BTW, my first thought was, of course, that the poster had intentionally posted an incorrect price, but after all the effort, I thought that with these ridiculous changes that make it harder to see what you're doing and figure out which station is which, maybe he or she had innocently posted that price for the wrong station.

I predict that the changes in the maps and in posting in general, will result in more incorrect prices on the site. [Edited by: goldieolds at 8/7/2014 10:22:54 AM EST]



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 6, 2014 10:09:19 PM

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Come on MODERATORS — there are now 218 replies to the OP in this thread, a good many of them pointing out various problems with the revised Map Gas Prices feature, and I’m pretty sure none of them are from a MODERATOR thanking us for our input or telling us what they are trying to do to mitigate the problems. Time for you guys to Talk Back to US.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 6, 2014 8:06:47 PM

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Note that the "Map a station" functionality is broken due the already-mentioned deficiencies in the new maps.

Example 1: From the "Station features" page, I click "Map". A map opens up, with URL http://www.newyorkgasprices.com/map_gas_prices.aspx?z=11&lat=41.166677000000&long=-73.849468000000&sid=152892&tl=All, but the station doesn't appear. The problem is that the "tl=All" wasn't respected; the time limit specified was 24 hours, and no price had been reported for that station in the past 24 hours. If I change the limit to 96 hours, the station appears.

Example 2: From the "Lowest Diesel Fuel Prices in the Last 24 hours" page, I click "Map" next to the lowest price, and the resulting URL is http://www.newyorkgasprices.com/map_gas_prices.aspx?z=11&lat=40.648171&long=-73.915259&sid=85543&ft=D. Again, no station is displayed - even changing the fuel type to Diesel and the time limit to 96 hours doesn't help. Changing the time limit to "All" shows the problem - the station only had cash prices reported, and the map is erroneously showing (only) credit prices, so even though the cash price was reported 4 hours ago it's not showing up with a time limit of 4 hours, 96 hours, or anything in between.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,535 Points:1,971,240 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 6, 2014 10:50:05 AM

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It would answer a lot of burning questions if GBO would speak up and tell us what is going on with regards to the map. They don't even have to plow through the over 200 posts here if they read the recap at the top of the page here.*


  • If anyone has a correction, addition or suggestion regarding the recap, please speak up.



Profile Pic Zimcity Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:70,163 Points:4,151,410 Joined:Aug 2001 Message Posted: Aug 6, 2014 10:38:54 AM

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"Not a programmer, but could it be that with the new maps, that their old controls didn't work, and they haven't figured the right hooks to implement the old price input functionality to the new Google Maps yet? "

It could be. Or it could be the Google maps don't allow for the type of applications the GB maps were performing.



Profile Pic TxJeans Champion Author Tampa

Posts:6,988 Points:732,725 Joined:May 2004 Message Posted: Aug 6, 2014 9:37:23 AM

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Not a programmer, but could it be that with the new maps, that their old controls didn't work, and they haven't figured the right hooks to implement the old price input functionality to the new Google Maps yet?

It sure would be nice if the PTB would let us know. They have been even more absent than usual lately. Apparently, they released a new APP for the Firephone. I don't know where I saw that...but it wasn't in "What's New" (at least not earlier this morning).



Profile Pic Zimcity Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:70,163 Points:4,151,410 Joined:Aug 2001 Message Posted: Aug 6, 2014 7:31:59 AM

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"The subject of this thread is that loss of functionality, not whether one should post prices from the map or from an FSL or from a Report-Prices form or via an app or by beating tom-toms."

That tom-tom price entry was a slight improvement from smoke signals and carrier pigeon, lol.



Profile Pic Mimi Champion Author Texas

Posts:28,639 Points:4,486,725 Joined:Mar 2002 Message Posted: Aug 6, 2014 7:07:17 AM

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I had not looked at the "map gas prices" maps lately but, now that I just looked, I can say they are different than they were before and that they are Google maps now.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 9:51:32 PM

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Just a couple of things — One member keeps saying that the maps are not new. They ARE NEW, as of about a month ago. Map Gas prices now uses Google for its base map whereas the old base map was produced by (or for) GasBuddy when the map feature first came out and it had not been updated since then until the recent change. The old map said “Copyright by GasBuddy” right on it; you can’t do that to a Google map.

The new map is a great improvement in and of itself but the loss of functionality makes the change a net loss for GBO and its members. The subject of this thread is that loss of functionality, not whether one should post prices from the map or from an FSL or from a Report-Prices form or via an app or by beating tom-toms.

If we would all stick to the subject and avoid all those tangential matters, it would greatly improve the likelihood of TPTB actually reading this thread and understanding the desire to have repairs made so that price posting is not more complicated than it used to be.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 7:15:38 PM

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scoutmaster - > The bottom line is all we can do is keep pointing out the issues to TPTB and hope they fix them.

That's exactly the reason that I started this topic - to point out the deficiencies in the new maps to TPTB.

> Whining and complaining isn't necessary.

Nor, for that matter, is "whining and complaining" about other people expressing their frustration with the loss of functionality.



Profile Pic Zimcity Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:70,163 Points:4,151,410 Joined:Aug 2001 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 11:33:22 AM

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movrshakr,

I am sorry you are misinterpreting my comments, even though I think they are accurately describing the attitude displayed by some. I have seen comments from a few posters who I respect and know have made great contributions to the site, who have said basically what I posted below--screw it, it's not worth it/too difficult now to enter a random price. Which is unfortunate.

Of course it would be nice if the former map functionality were added to the new maps. I used saved map searchs often to get a quick view of prices in my area. I also used them (pre-APP) to quickly enter prices not in an FSL, or where I wasn't sure of the city, especially for travels out of state.

Clearly though, GB has gone to an implementation without user input mentality and likely is more focused on integrating website functionality with app functionality, with more emphasis on the improving app interfaces.

Sorry if that reality means that the website is degraded for many of its former purposes. Perhaps the recent spate of poor implementations has made us all a bit jaded towards the site and its future. [Edited by: Zimcity at 8/5/2014 2:34:46 PM EST]



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 10:52:44 AM

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. TOTALLY misses the point, but that's been the whole of these insane posts.I don't care if it only is one microsecond longer, that should not be if it is an unnecessary microsecond (and it is because we have seen it work as before).

This is perfectly in step with what is being taught now--to accept mediocrity--"Exceptionalism," even "adequacy," has become a bad word, so long as there is someone below that (even due to their own doing). We need to be placed down to their level.

And it is perfectly clear, as you even state, that you do not understand our desire for it to be better--for gosh sakes, even as good as it was just before this. How terrible of us to want it better. I gather you don't even strive to make your own life better--since this is your position here: "want something better? Shut up your whining."

No, actually, I won't. I believe things can and should be at least restored to the functionality we had before. Moving backwards is just a terrible thing for people to accept. Think where that leads--accepting backward, downward moves. But again, I think it reflects the country these days...strive for mediocrity, or less if others are below you. [Edited by: movrshakr at 8/5/2014 2:00:28 PM EST]



Profile Pic Zimcity Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:70,163 Points:4,151,410 Joined:Aug 2001 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 10:50:59 AM

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"But you don't seem to care about that; "

Not at all what I have been saying.

What I fail to understand is the childish attitude on display by some long time members here who are acting like it's the end of the world and if the site isn't returned to its former glory than screw it.

Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 10:26:13 AM

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Zim, I don't know if you've been reading along or just came to this forum and read the most recent entries. But we've given our reasons why the fsl and other options don't work well for us. I'm not going to repeat mine now. There are quite a few others who have popped in with similar complaints. If the fsl or other options worked for us, we'd be using it/them.

If people don't like that we are posting our feedback about the new Google gas price maps in a forum intended for precisely that purpose, then why are they reading it and continuing to do so after they see what's going on here?

If anyone representing the mods would at least have the courtesy to let us know what is going on, it would help. Just a few words, such as "this is as good as it gets folks, get used to it." or "this is just a temporary fix and we're working on improvements, please be patient" or whatever.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 10:19:20 AM

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scoutmaster - "These people must be exceptionally busy and can't spare the extra seconds this takes."

Most of us have other things to do in our lives than to post prices in GasBuddy. We do it to be part of the GasBuddy community, and to contribute as well as benefit from the site.

It might be less than a minute extra to enter a single price using the new map, but that time adds up if you want to enter multiple prices - particularly if you accidentally click on "Report a price", as I did yesterday, and then have to start from scratch with the map.

If the site makes it more difficult to post prices, then people are less likely to do so. If you don't post prices from the map, then this doesn't affect you. The people who are affected are certainly entitled to ask that GasBuddy improve this. (The category, after all, is "Suggest a GasBuddy improvement".)



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 9:35:58 AM

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. I have used FSLs. I sill have three of them. Rarely used. I tried using them for a while. Now don't. They do not fit my situation, pattern, style of working, and what is important to me. Map (used to) work so much better for me. But you don't seem to care about that; FSL's forever!!! The solution to all people's data entry. No, they are good for some. Perfect for some. And awful for others.



Profile Pic Zimcity Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:70,163 Points:4,151,410 Joined:Aug 2001 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 9:04:59 AM

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"But we've been told that the FSL solves the difficulty issue, so I guess that's it. Saying that it doesn't falls on deaf ears--because in their mind, they are right ad you are wrong."

No, I'm saying making additional FSL's is an alternative, that may work for most price entry scenarios. Of course it's not meant for posting every oddball station you may pass in your travels.

I guess some of the people commenting were not members prior to there being maps, so are not used to creating FSL's and gravitated to map entry.

It's rather unfortunate the new maps functionality blows.



Profile Pic Zimcity Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:70,163 Points:4,151,410 Joined:Aug 2001 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 8:58:10 AM

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"Precisely. Are you going to make an FSL for those occasions?"

I once made an FSL for stations between Madison, WI and the TC along I-94, though it was only useful a couple of times.

"As I stated, I won't bother reporting them.

As for bitching here, well it is a release of sorts. Besides, one can always hope that at some time, GasBuddy might have someone who cares, like they used to, and things might improve."

Which is OK. I guess all I'm saying is kind of summed up in your last comment. It's OK not to care as much about posting every price we drive by, as it seems GB cares less and less about that.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 8:14:49 AM

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. Good grief. How hard is it to understand tha some of us pass stations rarely or once in a lifetime or once a year or.... and that putting them into an FSL is simply impractical.

If we did, the FSL would have hundreds of stations in it and how would THAT help ease entry? !!!!

My, this is getting tiresome--that people seem to be unable to comprehend that other folks situations, patterns, style of working, and what is important o them are different from their own. Not only that, they seem to assume that anybody who doesn't think as they do or like what they do are WRONG.

But we've been told that the FSL solves the difficulty issue, so I guess that's it. Saying that it doesn't falls on deaf ears--because in their mind, they are right ad you are wrong.

I am beginning to think all these people who think the new maps are perfectly fine are just going to have to carry the water for GasBuddy from now on. They sure don't want the rest of us to be able to get any improvements implemented.

Wow, this has got me on a roll... Not only that...they resist us pushing for changes even though those changes wouldn't affect them, e.g., they use FSL and we use maps but they don't want us to get map operations better because it "isn't needed" (for them). Disgusting selfishness.

I rarely use the FSL, but if "you" want to push for changes that would make it better for YOU, why should I object or poopoo your wishes?

Insanity has overtaken this topic.



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,045 Points:2,854,050 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 8:14:23 AM

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Zimcity wrote > Do you only enter prices for stations you rarely pass after a long trip? Not likely, but those are the exact times I would use the maps in the past for entering prices.

Precisely. Are you going to make an FSL for those occasions?

Zimcity wrote > OK, well keep bitching about it here and see where that gets you. If you don't care enough about posting those prices than don't. If you do, you could make an FSL for them.

As I stated, I won't bother reporting them.

As for bitching here, well it is a release of sorts. Besides, one can always hope that at some time, GasBuddy might have someone who cares, like they used to, and things might improve.



Profile Pic Zimcity Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:70,163 Points:4,151,410 Joined:Aug 2001 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 7:50:45 AM

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"For me, an FSL is not a reasonable option. When I report prices using the map, I do so after a long trip passing stations the I rarely pass. The amount of work involved in creating another FSL for rarely seen stations for a rarely used route makes no sense."

I'm not sure I understand your reasoning though. Do you only enter prices for stations you rarely pass after a long trip? Not likely, but those are the exact times I would use the maps in the past for entering prices. "I simply won't bother reporting those stations."

OK, well keep bitching about it here and see where that gets you. If you don't care enough about posting those prices than don't. If you do, you could make an FSL for them.

"I see no reason why people can't comment in this thread in a forum allegedly for suggesting GasBuddy improvements."

Of course they can, but you know they are falling on deaf ears, as you often comment to that effect. [Edited by: Zimcity at 8/5/2014 10:51:57 AM EST]



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,045 Points:2,854,050 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 7:31:58 AM

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For me, an FSL is not a reasonable option. When I report prices using the map, I do so after a long trip passing stations the I rarely pass. The amount of work involved in creating another FSL for rarely seen stations for a rarely used route makes no sense. I simply won't bother reporting those stations.

I see no reason why people can't comment in this thread in a forum allegedly for suggesting GasBuddy improvements.



Profile Pic Zimcity Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:70,163 Points:4,151,410 Joined:Aug 2001 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 7:23:30 AM

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"A few years ago I made FSLs for several nearby areas where I travel but I never got them really organized so I soon found that using the map to post prices was actually easier. Find the station on the map, enter the prices and move on to the next one up the road. I don’t have time to fix my FSLs and I don’t have the patience to screw around with the stupid map system they’ve created so now all I post are my local stations."

So essentially you have another avenue to enter prices, but choose not to take the time to do so?

If the new maps are no longer a good interface for price entry, perhaps it's time to re-visit the FSL's, as those were the primary mode of entry prior to any maps and apps.

But it seems most here would rather complain about the change than use an already existent solution. Yes, it would be nice if they had not changed the map interface, but it seems as though they got some access to google maps and converted over, while leaving some good features behind.

Unless there is some reason to believe that they will return those features (saved searches, better zoom functionality and price posting) I'd suggest investigating using the FSL's.



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,045 Points:2,854,050 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 7:13:16 AM

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More likely than not, he will respond with a Gumpism. Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 7:10:53 AM

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. The "Ignore ______" function in the upper right corner of anyone's post has solved the problem for me. I hope he returns the favor.



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,045 Points:2,854,050 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 5:26:26 AM

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Whether or not things have improved with FSLs, Report a Price or the Apps is irrelevant to this thread. This thread is about the maps on the website. I don't know if the new maps are any more accurate that the old, but if they are, that is the only improvement over the old maps. In every other way, the new maps are inferior.

RichWLIN brings up a good point on how to avoid the scoutmaster tangent trap. [Edited by: Scrapheap at 8/5/2014 8:30:11 AM EST]



Profile Pic Byte_Doctor Champion Author Akron

Posts:6,312 Points:1,216,240 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 5:10:00 AM

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Well scoutmaster, I don't see where TxJeans accused you of attacking anyone.



Profile Pic TxJeans Champion Author Tampa

Posts:6,988 Points:732,725 Joined:May 2004 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 4:55:41 AM

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<<<Please, let's not let this discussion devolve into nothing but endless personal attacks, as has happened on so many other forums.>>>

When I first started in these forums, it was a group of folks that kept taking things down the wrong path. Lately, it seems there is one 1 primary common denominator.

<<<<What I find easier is posting from the app. I seldom post from the maps on the web site or the app. If I'm posting from the web site I usually my FSL. Otherwise, I usually post from the app. But posting using the map is about the same except where you end up after you post your prices.>>>>

Since you seldom post from the MAPS and not posting from the maps fits the tools you have (Smartphone) and the locations from which you tend to post, why not just stop posting over and over that you see nothing wrong with the maps and let those that do use them for whatever reasons discuss the issues and changes?

I don't care if it is a free site. They put forums out here for suggestions and one to "talk back" to them (GBO) so the discussion here is fair game.



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,124 Points:1,137,280 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 4:02:59 AM

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goldieolds asks: "Please, let's not let this discussion devolve into nothing but endless personal attacks, as has happened on so many other forums."

If it becomes apparent that a discussion like this one is being undermined, you can always ask one of the several members who are on a moderater imposed mutual ignore with the scoutmaster to open and phrase a new topic for you. He will not be able to participate there furthering the conversation without incessant contrary comments and goading that generally tend to detract from intelligent discussion.

When reason and logic fail, this may be the simplest way to avoid escalation of arguments and "personal attacks".

RG [Edited by: RichWLIN at 8/5/2014 7:06:23 AM EST]



Profile Pic TimLee Champion Author Chattanooga

Posts:13,634 Points:2,540,890 Joined:Jul 2006 Message Posted: Aug 5, 2014 3:03:05 AM

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>>> scout master 1 Peter 4:10New International Version (NIV)

10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Inaccurate statements about the new Maps has not been of any service. Has been a big disservice and waste of everyone's time.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 4, 2014 10:47:13 PM

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Please, let's not let this discussion devolve into nothing but endless personal attacks, as has happened on so many other forums.

The point is, IMO, that the reason we've been able to save money by using this site is in large part thanks to the prices posted voluntarily by others. If the changes make posting harder, more time consuming and more frustrating to do, whether real or perceived, and people end up posting fewer prices, then the site is weakened and so will our potential to save money, due to not having the up-to-date price that we need to make our gas purchase decisions. It may not be an issue for anyone else, but for me, seeing that a price was posted "6 hours ago" is a lot more confusing than seeing that it was posted at "1 pm". Sure, I can do the math, but it requires that much more time and effort to get to the actual time.

We all have different situations, making different means of posting or researching better for each of us. That's why they've always had options, so we can choose what works better for us.

I, like many others, have no smart phone, so how easy an app might be is totally irrelevant. But I don't begrudge others who do have smart phones from having that option.

When you live on the cusp of several cities, as I do, searching from the lists is extremely impractical. I can go a similar distance in several direction, and each would be in a different city, so looking up on the lists by city, is ridiculous. I tried it before I "discovered" the maps. And without being able to see the spatial relationships, it is usually not possible to ascertain which of the stations with the lowest prices in those varying cities is closer, or is open later, or whatever. Sometimes a station might be a couple of cents lower, but not worth driving the extra distance to get there.

Another thing is that now when you open a station's details on the new maps, you don't see who the poster was. Some of us recognize some posters as being more or less accurate than others in their posting. I usually open the details to make sure I correctly know which station it is, since there are often several in close proximity. The current zoom default level makes it difficult to tell the exact location.

No, none of these issues is insurmountable. But it sure does add to the frustration and time and ease of use.

It gets back to that old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." And IMO and the opinions of many others, those features were not broken previously.



Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,564 Points:3,531,760 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Aug 4, 2014 7:23:51 PM

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Not everyone has a cell phone or device to use the "app". Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 4, 2014 6:53:14 PM

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scoutmaster - the app doesn't work for me. It requires a smart phone, and I don't have one.

If I'm reporting prices I passed along the freeway, I might not even know what town it was in, much less the address. Finding them on the map is a lot easier.

If I'm passing through an area that has a number of stations in a row, I might not have time to write down the name of each station. Reporting the prices via the maps is easy. (Although not as easy as it used to be.) Trying to find them using the price board simply isn't practical.

> Why can't I accept that it is less easy to use and takes longer? Because I don't think it does! It some aspects, it's easier!

In what aspects do you find posting prices from the new maps easier?



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 4, 2014 4:53:30 PM

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. OK, you have now made it clear..

"Why can't I accept that it is less easy to use and takes longer? Because I don't think it does!"

^^ That ^^ you say in the face of numerous concrete. precisely explained, correct examples that have been posted demonstrating the added complexity. In essence, you are calling us liars.

I have tried to take the road earlier that you just had different criteria for what was important to you than we did. Now I see that you state that we are lying when we say it is harder, more clicks, more keystrokes for the way and for what we use it. I'm not mad at you, but I am done with you.

The only conclusion is that you are incapable of understanding or choose not to.

Bye for real this time.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 4, 2014 12:16:40 PM

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. There you go baiting again. Why don't you drive a Ford instead of a Chevy or whatever you drive? Just as valid of a question...both accomplish the same goal..moving you from one place to another. The fact that you prefer one over the other shouldn't affect your decision. Sure, one can always chose the best of the CURRENT alternatives, but that is not what we are discussing whatsoever. We ae discussing an alternative taken away from us.

Also, explain how I use my FSL to enter prices when I drive to the other side of town or out of town. Oops.

Le me ask YOU a question: why can't YOU accept that it is less easy to use and takes longer? Are you incapable of understanding truth?

Dang. I took your bait. Said I wasn't going to do that and I should be beter, but your questions are so stupid I just have to. [Edited by: movrshakr at 8/4/2014 3:21:57 PM EST]



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 4, 2014 8:54:52 AM

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. Here is the deal. I **KNOW** that posting from the maps could be easier and faster than it is now, ***ESPECIALLY*** when putting in multiple station data.

How do I know that? Because I have seen it in the previous maps. So I do KNOW that it is true--it is possible.

Therefore, effective now, I will only post enough stations to get to the 5-prices point. That's it. If they don't think my time matters doing work FOR THEM (which enables them to earn money), then I am not going to put myself out to slog through their new system when I KNOW it could be easier.

GasBuddy, I can handle your new system if I only have to put in two stations. If you want more than that, ball is in your court. [Edited by: movrshakr at 8/4/2014 11:55:49 AM EST]



Profile Pic TxJeans Champion Author Tampa

Posts:6,988 Points:732,725 Joined:May 2004 Message Posted: Aug 4, 2014 4:43:03 AM

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With the change to new map source, the code probably had to be changed to make it work the same or equivalent to how it used to work. So, maybe they just don't have the expertise to make it work correctly yet - and are researching alternatives.

Regardless, it would be nice if the PTB would chime in and explain what is going on, why it works the way it does currently and what they are going to do to fix it. .


Profile Pic lowiowagas All-Star Author Iowa

Posts:509 Points:262,590 Joined:Mar 2008 Message Posted: Aug 4, 2014 4:12:23 AM

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dirt girl - "Like goldieolds I too have posted prices by map at the library and even with their outrageously fast connection, it's a pain in the butt to post from the maps. It's possible but it's no longer simple and you still have to zoom in numerous times and go back and forth."

This is exactly the problem with the new maps... The 'old' maps would allow you to update the price right on the map itself (no workarounds!). Quick & Easy... This NEEDS to be FIXED

I actually have used this website LESS because of this 'bug'. I will check back from time to time to see if it is fixed, but otherwise I haven't really updated many prices lately outside of trying to get this issue fixed...

---

CampKohler "Low: Just to be clear, is the "not update" problem you experience occurring with..."

It is usually a couple of 'stubborn' stations that will not update the price, even though it is 15+ hours old according to the website... Sometimes those 'stubborn' stations post correctly, but usually they give the error message below:

"There has already been a more recent price reported for this station and fuel type. You have still received points for this posting. This price will not be updated on the website."

I am assuming this might be part of the problem with inaccurate date/time stamps being used (another reason NOT to round)... And no, it doesn't matter the method of reporting (main site, maps, etc...)



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,535 Points:1,971,240 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 3, 2014 10:11:55 PM

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Just to be picky, there are a few Diff CC stations in MN, but less than 1% as Goldie suggests, so it is not a state policy thing. I wonder what got all those cats (the 99%) herded in the same direction? There is a story in there somewhere.

Since the map (getting back on topic), when embedded in a Website, calls a Java script from a GBO server, how can one see what that script is doing at the time it is executing? If you could do that, it might be possible to figure out the k parameter that sets the center and level of the map. You know, you could just put that Sun Herald code in a Webpage and run it to see what is going on. Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,045 Points:2,854,050 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 3, 2014 9:52:15 PM

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Though he is on mutual ignore, to answer toll masters question, at least 15 clicks and scrolls.



Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,564 Points:3,531,760 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Aug 3, 2014 8:08:40 PM

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goldieolds is correct in stating that we do not have cash/credit pricing in MN. The state sets the minimum price in the 3 regions based on the average of terminal prices in those areas. Stations can depart upwards from those base prices as much as they want.

FYI, In the past, the low terminal in the TC area was Speedway which just happens to be the first station that gouges. How ironic. Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 3, 2014 6:05:41 PM

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I stay to find the lowest prices for fuel.

If the site makes a change which makes it harder for me to post prices, I feel it's incumbent on me to let them know how this impacts users.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 3, 2014 5:59:53 PM

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More bait. Not going to answer as I said I would not. Besides, a mmicroinch of thought would answer that.



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,045 Points:2,854,050 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 3, 2014 4:32:35 PM

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I have long said that all you need to know about scoutmaster can be found here. If you don't believe that, fine, at least look at him as a myopic selfish dolt. Who cares if a few more clicks doesn't matter to someone who seems to have rarely used the maps to begin with.

I have taken some long trips between Washington and Rochester NY. I used a voice recorder to record the stations and prices along the route. I have then used the maps to report the prices for all those stations (approximately 50). That was fine with the old maps because once you reported one station, and closed the stations balloon, you could easily open up the next stations balloon and report that one. It was a simple matter of occasionally scrolling the map and opening new balloons to report stations. Even with the simplicity of the old maps, it still took almost an hour to report all those stations. With the new maps, that would be impossible as you would be opening the map and zooming in over and over again. I shudder to think of the number of clicks involved in trying to report those stations. It would take far longer than the hour I mentioned above and I wouldn't bother to try.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 3, 2014 11:49:53 AM

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. Folks, just accept it...scoutmaster, for whatever reason (has a much higher tolerance level that us?), for WHATEVER reason, he is happy with the new system--or at least doesn't think it is worth complaining about.

And seemingly all the rest of us feel quite the opposite. It is clear we are not going to convince him of anything. Citing examples accomplishes nothing because he is quite happy with how it works. So, when we cite how it works, his reaction is, so what--it's fine, and we get nowhere.

So for me, I will cease addressing his comments as he will not comprehend what I say since, again, he is perfectly satisfied with whatever it is I cite as a problem and which bothers me. It doesn't bother him, and it is certainly not my place to convince him that he "should be bothered."

He is absolutely in order to assess for himself his own reaction--just as we are absolutely in order to assess for ourselves that we DON"T like it.



Profile Pic TimLee Champion Author Chattanooga

Posts:13,634 Points:2,540,890 Joined:Jul 2006 Message Posted: Aug 3, 2014 9:10:31 AM

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" "It is a very cynical thought but I have begun to wonder whether all of the awkwardness introduced to the posting process was on purpose."

I have a similar cynical thought, but with a bit different reasoning. It may be that the web site revenue is waning and is less and less profitable when compared to the profitability of the apps. The full site may possibly even have become an overhead liability to run and maintain; in essence a drain on the net.

It is likely that a good bit of the new biz is coming through the various apps. The web site, as we know it now, may be on its way out.

RG " I think both are correct. Everyone seems to be moving towards only focusing on apps on smartphones and other mobile devices. But to mess up the old because all you are focusing on is the new is really bad business.

First it was rolling out cash / credit on app and feeding incorrect info back to the Web page. Now the maps. I never used maps for price entry but fully understand how they have messed it up.

I have only had smart phone seven months. Began using app when they messed up the prices. It is a big improvement over writing down prices and entering later. But like many apps they have messed up by not providing the same functionality as the Web page. Seems like most apps do that. Many give you a great readable story, but stupidly leave off the date of the story and you end up having to open the Web version. GasBuddy is just being as stupid as everyone else in the app world.



Profile Pic TxJeans Champion Author Tampa

Posts:6,988 Points:732,725 Joined:May 2004 Message Posted: Aug 3, 2014 8:39:32 AM

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It doesn't matter so much the number of keystrokes/clicks, but perceived functionality. So far, it appears most of the respondents here feel the changes while making an improvement in the quality of the map itself have decreased the functionality of finding and reporting prices. It seems that one member here is taking the position that if it doesn't bother him, everyone else is wrong (along with one "status quo" member's comment.

It also doesn't matter that this site is free. We contribute to the viability of the site by posting prices and by "clicks" for revenue. They have a column for suggestions and to "talk back to us" (which maybe should be relabeled "talk at us" based on the lack of response from GBO). So, suggestions and comments are put here in threads/topics to be put forth and discussed. Sometimes ideas are shot down by the majority, sometimes we have a minority that want it shut down, and sometimes we have a split decision (viability and validity of App Awards, and icons) or at least a difference in importance of an issue in the grand scheme of all things proposed for enhancements/corrections.

I am glad for those that feel the changes did not cause any problems that need rectifying, but totally respect those that feel they have been hampered in price posting and viewing by some of the changes. As I haven't traveled that far off standard travel paths, I have done most of my posting from my FSL, but a foray into looking at the issue, I tend to agree with those that say the pricing system could use some improvements to match the new better maps.



Profile Pic bugc Champion Author Boston

Posts:17,473 Points:3,494,125 Joined:Mar 2004 Message Posted: Aug 3, 2014 6:15:17 AM

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The new method is TERRIBLE. I have stopped using the map as my primary reporting method.

Most of the time the prices I report have not changed. Beside having to retype the prices, I have to remember them since the old prices are not displayed on the entry form. Profile Pic MadFueler Champion Author Winston-Salem

Posts:3,512 Points:671,390 Joined:Sep 2012 Message Posted: Aug 3, 2014 4:59:13 AM

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I definitely have to agree with jrsva that the current way to enter prices using the map is a rigmarole. Consider that not only must you use more clicks and keystrokes, but you must also navigate out of the map more times to do that. (That's only slightly mitigated by opening up the price reporting page in a new tab.) It may not be more "difficult" in the sense of being less comprehensible, but it is definitely more effort.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 3, 2014 4:25:41 AM

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That's with all four prices for the same station and the same time. If posting four prices for four different stations, passed at different times (let's say you stop and shop in between) then its multiplied by quite a few times. And the time involved in those additional keystrokes is amplified when using a slow system.

Scoutmaster, I'm not sure how you came up with "That's 2 more clicks than the old way, jrsva." Well, yes, if you only count clicks and disregard his/her keystrokes. Old way 10 + 4 = 14, new way 12 + 18 = 30. And it isn't even taking into account the going back and forth to get to the next station or tab or whatever.

As I suggested below, I think you should actually try doing it on a slow system, even dial-up, to see what it's like before continuing to knock our complaints.

People on DU's price posts are just as valid as yours. And maybe even more than some people on high speed, because they have to be more deliberate, so perhaps are more careful about making sure they have the correct prices. Those who just sail by and tap something into their phones while driving are possibly more prone to errors due to divided attention.

Just a thought.

We don't have cash/credit differentials here, that I know of (if so, it's very uncommon), so that new feature is irrelevant.

Oh, why do I waste my time. You're entrenched in your view and that's it.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 10:03:06 PM

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Interesting. I clicked the link to the Sun Herald that CK provided below. A map appeared but there were no price pins on it. After messing with it for a bit I found that if I zoom in one level a bunch of pins appear. Then if I zoom out several levels only the original pins show; there are no new ones in the wider view. I doubt that this is working quite the way it ought to. Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 9:50:36 PM

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Let’s see exactly how many clicks and keystrokes are needed to update all four prices at one station with the old map and the new one. I’m starting with a bookmarked URL that will take me directly to the station I want.

OLD: 1 click on bookmark + 1 click to open station popup 4 clicks + 4 keystrokes to re-enter posted prices 2 clicks to select time spotted + 1 click to submit 1 click to close Thank You popup and you’re back on the map ready for the next station. That’s total of 10 clicks and 4 keystrokes.

NEW: 1 click on bookmark (which only partially works) + 2 to zoom in to find station 1 click to open station popup + right click + 1 to open reporting form in a new tab 1 click to go to the new tab + 1 to get into the price field 18 keystrokes to enter prices even if they are unchanged (4x3 numbers + 6 tabs) 2 clicks to select time spotted + 1 click to submit 1 click to close the new tab and return to the map That’s a total of 12 clicks and 18 keystrokes, more than double the input that it took under the old system. It may not sound like much but it adds up with dozens or hundreds of entries.



Profile Pic Gas_Buddy Champion Author Maryland

Posts:29,419 Points:3,531,745 Joined:Aug 2004 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 9:18:25 PM

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Oh boy. And to think all I wanted when I joined this website was to be able to see local gas prices and post them to help others in my community.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,535 Points:1,971,240 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 9:09:28 PM

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This is the code:

<tbody> </tbody>

<script src="http://df.gasbuddy.com/feed.gbmap?k=%2flkAf5t2tvDeipN7an‌‌SS9n6jiA3uqlDiZ0KOQKGpE5%2bo9vjN92pcKf57arpuMxnn&i=2618" type="text/javascript"></script>

Provided by <a href="http://www.GasBuddy.com" target="_blank">GasBuddy.com</a>
<a style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; font-size: 11px;" href="http://www.gasbuddy.com/mediafeed.aspx" target="_new">Click here to add this map to your website.</a>

So all it looks like you have to do is figure out how the k parameter works. Let me know how that goes. :-)



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,535 Points:1,971,240 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 8:55:00 PM

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[Edited by: CampKohler at 8/2/2014 11:59:24 PM EST]



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,535 Points:1,971,240 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 8:50:47 PM

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As I said in another topic, if someone were to sign up to embed the map in a Webpage at here, they may get the info necessary to position the map like this newspaper did. Notice the level and center they have achieved, and it's not in the URL. [Edited by: CampKohler at 8/2/2014 11:54:05 PM EST]



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 8:36:45 PM

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A few years ago I made FSLs for several nearby areas where I travel but I never got them really organized so I soon found that using the map to post prices was actually easier. Find the station on the map, enter the prices and move on to the next one up the road. I don’t have time to fix my FSLs and I don’t have the patience to screw around with the stupid map system they’ve created so now all I post are my local stations. GBO needs to understand that they are not getting somewhere between 30 and 100 price posts every week or so when I need to make a trip and the reason for that is the awkwardness they have built into the map. I’m sure there are others who have reacted similarly. If they want to maximize posting they need to make ease of use a primary goal.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 8:09:06 PM

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Another way this can weaken the site is that people who have neither the patience nor time to fiddle with all the back and forth, but still want to post prices, will just list them all at one time, which will lead to inaccurate times. I have been tempted to do this, but so far have resisted the temptation.

In the past the mods have considered time accuracy to be important.

And none of this addresses the lack of explanation and info from the mods to their loyal users. This comes across as disregard and disrespect.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 7:56:08 PM

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scoutmaster, we may be getting something for "free" here, but we are also donating our labor in order to get it. Not directly to get it, but it is our volunteering to look for and post prices that enables this site to be successful. I look at that as a trade-off.

That is why I have always tried to post as many prices as I can, sometimes going out of my way, albeit not too far, to gather prices to post. I feel like that is doing my part to give back to the site and help it to work the way it is supposed to.

We are a community helping each other, and the website enables us to do it. Because it depends upon price spotting from the community, is precisely why they should be trying to make it as easy as possible to post prices, instead of making it harder and more frustrating. Some people will drop off and stop posting, others will post fewer prices. This will weaken the site.

As I said before, some of us are more visual and it is very tedious to have to use the lists, and go back and forth each time if the prices were not all seen at the same time.

Why don't you try to find someone with slow internet who will let you try it from that perspective, to see what it's like for "the rest of us"? [Edited by: goldieolds at 8/2/2014 11:02:08 PM EST]



Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,564 Points:3,531,760 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 7:29:59 PM

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Like goldieolds I too have posted prices by map at the library and even with their outrageously fast connection, it's a pain in the butt to post from the maps. It's possible but it's no longer simple and you still have to zoom in numerous times and go back and forth.

The solution for me seems to have a fsl on a couple of sites.

Years ago, when they first switched to Beta, there were issues on the TC and other sites where they were off-line so people would hunt around for a site they could connect on. Seems like we're back to those type of work-arounds to be able to post prices.

And finally, scoutmaster, I'm glad the maps are working well for you. I too believe you are the only one who hasn't had a problem. Either that or you just like to be contrary.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 4:10:33 PM

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. "...and doesn't provide a means of bookmarking a view of the map. "

That is exactly right. If you want a link that takes you to a particular place, you have to come up with the lat and long on your own and manually construct the url-- assuming you know the syntax that will work...... such as

http://www.floridastategasprices.com/map_gas_prices.aspx?&lat=27.183990&long=-81.633484

but you are not going to get zoom z= or fuel type ft= or time limit (age) tl=

to work in the link as it used to. [Edited by: movrshakr at 8/2/2014 7:12:12 PM EST]



Profile Pic GrumpyCat Champion Author Alabama

Posts:5,065 Points:1,180,035 Joined:Jun 2009 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 1:36:26 PM

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The previous map URL honored z=, ft=, and tl= arguments in the URL allowing one to bookmark the current zoom, fuel type, and time limit. The current version does not seem to honor anything but lat= and lon=, and doesn't provide a means of bookmarking a view of the map.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 10:02:41 AM

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scoutmaster: "Anyone on dial up probably has issues with just about every site they visit. That is not the fault of the site."

If the person used dial-up before the changes and is using the same dial-up now, they can tell if there is a difference. That's not having "issues with just about every site..." It's a before and after at the same site.and "I'm wondering what is so cumbersome about the maps? I know the heat maps don't work correctly but the other maps still function like they always have."

Perhaps the changes haven't yet been implemented yet in your area.



Profile Pic Byte_Doctor Champion Author Akron

Posts:6,312 Points:1,216,240 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 9:49:59 AM

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"FWIW, If I use the link provided in the OP, I see regular prices less than 24 hours old. "

Same here, so the ability to have the link include filters for fuel type and time limit no longer functions.

(LarryMarg, you do realize you are fighting a loosing battle, right?)



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,045 Points:2,854,050 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 9:30:37 AM

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FWIW, If I use the link provided in the OP, I see regular prices less than 24 hours old.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 8:57:49 AM

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> Yup I see diesel and regular and mid-grade and premium for 96 hours.

There's clearly some miscommunication going on here, because the map when it comes up only shows prices for one fuel type. So it's not a matter of you seeing something different than the rest of us; it's you not understanding what we're saying.

Previously, if I entered that link in a web browser, I would go to the map, and it would be zoomed in, and it would immediately be showing me diesel prices for all stations which had had diesel reported in the past 96 hours, and the "Fuel Type" field would be showing me Diesel, and the "Time Limit" field would have "96 Hours" selected.

If you enter that link, *and do nothing else*, what do you see in the "Fuel Type" and "Time Limit" fields? Because for everyone else on GasBuddy, "Fuel Type" shows Regular (even though the link asked for it to show diesel), and "Time Limit" shows 24 hours (even though the link asked for it to show 96 hours).



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 8:31:29 AM

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. A lot of these changes are similar to when Microsoft went to the "pastel" theme and icons. You couldn't tell what they were any more, but they sure were pretty. Only with these map changes, although prettier, it is harder and more time-consuming to use it.

Unless you're scoutmaster; then it is quite fine. [Edited by: movrshakr at 8/2/2014 11:32:48 AM EST]



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,367 Points:2,111,800 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 7:43:04 AM

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Scout (and others), if you want to see what the old Map Gas Prices looked like, check out Web Archive. Sadly, they did not archive the actual map but you can see the rest of the page layout including the Link to This Map link and other features that have been discussed here. Also note that it says Copyright by GasBuddy. The map looked a little like Google Maps but it did not have the satellite feature and it was seriously out of date, perhaps by as much as ten years. The update to Google Maps is wonderful but everything else that has been done is a disaster.

The map pins look exactly the same as they did before but that is the end of it. When one clicked the map pin on the old map it opened a popup which listed the station name, the nic for the member reporting prices and the time spotted across the top. Vertically on the left side were the four grades and on the right was the time-spotted menu, the Comments field, Add to Favorites link and the Submit button. Prices were reported on this same popup simply by clicking on the price field and typing in a new price or by hitting Escape to re-enter the same price. When one clicked Submit there was a Thank-You popup, then one was returned to the map with all the same settings as before.

We all know what the new popup looks like — it shows prices and times but to report prices one must click another button, after which the prices disappear so one must retype all of them even to re-enter the same prices. After clicking Submit one is returned to the map with all of the settings returned to default values. This final problem can be bypassed with the workaround described below but the rest remains. Everything is more awkward and time consuming than it needs to be — and than it once was.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,650,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Aug 2, 2014 2:06:21 AM

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This week I posted a few times from the library, where they have very high speed internet. It made a big difference in using the maps. Still a hassle to have to keep opening new tabs and going back and forth and some of the other differences, but the speed makes a real difference. But the maps shouldn't only be designed for those with higher speed internet. They're for everybody -- or should be.

I wonder if the programmers check it to see how it works with their high speed connections, which doesn't give them a clue to what those with dial-up and slow DSL go through to use it. Of course reading the feedback would.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 1, 2014 7:17:09 PM

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crazy_nip - you can't zoom in from the heat maps, but try selecting (from the top of the web page) "Maps" / "Map Gas Prices". Profile Pic crazy_nip Rookie Author Tampa

Posts:10 Points:82,450 Joined:Oct 2008 Message Posted: Aug 1, 2014 6:05:52 PM

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I just noticed on the maps you can no longer zoom in to see the individual gas stations and prices, this needs to be fixed... makes the maps completely useless now...



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 1, 2014 2:27:30 PM

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> the link you posted in the OP still works.

scoutmaster - if you enter that link, do you see diesel prices, and does the time limit field indicate 96 hours? If not, then it's not working. Also, when I enter it, I see from New Jersey to Connecticut; previously, I'd see just White Plains. That's why I wrote, "the zoom level ('z'), fuel type ('ft'; 'D' meant diesel) and time limit ('tl') no longer work."

Yes, I can zoom in, and change the fuel type, and change the time limit, each of which requires an extra click and wait for the map to reload (not bad for me, but some Buddies are on dial-up). But the link does *not* work the way it used to.

> The time limit goes out to 96 hours and works just fine.

Here's something for you to try. Looking at your 15216 display, note on the center left where it says "McDonald". Change the time limit from 24 hours to 96 hours. Note that a price of 3.79 appears over McDonald. Click on that price. Note that the pop-up doesn't show any prices for "TJ's Deli Mart", even though the map will show regular and midgrade prices at the 96-hour limit. The old map *would* show you those prices in the pop-up.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 1, 2014 2:23:47 PM

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. That link scoutmaster gave to the image is indeed the new map. I have no clue why or how it works for him the same as in the past--when it is different for the rest of us. Or maybe he didn't enter prices using the map? If so, he'd certainly see the difference?

Although certainly it is not accessible by a url link; Wait not quite true.

My link opens to the right location, but none of he other settings in the link are honored--the zoom level, to show all stations, etc. For example, If I have prices to enter for a station with prices older than 24 hours, that station is not even shown on the map, unless you go o the bottom right comer and change it to show ALL. Again, more work, more clicks to do what used to not require that be done.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 1, 2014 10:22:38 AM

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scoutmaster - Look up above, at the post which started this topic. The site stopped supporting the attributes of the link. I still have the links which worked on the old gas price maps bookmarked. It's not a question of recreating the link; it's a matter of restoring support for the attributes.

As I mentioned in the first post, the older gas price maps had a "Link to Map" button which would let you save a position, zoom level, time limit, etc., and easily return to the same map view. You can still see that on the heat maps, but it's gone from the gas price maps. (Or do you still see it, since you say that your MGP works the same as it always has? If you do, could you provide the link that you're using?)



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 1, 2014 10:21:08 AM

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. scoutmaster, please go to your MGP page that works the same as it always has, and do two things..

a. Tell us if there is a box at the top left where you can click to "capture" the url for the map as it sits "right now" into the clipboard.

b. Copy the url from the address bar and post it here so we can go see what your map looks like (although if it is the new style, the url does not change as things are done in the map)

or better,

use a screen capture program and post an image of the map somewhere on a cloud storage site where we can see it.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Aug 1, 2014 8:54:20 AM

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. scoutmaster, if your MGP works the same as before, you must be the only one in the universe for whom that is true!

Someone previously stated exactly the issue that drives me nuts...

I had a link which opened the MGP map exactly where I wanted it, zoomed in to exactly the right level, showing ALL stations rather than just 24 hour posts, From there, one click on a station, see the current prices--and enter the new prices. If they were the same, hit escape and the existing price filled in.

Now I am going back to what I previously said and you belittled me for it....MANY more clicks to do what we did before with fewer clicks. And frankly, I don't care if you are offended by it. *I* am offended by a stupid, poorly implemented change. [Edited by: movrshakr at 8/1/2014 11:55:37 AM EST]



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 1, 2014 8:11:04 AM

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scoutmaster - The price maps went away for a week in the middle of July, and when they came back they were very different. See my first few posts to this topic for some of the differences, or a list of differences that people have reported, summarized in CK's wiki.

I don't *think* the data was from Google previously, although I wouldn't swear to it, but I'm sure that it didn't have the satellite view or street view capabilities.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Aug 1, 2014 6:34:19 AM

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> I know the heat maps don't work correctly but the other maps still function like they always have.

scoutmaster - we're referring to the price map seen by selecting "Maps" / "Map Gas Prices" near the top of the full web page. This is very different for most of us; it has (for the rest of us) switched over to Google maps, and lost a lot of functionality.

Are you saying you don't see this? Do you not see the words "Map" / "Satellite" at the top right of the map, letting one switch to satellite view? Do you not see the little person icon just above the zoom slider, which you can drag onto the map to see a street view?

> I know the heat maps don't work correctly

Apparently, the heat maps used to let you zoom down lower and would switch over to the price map at some point, which it no longer does. (I never knew it did that; I always went right to the price map.) However, I feel that that loss is minor; the main topic of discussion here is the problems people are encountering using the price map itself.



Profile Pic heartsaver99 Rookie Author Maine

Posts:1 Points:85,770 Joined:Apr 2013 Message Posted: Aug 1, 2014 5:52:58 AM

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Count me as one of the frustrated with price map changes. This needs to be addressed soon or the site is to cumbersome to continue to use. We should be able to zoom into street level, see the location and post with less effort.


July==============================================


Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 31, 2014 10:35:57 PM

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dirt girl - "you have to zoom in at least twice." - Note that if you're zooming by clicking the '+', you can also zoom by grabbing the bar in the middle and dragging it to the desired zoom level.

In my case, more clicks are needed because I had a bookmark set up with the desired location, zoom level, fuel grade, and time period. Now I have to reposition, zoom more, change the fuel grade, and change the time period. It's definitely a lot more time-consuming.



Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,564 Points:3,531,760 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Jul 31, 2014 7:23:25 PM

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There are more steps to posting from the map, because now you have to zoom in more (more clicks) than before. Before the previous change, when you entered the zipcode you wanted, it took you directly to the page.

With the last change, you then had to zoom in one notch. Now, with this change, you have to zoom in at least twice. So yes, it is harder and more time consuming to post from the maps.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Jul 31, 2014 4:51:11 PM

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I'm sorry if you are offended that I used the word many.

Again you are correct however.

All that is really true is that it is more keystrokes than before, and I simply do not see that as an improvement. In fact, it annoys the h___ out of me, because it is stupid. I consider adding ONE additional keystroke a representation of stupidity, unless it provides gained value by doing so--and I don't see that either--at least there is no beneficial gain I can see. [Edited by: movrshakr at 7/31/2014 7:51:54 PM EST]



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,535 Points:1,971,240 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 31, 2014 3:08:44 PM

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Low: Just to be clear, is the "not update" problem you experience occurring with 1. Report a Price Here page seen when clicking the MGP map balloon's Report Price button on the full site? 2. Report Gas Prices section on the full site home page? 3. Report Gas Prices page selected from the full site banner menu? 4. FSL section of the full site home page? 5. Mobile app? 6. Something else? 7. A combination of the above?

If 1) only, that would be something to add to the recap list if you know that the problem doesn't manifest from any of the other methods of price reporting. I wouldn't want to imply that it is a map problem if it is a general price reporting problem, which should stand alone. [Edited by: CampKohler at 7/31/2014 6:10:03 PM EST]



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 30, 2014 10:05:42 PM

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> Can't get to MSL from the map balloon any more that I see.

1. Click on a price in the map.

2. Right-click on "View Details" and select "Open Link in New Tab" (or the equivalent for your browser, if you don't want to lose the current map view. Otherwise, just click on "View Details").

3. From the Station Details page, click on "Update Station Features"



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Jul 31, 2014 9:35:26 AM

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"How is it harder? "

Many more clicks required.

Ok, if you want to quibble over the English-- that is not "harder"; it is longer.

Also I was even more imprecise; often it is not extra clicks required, it is extra keypresses to enter prices even when they are the same as before.

If you think it is not harder, more power to you. I sure do. [Edited by: movrshakr at 7/31/2014 12:37:39 PM EST]



Profile Pic lowiowagas All-Star Author Iowa

Posts:509 Points:262,590 Joined:Mar 2008 Message Posted: Jul 31, 2014 5:02:38 AM

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Also having problems with newer prices actually updating.. One station had a price reported 15+ hours ago, entered the new price and the system thinks that this older price is actually newer than the current time I tried reporting a price... One more reason for 'exact' times being used (plus another 'glitch' to add to your tracker to fix).

If you can report a price at 6:58pm you should see that the price was actually posted at 6:58pm (not 6PM or 7PM by however the 'math' rounds incorrectly or correctly... I am not a big fan of GB thinking they need to round because people are supposedly stupid??



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,177 Points:486,600 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 30, 2014 10:05:42 PM

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> Can't get to MSL from the map balloon any more that I see.

1. Click on a price in the map.

2. Right-click on "View Details" and select "Open Link in New Tab" (or the equivalent for your browser, if you don't want to lose the current map view. Otherwise, just click on "View Details").

3. From the Station Details page, click on "Update Station Features"



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,124 Points:1,137,280 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Jul 30, 2014 1:05:40 PM

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"It is a very cynical thought but I have begun to wonder whether all of the awkwardness introduced to the posting process was on purpose."

I have a similar cynical thought, but with a bit different reasoning. It may be that the web site revenue is waning and is less and less profitable when compared to the profitability of the apps. The full site may possibly even have become an overhead liability to run and maintain; in essence a drain on the net.

It is likely that a good bit of the new biz is coming through the various apps. The web site, as we know it now, may be on its way out.

RG



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,887,225 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Jul 30, 2014 12:25:03 PM

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. "Sadly, it is far from just one extra step. Indeed, this method preserves the map’s parameters but it brings up a blank reporting form so one has to type in all of the prices instead of just click-escape for each price to be posted. After all, the vast majority of price posts amount to simple reposts of the previous prices. With the old map, only occasionally, when prices had changed or there were no recent prices, was it necessary to type in the numbers." . ^^^ ABSO-darn-LUTELY . The new map implementation is a complete backward leap--with little (no?) offsetting gains. Terrible.

Harder to enter prices--many more clicks required Data we used to readily see we no longer see or requires drill into to get. Things that were right before us now requires scroll. Can't get to MSL from the map balloon any more that I see...yet one more deterioration in user interface. [Edited by: movrshakr at 7/30/2014 3:27:00 PM EST]



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 28, 2014 11:17:48 PM

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Yes, the reporting method is much worse than it was. What I meant was that LM's (not my) workaround is a lot better than than not using it.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,535 Points:1,971,240 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 28, 2014 10:10:11 AM

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Low: The problem with price reporting taking you away from the centered and zoomed map page has a workaround LarryMarg stated in this topic days ago, namely, don't simply click the Report Prices button, but instead right click and use the Open Link in New Tab option (or whatever version of this wording your browser uses). The Report a Price Here page will open in a new tab, LEAVING THE MAP WHERE IT WAS IN THE PREVIOUS TAB. When done reporting, click back to the map's tab and carry on. It is an extra step, but it is only one extra step.

The rounding is a side effect of, instead of stating the time and letting the user do the math, the system doing the math for the user.* For most uses, this is good enough. Just out of curiosity, what is it that you wish to do that you need to know the exact time some price was posted? Or is it you wish to know the time as a reference when talking to others?

Grumpy: We are keeping our eyes peeled for a means to do this, one example of that being seen in this topic.


  • BTW, I captured a list the other day that did have the exact time in it, which appears to be a glitch. Enjo

[Edited by: CampKohler at 7/28/2014 1:17:33 PM EST]



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,375 Points:2,112,025 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Jul 28, 2014 9:53:47 PM

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It is a very cynical thought but I have begun to wonder whether all of the awkwardness introduced to the posting process was on purpose. This thought is reinforced by the total lack of comments from the Mods and the amount of time that has passed without any fixes.

The site’s ad revenue is based on the number of page clicks. Price posting now requires several additional clicks, hence more revenue, provided the number of price posts remains the same. That’s the rub, of course. As it gets tedious to post, many folks will do it less, making fewer page clicks, not more. I hope this is all wrong and that the maps will soon be repaired. In the meantime I will be posting only my local prices.



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,375 Points:2,112,025 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Jul 28, 2014 9:36:50 PM

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CK, “When done reporting, click back to the map's tab and carry on. It is an extra step, but it is only one extra step.”

Sadly, it is far from just one extra step. Indeed, this method preserves the map’s parameters but it brings up a blank reporting form so one has to type in all of the prices instead of just click-escape for each price to be posted. After all, the vast majority of price posts amount to simple reposts of the previous prices. With the old map, only occasionally, when prices had changed or there were no recent prices, was it necessary to type in the numbers. CK’s workaround does ease the tedium of reporting with the map but it is stil much more awkward than the old system.



Profile Pic bimmergary Sophomore Author Virginia

Posts:127 Points:625,705 Joined:Mar 2009 Message Posted: Jul 28, 2014 2:41:44 PM

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Right click equivalent on Android is to hold a tap until the popup menu shows.



Profile Pic GrumpyCat Champion Author Alabama

Posts:5,065 Points:1,180,035 Joined:Jun 2009 Message Posted: Jul 28, 2014 7:59:23 AM

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Ditto.

i have/had two bookmarks of areas zoomed appropriately with the desired product selected. These bookmarks no longer honor my zoom or product settings.



Profile Pic bimmergary Sophomore Author Virginia

Posts:127 Points:623,980 Joined:Mar 2009 Message Posted: Jul 28, 2014 2:41:44 PM

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Right click equivalent on Android is to hold a tap until the popup menu shows.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 28, 2014 10:10:11 AM

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Low: The problem with price reporting taking you away from the centered and zoomed map page has a workaround LarryMarg stated in this topic days ago, namely, don't simply click the Report Prices button, but instead right click and use the Open Link in New Tab option (or whatever version of this wording your browser uses). The Report a Price Here page will open in a new tab, LEAVING THE MAP WHERE IT WAS IN THE PREVIOUS TAB. When done reporting, click back to the map's tab and carry on. It is an extra step, but it is only one extra step.

The rounding is a side effect of, instead of stating the time and letting the user do the math, the system doing the math for the user.* For most uses, this is good enough. Just out of curiosity, what is it that you wish to do that you need to know the exact time some price was posted? Or is it you wish to know the time as a reference when talking to others?

Grumpy: We are keeping our eyes peeled for a means to do this, one example of that being seen in this topic.


  • BTW, I captured a list the other day that did have the exact time in it, which appears to be a glitch. Enjoy.

[Edited by: CampKohler at 7/28/2014 1:17:33 PM EST]



Profile Pic GrumpyCat Champion Author Alabama

Posts:5,068 Points:1,180,035 Joined:Jun 2009 Message Posted: Jul 28, 2014 7:59:23 AM

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Ditto.

i have/had two bookmarks of areas zoomed appropriately with the desired product selected. These bookmarks no longer honor my zoom or product settings.



Profile Pic ModelWarships Champion Author Missouri

Posts:7,266 Points:1,562,955 Joined:Jul 2008 Message Posted: Jul 28, 2014 6:23:35 AM

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FOR CRYING OUT LOAD PLEASE FIX THE MAP ALREADY!



Profile Pic lowiowagas All-Star Author Iowa

Posts:509 Points:262,590 Joined:Mar 2008 Message Posted: Jul 28, 2014 3:43:06 AM

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CampKohler The 'new' full-site MGP map station balloon only displays the already reported prices WITH a button on the bottom to report prices, that redirects to a form to enter and finally submit prices... It then redirects again to another 'thank-you for reporting these prices' page... So if you want to see the map again or even report another price (a nearby station maybe?) you have to start all over again... People would probably get more frustrated trying to do all of this and just give up & leave the website to do something else (especially if trying to report multiple station prices from the map).

The 'old' full-site MGP map would show the station balloon, allow you to click the price within the balloon & update right then & there. No redirects, no navigating back and forth to & from the map, especially if reporting several station prices in an area. It was much faster & easier with "updating within the station price balloon" on the 'old' maps than the 'new' maps with all of the redirects & website navigating.

The "report prices" button works, but is so much slower to use (especially if the website or ISP is having access issues..) Speed & Ease of Use are definitely things that need to be considered with fixing the 'new' map bugs.

Maybe a new "div" should be used as an overlay to add the report a price functionality onto the map itself.. probably an overlay for the "station_div"? Or just re-use the 'old' map code functionality within the 'new' map station balloon code?

Also users can submit prices by the Minute, but the 'new' map displays the date & time shown to be rounded by the hour. So a price posing on Sunday at 6:56PM would round up or down?? to either "Sun 6PM" or "Sun 7PM" on the map... The 'old' map would just show "Sun 6:56PM" for the time the price was reported. This should also be added to the list of items to fix.

Thanks CampKohler for keeping track of these issues with the new MGP maps. It would be nice if GB would Alpha test first to catch these earlier...


CampKohler Jul 27, 2014 "What did you mean by "Still can't update prices on the map?" Did you mean that you can't use the Report Prices button in the station balloon on the full-site MGP map to reach the Report a Price Here page? Or did you mean something else. Please reply on my WB. Thanks."



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,375 Points:2,112,025 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Jul 27, 2014 11:22:05 PM

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I made a trip to a nearby city today and could have reported 50 prices when I got back — but I limited my reporting to my local stations and a couple of others that are rarely reported. With no sensible way to post prices with the map it it just way too much trouble now.



Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,569 Points:3,531,860 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Jul 27, 2014 7:54:37 PM

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goldieolds, Saw your post.

Much better than the member who posts on the mods wb asking them to "pump up" so and so. :(



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 27, 2014 6:46:30 PM

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goldieolds - FYI - I had seen a similar thing for a different moderator, and went through the "Help / Contact Us" to report the apparent glitch, and got an emailed reply saying, "Fear not. TB posted the same message in every forum category, to get people's attention on this exciting topic."



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,652,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Jul 27, 2014 10:33:19 AM

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Wow, speaking of glitches and such.... I just looked up "forums started by" JT to get a link to go to his whiteboard to see if it says anything about him still being involved or not. And I got this page. A whole page full of the exact same same thing, except for the first one which has 97 replies. All with the exact same time, etc.

Anyway, I'm going to post a link to this forum on his WB and ask him to look into this. [Edited by: goldieolds at 7/27/2014 1:35:24 PM EST]



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 28, 2014 11:17:48 PM

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Yes, the reporting method is much worse than it was. What I meant was that LM's (not my) workaround is a lot better than than not using it.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 4:04:19 PM

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LM: I still don't see your post. Look at this graphic. Shouldn't it be between the two MF posts?

Scrap: I am using Win 7, IE 11 and ZIP, city and state map searches work fine. Can anyone else still using IE 8 give it a try? [Edited by: CampKohler at 7/25/2014 7:09:53 PM EST]



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 6:16:00 PM

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CK - not my graphic. (Thanks, TxJeans!)

Note that I did supply link text, but the text I supplied was the link itself.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 6:16:00 PM

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CK - not my graphic. (Thanks, TxJeans!)

Note that I did supply link text, but the text I supplied was the link itself.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 5:28:16 PM

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LM: I about fell off my chair when I saw your graphic. The answer is: your 10 o'clock is my 7 o'clock. GBO does autoconversion everywhere except in our texts, which I will have to remember in future when talking to "furriners." :-)

BTW, your link failed, because the Insert Link button won't form a link—either GBO or non-GBO, or to a domain or page—if there is no link text supplied. (Somehow the first right square bracket (]) got moved to the wrong place.) Now I will have to add that to the Links Guide (more work!). [Edited by: CampKohler at 7/25/2014 8:32:44 PM EST]



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 5:28:16 PM

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LM: I about fell off my chair when I saw your graphic. The answer is: your 10 o'clock is my 7 o'clock. GBO does autoconversion everywhere except in our texts, which I will have to remember in future when talking to "furriners." :-)

BTW, your link failed, because the Insert Link button won't form a link—either GBO or non-GBO, or to a domain or page—if there is no link text supplied. (Somehow the first right square bracket (]) got moved to the wrong place.) Now I will have to add that to the Links Guide (more work!). [Edited by: CampKohler at 7/25/2014 8:32:44 PM EST]



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 4:46:23 AM

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goldieolds - there was a large number of topics about the missing maps started in both the "Talk Back To Us?" and "Suggest a GasBuddy improvement" categories, with no indication that GB read any of them.

Since we're discussing ways to improve the new maps, I thought this category was the most appropriate.

Also, dirt girl started a topic in the "Talk Back To Us?" category with a pointer to this forum. Here's the link.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 4:38:42 PM

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Goldie: For the price searches on the full site, if you do a ZIP search, GBO's software first converts the ZIP to a city name and then searches by that name. Having said that, "...it doesn't go to a zipcode, it goes to a very large area of the Twin Cities metro area" sounds sort of like that, but I don't see that from my testing. We have many 958XX ZIPs assigned to Sacramento (covers a large area and so is not so useful due to the above-mentioned conversion process), but when I test with different 958 ZIPs the MGP map re-centers for each one, PROVING THAT THE MAP ZIP SEARCH WORKS AS ONE WOULD THINK with no ZIP-to-city-name conversions. Either it is using Google's code and not GBO's code, or GBO has finally got it right; either way, it works as expected. Can you retest using various geographically-adjacent ZIPs and nail down whether it actually re-centers at the proper place or not? (Since we are just stuffing a ZIP in the field and the map does it's thing, there should be no sensitivity to which browser or browser version we use.)

The STL was created for member use to look up the history for a given idea. It is not intended as a GBO input, although I would think looking at the number of topics on a given idea would be a lot more accurate judge of member desires than simply remembering how many have clambered for this or that over the years. As of the last few days, I added a temporary table at the top to collect all the MGP map ideas/complaints in one place until the map dust settles. (Love the smell of map dust in the mornin'.)

I put links in all the recently-started map topics in TBTU, so I don't think it will be hard to anyone to follow the bread crumbs. If you want to see if GBO reads this category, just start calling someone nasty names and see how long it takes for them to whisper in your shell-like ear that you shouldn't. (You can start with me, because I have a pretty thick skin what with all the GB scar tissue from the last 7 years.) [Edited by: CampKohler at 7/25/2014 7:40:37 PM EST]



Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,569 Points:3,531,860 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 4:34:13 PM

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How ironic is it that under the old map system, I was able to use XP IE6 to post prices on the heat map.

I think someone mentioned the site possibly supplying a shortcut for people with slower connections.

Fwiw, the county library where I live thought about the residents with slower connections and has a mobile "link" on the home page so those of us who could care less about "cloud" browsing can find what we want with less hassle. The state lottery also supplied a shortcut when I asked so I could check my losing numbers. :)

I realize that these are government agencies but if they can do it, then it's possible for this site to do the same. And goldieolds is correct when she states that this site is where it's at today because of us, the members.



Profile Pic TxJeans Champion Author Tampa

Posts:6,990 Points:734,725 Joined:May 2004 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 4:16:45 PM

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CK - LarryMarg. said:

<<<<Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 9:01:57 PM CK - > Arco that was between 24 & 48 hours old, yet the station detail shows no reported prices.

That's what I reported in my post of Jul 18, 2014 10:44:44 PM: >> Despite the fact that it has prices available for each grade, if I click on the price when any grade is selected in the map, the pop-up dialog doesn't show me any prices. >>>

here is the post [Edited by: TxJeans at 7/25/2014 7:17:02 PM EST]



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 4:04:19 PM

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LM: I still don't see your post. Look at this graphic. Shouldn't it be between the two MF posts?

Scrap: I am using Win 7, IE 11 and ZIP, city and state map searches work fine. Can anyone else still using IE 8 give it a try? [Edited by: CampKohler at 7/25/2014 7:09:53 PM EST]



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,888,025 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 11:41:56 AM

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. goldieolds--

PERFECTLY SAID!

I know the GasBuddy staff appreciates us pointing out the new map deficiencies (failures?) because you can see them disappearing by the day. NOT!!!!!! [Edited by: movrshakr at 7/25/2014 2:43:15 PM EST]



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,050 Points:2,854,275 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 8:21:16 AM

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Windows 7 IE 8. Can not zoom in by using a zip code, city or state. The drop down menus to change grades of gasoline or time are present but there are no numbers or words, so you have to know what they are based on experience with another system or browser.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,652,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 6:59:32 AM

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LarryMarg, thank you. Yes, I get that it was a judgement call that could go either way. I was influenced by something someone else had said about it previously. I know about dirt girl's link. I just checked and someone happened to post to it yesterday -- the only post after the OP. Unless people people keep posting in it, it will fall lower and lower and eventually drop off. That's why I suggested a new forum with a link to this one for previous posts. But if they're not monitoring that one, either, then there's no point.

Re: my previous post about the station details no longer showing if a station is open 24-hours, I have now seen a station that says that it is open 24-hours. I *think* what might be going on is that they could only be listing it if it IS open 24-hours, but not saying if it is not. So the first several stations that I looked at for that are probably not open 24-hours, so it didn't say anything. Finally I looked at one that is. That's my best guess, anyway.

But we should NOT have to guess at it. First of all it should be clear, and second of all they should notify us of changes and how to interpret and use them. That's their responsibility, not ours to guess, assume, try to figure out and teach each other.

That's about the change, as far as a suggestion for an improvement, it would help me a lot if it gave the actual hours. This is not hypothetical information for me. The other night I was looking at the maps, trying to figure out where I wanted to go to fill up. The station that was my first choice, by price and proximity, I'd never been to before and had no idea how late it was open. There was a phone number, but when I wrote it down and went into the other room to call, what I got was a fax tone, not a person or any info about hours. It had taken me so long to navigate the maps, that it was after 9 pm. I figured, by its location, that it wasn't 24-hour, but didn't know if it was open til 10 or ll or? I got there about 3 minutes before they closed and I had to prepay. I didn't know how many gals it would take to fill, so I underestimated, not wanting to overpay. As I result, it did not fill. Gas there that night was $3.34, the lowest of any SAs that were a reasonable distance and worth the drive. (I got to SA to use coupons, discounts, etc.) The next day, yesterday, it went up to $3.45.

By itself this is not such a big deal; it worked out. But it is an example of the frustrations of using these new, slow, maps. And it almost cost me money, which is the opposite of what the site says is its mission.

It is also an example of why I prefer the maps for searching gas prices. I live near the border of three towns, and there are two or three others that are close enough that I would go to if the prices were right. It's much, much easier to look within that radius on the maps, than to have to loo town by town in the search functions. Sometimes the station that I choose, with the best price, I've never been to before, so it would not be on my fsl.

Scout, of course the fsl has always been an option. Key word *option*. We consider it a workaround b/c it is NOT our preferred way of posting, and AAMOF, it is inferior for our purposes and situations. That's why they have (had?) options -- b/c we are all different and have different situations, and different ways of posting work for different people.

If you "have had no difficulty posting prices the way I do everyday." I know that is true for many. But it is not true for many others of us.

Grrrr... I hate it when people think that what works for them should work for everybody else.



Profile Pic ModelWarships Champion Author Missouri

Posts:7,266 Points:1,562,955 Joined:Jul 2008 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 6:31:54 AM

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The new map sucks. click one station to post a price and watch how long it take to get back on the map to post the next one. Why can't we have real time input like before?



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 4:46:23 AM

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goldieolds - there was a large number of topics about the missing maps started in both the "Talk Back To Us?" and "Suggest a GasBuddy improvement" categories, with no indication that GB read any of them.

Since we're discussing ways to improve the new maps, I thought this category was the most appropriate.

Also, dirt girl started a topic in the "Talk Back To Us?" category with a pointer to this forum. Here's the link.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,652,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 3:53:27 AM

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DG, I tried opening the maps from Hawai'i the other night. I put in a Mpls zipcode and it did open to the Twin Cities. But I suppose if it is just too slow for you with dial-up, then it won't help you.

But that reminds me of something else. Since we have to tell the maps where to open now, I use a Minneapolis zipcode to get close to where I want the map to be. But it doesn't go to a zipcode, it goes to a very large area of the Twin Cities metro area, which is a whole bunch of zipcodes. But I guess that's relatively minor, compared to all the other issues.


CampKohler Jul 27, 2014 "What did you mean by "Still can't update prices on the map?" Did you mean that you can't use the Report Prices button in the station balloon on the full-site MGP map to reach the Report a Price Here page? Or did you mean something else. Please reply on my WB. Thanks."



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,652,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 3:39:59 AM

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dirt girl, that's a good idea. I guess I'll have to start a fsl there, too. You've done it and it works? I've have to resort to using my fsl for posting locally, too, and I really don't like posting that way, esp since I often have a list of stations that I saw the prices at different times, so I can't post them all at once

There are just too many problems, too much having to find workarounds, too much having to click and open new pages, too many things that either don't work now or work much less satisfactorily than before. Why? To make us click more so they can make more from advertising? Without all of us doing this voluntarily for all this time, the site would not be what it is today and they could not have sold it to OPIS. IOW, they have profited from our free labor. We've done it b/c we've gotten to save money as a result, and a few other perks. But ultimately, if using it is too much trouble and causes too much frustration, many of us will go away and the whole thing will collapse.

CK, sorry, but I will probably continue to post my experiences, and I think others will too. I assume the mods are getting paid for monitoring these forums; we don't. If they'd been doing it since this mess started, then they wouldn't have to wade through so many pages.

I don't have an especially technical mind, and trying to figure out some of the stuff you and others are saying sometimes can give me a headache. If we say the same thing in different words, it is likely that we understand it in different words, and we have to say it in the way that we understand it.

I looked at your tracking page the other day and didn't really get it, or what the point was. It didn't appear that it is monitored by the mods.

It is unfortunate that this forum was not started in the "Talk Back" forum. It might be more useful to replace this forum with a new one there, and put a link to this one in the OP. But does anyone know if the mods are even monitoring that one?

BTW, if I sound angry, it is b/c I am. But it is toward the site and its owners and employees, not at anyone of you here.

CK, I don't mean to sound angry to you, b/c I addressed part of my comments to you. I appreciate that you are trying to be helpful. Thank you. [Edited by: goldieolds at 7/25/2014 6:45:21 AM EST]



Profile Pic lowiowagas All-Star Author Iowa

Posts:509 Points:262,590 Joined:Mar 2008 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 8:42:33 AM

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Maps are 'somewhat' back...

http://www.iowastategasprices.com/Price_By_County.aspx This Still Doesn't Work

www.iowastategasprices.com/map_gas_prices.aspx This is the 'new' working link

Still can't update prices on the map. And the Date/Time Shown is rounded by the Hour, even though you can report prices by the Minute... Still Lots of work to get this even close to the 'old' maps (It is something to look at now, but not very useful!)



Profile Pic jcs72 Champion Author Dayton

Posts:6,379 Points:2,175,390 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Jul 25, 2014 12:59:00 AM

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Some days when I do not enter prices during the day I enter prices from the Los Angeles site since it's 3 hours behind Dayton, and when I entered some prices on the LA site (using the map and using some Dayton locations so that my points would be assessed to the previous day), the times they were posted were three hours prior to when I saw them. In other words, I entered the time for 12:45 am (Dayton time), and they came back 9:45 pm the previous day. [Edited by: jcs72 at 7/25/2014 3:59:43 AM EST]



Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,569 Points:3,531,860 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 8:36:27 PM

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CampKohler, I've already found one work around by adding some stations from my fsl to a new fsl on the Hawaii site.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 8:29:40 PM

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CK - Yes in this topic; currently in the second page of posts.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 7:14:51 PM

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LM: "...my post of Jul 18, 2014 10:44:44 PM." Can't find it. MadFueler has posts that brackets that time, but you're not in between them. Was it in this topic?

DG: All I can do is sympathize. I don't see GBO going back to the old maps that can't be corrected by users. Perhaps some of the changes suggested in this topic will eventually allow you to go directly to the place and zoom level desired in order to speed things up. Or maybe we will learn new techniques that will make it work without any changes. [Edited by: CampKohler at 7/24/2014 10:18:42 PM EST]


Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,569 Points:3,531,860 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 7:10:55 PM

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CampKohler, Please understand that some of us are using dial-up because we can't afford cable or dsl. Others are using it because it's not available. Not everyone has a cell phone that they can access the internet with either.

With dial-up, accessing the MSL is virtually impossible because it takes so long to load. Also note that google maps with dial-up take an incredibly long time to load.

So what was possible with dial-up and the old maps is extremely time consuming if not next to impossible now.

I hope that makes things clear to you now. [Edited by: dirt girl at 7/24/2014 10:11:38 PM EST]



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 7:05:01 PM

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ANYONE REPORTING PROBLEMS: PLEASE GIVE EXACT DETAILS SO THAT ANYONE ELSE CAN DUPLICATE YOUR RESULTS. GETTING REALLY TICKED BY A LACK OF DETAILS. WHICH STATION IS HAVING THE PROBLEM. WHAT DID YOU CLICK ON EXACTLY? OH, IS THIS SHOUTING? SORRY, I HAVE A BANANA IN MY EAR.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 7:00:15 PM

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Goldie: "Previously, if you accidentally hit on "Maps" from the top menu instead of "Map Gas Prices" from the sub-menu, you could zoom in to get the prices, and it would be for the area you were logged into."

Clicking Maps defaults to the first item on the sub menu, namely, Gas Price Heat Maps, which when you get there is labeled, USA National Gas Price Heat Map. This map does not zoom down to a MGP map, but I can't remember if this one used to do it or if it was another heat map that did.

The [some-site-name] Heat Map does not zoom at all using the Zoom Out or Zoom In buttons. However, if you first use the slide control to zoom in, you can then click the Zoom Out button to zoom out back to its original zoom. The slide control does not zoom out at all. I don't know whether this is the intended operation or if it is broken.

"If you accidentally zoom in too far...you can't get out without starting all over." I tried zooming all the way in with IE, Chrome and FF and they all zoomed back out with no problem. Things may have changed. Can you replicate this now? If so, tell us exactly what you did.


Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 6:01:57 PM

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CK - > Arco that was between 24 & 48 hours old, yet the station detail shows no reported prices.

That's what I reported in my post of Jul 18, 2014 10:44:44 PM: >> Despite the fact that it has prices available for each grade, if I click on the price when any grade is selected in the map, the pop-up dialog doesn't show me any prices.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 5:02:12 PM

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rick_evans: "...reporting prices from the map display returns you to the map display...." The problem is not so much about where it goes back to (the Thank You page) as much as it is where the price reporting starts from. If instead of clicking Report Prices—which starts the reporting in the same tab where the map was—you right click and start in a new tab, when the reporting is done, it goes to the Thank You page in the new tab, leaving the map as it was in the old tab. This is a tedious workaround, of course, but I wanted to point out that this is really the same issue that LarryMarg reported on the 17th.

I am starting to notice that when one member finds a problem, it is really just the same problem another member discovered earlier, but looked at a bit differently. Now we can't expect everyone to plow back through all the previous posts in this topic to find that out, so just look at the map issue recap table at the top of the STL.

"If you're trying to report more than one station having navigate back to the map display gets tedious." Again, it's the same problem; don't leave the map and you won't have to navigate back, unless you want to call clicking the tab where the map was and still is "navigating."

"...clicking on the price brings up the cash/credit price display why not just use that dialog to enter prices...." RichWLIN suggested that earlier.

So it's "deja vu all over again" and I've only looked at 1/2 the posts in this topic. It won't be so hard after I've memorized them all. [Edited by: CampKohler at 7/24/2014 8:02:57 PM EST]



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 4:20:00 PM

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LM: There is definitely something going on with the Time Limit stuff. First, I understand what you were saying about the prices being in the system even though they are beyond the max age for a given site on a given day. I was wrong about OLD; OLD means the prices are beyond 96 hours, not just beyond the max age.

While studying up on this, I noticed a couple of oddities: 1. Valero that was between 48 & 72 hours old, yet the station detail shows the last reported price is less than one hour old. 2. Arco that was between 24 & 48 hours old, yet the station detail shows no reported prices. (See examples of above in photo album.)



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 2:59:53 PM

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If you expand a station that is near the top of the map, the resulting balloon may be positioned so that the some of the balloon is cropped by the edge of the browser window. For said stations, the balloon should open below the station marker (vs. above).

An alternative is to allow grabbing the balloon with the cursor in order to move the map and balloon downward together. Currently, attempting to grab the map causes the balloon to collapse.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 8:36:39 AM

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RichWLIN - is it possible that no price has been reported for those stations in the past 24 hours? Do they show up if you change the search criteria from 24 hours to 48 hours? (Or even all the way up to 96 hours?)



Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,569 Points:3,531,860 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 8:36:27 PM

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CampKohler, I've already found one work around by adding some stations from my fsl to a new fsl on the Hawaii site.



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,125 Points:1,137,280 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Jul 24, 2014 7:44:41 AM

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The maps are getting more squirrely every day!

Today, I used a zip code search and noticed that a Marathon icon that was appearing yesterday no longer does, even though these icons are appearing for Marathon stations elsewhere on the map.

Zooming in to the small town where the Marathon icon is now missing didn't do any good; none of the station icons are now appearing including two major brands stations, Shell and Sunoco. But this was where things got a little more strange.

I decided to enter another zip code in a larger town about 125 miles to the north. No stations were returned because instead of arriving near the center of the zip code, it is apparent that the map position with respect to the center of the previous zip code map view had been retained! The distance and direction of the panning and zoom level from the previous view is where I arrived within the new zip code. This is really hinky!

I tried entering city names instead of zip codes, but the results are the same. This is a flaw that needs to be addressed if the maps are going to be useful for more than one search at a sitting.

RG


Profile Pic MBAcura Champion Author Orlando

Posts:4,150 Points:1,136,490 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Jul 23, 2014 12:52:24 PM

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As Modelwarships says: Now I am taken to a new page and have to navigate back to the map all over again to repeat for each price. When you select report a price or view details about a station from the map, you should launch a Div Layer, not a full screen.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,888,025 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Jul 23, 2014 12:39:17 PM

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. And silence from the site...

The new maps are a total mess. If they remain in this state, I will be unable to use the maps--and that was 90% of my time on the web page--checking prices and entering prices. I will not let a site beat me up. Nope. Too much other stuff in my life to deal with such aggravation.

What's worse is wwe hear nothing from the owners. We have no clue if "this is what you get" or if they are working feverishly to better it--and what deficiencies are being corrected.

Bad scene all around. Hey GasBuddy. We are what keep your site going. You don't have us inputting prices and you are kaput.


Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,050 Points:2,854,275 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Jul 23, 2014 8:49:18 AM

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If a price has been deleted (zeroed out) it is removed from the app and area search for the website but continues to appear on the map.


Profile Pic ModelWarships Champion Author Missouri

Posts:7,266 Points:1,562,955 Joined:Jul 2008 Message Posted: Jul 23, 2014 7:37:45 AM

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I am not a fan of the new maps. The old map had a more direct method of price entry. Now I am taken to a new page and have to navigate back to the map all over again to repeat for each price. At least return me to the map when I enter and keep my same location and zoom level so I can easily navigate to the next station on my route.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 23, 2014 6:18:07 AM

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goldieolds wrote: > TimLee said, "You have to select the Map link on the detail screen to go back to the previous view."

> What/where is that? I always get to the maps from the menu bar.

That's right - you have to either select "Maps" / "Map Gas Prices" from the menu bar, or use a saved bookmark, to access the price maps. Once you're viewing a price map, if you click on a station, and in the resulting pop-up click on "View Details", that brings you to a "station details" screen. From that screen, if you click on "Map" (on the left, below the station address & phone number), it will bring you to a map view of the station.

Note that it doesn't actually bring you to the previous view; it's zoomed in on that station, but the "Fuel Type" and "Time Limit" selections revert to Regular and 24 Hours - reflecting neither your previous selection nor the values specified in the URL on the Details page.



Profile Pic Kirk33 Rookie Author Michigan

Posts:22 Points:889,790 Joined:Nov 2008 Message Posted: Jul 22, 2014 1:11:22 PM

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The trailing zero causing stations to disappear appears to be fixed.



Profile Pic TimLee Champion Author Chattanooga

Posts:13,634 Points:2,540,890 Joined:Jul 2006 Message Posted: Jul 22, 2014 10:49:43 AM

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Needs work. If you select details it would be better if going backwards in browser took you back to the previous map view. It does not. You have to select the Map link on the detail screen to go back to the previous view. Poor configuration that browser back ddoesn't do the same thing.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,652,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Jul 22, 2014 10:04:20 PM

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TimLee said, "You have to select the Map link on the detail screen to go back to the previous view."

What/where is that? I always get to the maps from the menu bar.

Previously, if you accidentally hit on "Maps" from the top menu instead of "Map Gas Prices" from the sub-menu, you could zoom in to get the prices, and it would be for the area you were logged into.

Now it doesn't do any of that. If you zoom in on the heat map, you only get a larger version of the same things; it won't zoom in to the prices. Then you have to start all over again, with zipcode or city, state, etc.

If you accidentally zoom in too far, or if the maps do it on their own, which happened tonight, you can't get out without starting all over. I couldn't get it to just zoom out. And I use "just" loosely, b/c sometimes it took many minutes for it to reload. Sometimes the prices boxes loaded, but there was no map beneath them, so you had to guess at the station's locations. And on and on.



Profile Pic Zimcity Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:70,164 Points:4,152,610 Joined:Aug 2001 Message Posted: Jul 22, 2014 6:16:36 AM

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Another upgrade that takes the site backwards.

Definitely needs to have a save zoom settings and also a cash/credit toggle.

Oh and make the heat maps work like they used to too.



Profile Pic Scrapheap Champion Author Virginia

Posts:17,050 Points:2,854,275 Joined:Sep 2006 Message Posted: Jul 22, 2014 4:00:55 AM

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It would be very helpful if stations that were "temporarily closed" had a note in red saying the station was temporarily closed like the old maps. It is a very useful tool to tell people that they are either reporting on the wrong station or that the MSL entry needs to be updated.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 21, 2014 7:41:41 PM

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Just discovered a new problem - it's bad enough that the map displays the credit prices despite the fact that the FAQ says cash is primary. But if a station is flagged as dual-priced and only cash prices have been entered, the station doesn't show up on the map at all.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 21, 2014 6:31:53 AM

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rick_evans - that was mentioned below by Kirk33 (and others). First, it drops trailing zeros (possibly because it's stored as a numeric value rather than a string), and second, "It would appear the map is ignoring prices if it doesn't contain three digits."



Profile Pic rick_evans Champion Author Boston

Posts:6,171 Points:1,523,890 Joined:Aug 2005 Message Posted: Jul 21, 2014 3:34:23 AM

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Strange possible bug:

This MA station below does not appear on new map display for regular or midgrade even if I select ALL in the hours selector.

Station: Stop & Shop, 932 N Montello St & Albion St,Brockton

It does appear when Premium is selected.

When it's clicked to show details the following prices appear $3.5, $3.6, $3.79. I thought the problem might be the lack of 0s on the first two prices so I re-entered them as 3.50 and 3.60. The problem persists.

Several other stations are also missing when regular and ALL(hours) are selected but do appear when midgrade or premium are selected.

This problem only appeared with the new map deployment. [Edited by: rick_evans at 7/21/2014 6:35:17 AM EST]



Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,569 Points:3,531,860 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Jul 20, 2014 6:14:21 PM

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There is now a link to this topic in the "Talk Back to Us" forum.

link



Profile Pic Gas_Buddy Champion Author Maryland

Posts:29,427 Points:3,533,970 Joined:Aug 2004 Message Posted: Jul 20, 2014 5:58:12 PM

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Now the the problem has been "worked" by Gas Buddy (not saying to everyone's satisfaction), where are all the long time/low point members that started topics complaining about the maps or added their complaints (including some saying they'd leave Gas Buddy), the 120 point members with 3 years membership, etc.?

The issue is no longer worth commenting on (let alone not posting prices)? No comment of "It's working...not working...thanks for working on the issue", etc.? Just wondering; that's all.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 20, 2014 3:28:38 PM

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movrshakr, there was a large number of topics about the missing maps started in both the "Talk Back To Us?" and "Suggest a GasBuddy improvement" categories, with no indication that GB read any of them.

Since we're discussing ways to improve the new maps, I thought this category was the most appropriate.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 20, 2014 2:29:38 PM

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Everyone: If you do PM mods, please include the link to the STL (http://gb-tracking.wikispaces.com) and ask them to review the recap at the top of the page. I have limited time to maintain this today, but beginning Monday, I will have a lot of time for at least 4 days to scrape up the problems.

Rich: I just tested with FF27 and IE10 and the Search by City, State or Zip function worked in all cases. You do see a "No Stations Found" msg if the map is zoomed in so far as to exclude all stations (which it may do by default for some areas, e.g. ND), so it would be an improvement for the msg to read, "No stations at this zoom level." Could you retest, and if you still see the problem, please state your exact searches and I will try them.



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,888,025 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Jul 20, 2014 2:10:56 PM

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. "Replacing the MGP map was the last step in the upgrade to handle full-site cash & credit. Now it is back and ready to be fine tuned per member feedback in this topic.

Go forth and feed back."

Wouldn't feedback be seen more quickly in "Talk Back To Us?"



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,888,025 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Jul 20, 2014 2:03:11 PM

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. ACK just discovered I can't enter prices anymore using the map popup for a station.

Has anybody seen any IMPROVEMENT in the maps from the changes that were made? All I see is functionality removed..zoom, saving location, entering prices (duh--isn't that the principal function of the site?) [Edited by: movrshakr at 7/20/2014 5:04:58 PM EST]



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,888,025 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Jul 20, 2014 1:57:04 PM

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"There is NO indication that they are even monitoring this forum. Or the previous ones. We have heard not a peep from them here or in the previous maps forums last week re the maps issues."

^^ That is why this should have been in the "Talk Back To Us" Subforum.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,652,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Jul 20, 2014 8:26:25 AM

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Folks PLEASE LET THE MODS KNOW DIRECTLY of your concerns and issues about the maps. There is NO indication that they are even monitoring this forum. Or the previous ones. We have heard not a peep from them here or in the previous maps forums last week re the maps issues.

They need to know what the problems are in order to fix them [crossed fingers]. And the need to know that it's not just a few who might be the squeaky wheels. It does no good for us to just talk to each other about it.

Thanks!


Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,125 Points:1,137,280 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Jul 20, 2014 8:08:37 AM

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I initially had issues with IE 8 while AdBlock Plus was running and the Map Gas Prices page would not finish loading. However, there are still more problems with IE 8 even after disabling the blocking program. The map will pan and zoom fine, and the satellite images are functional, but the search for zip code or place name is not working at all. This isn't an issue with Chrome.

When selecting Map Gas Prices under Maps on the main menu bar, the Fuel Type and Time Limit pull down menus are still blank in IE 8 on an XP PC. This isn't true with Chrome running on the same system.

When selecting the map using the icon adjacent to a displayed station's price, the map will open correctly to the area. It is now possible to leave the window, enter prices and return to the same view using the back button. This wouldn't work the last time I looked; it would return to the North America map. This problem seems to have been addressed.

I'm still only seeing icons for a few station brands (Marathon and a very few others) but most are not displaying correctly and only a price appears. The same is true using Chrome and with IE 11 on Win 8.1 while icons for all major stations seem to be working correctly in the new Android app.

More later,

RG [Edited by: RichWLIN at 7/20/2014 11:10:09 AM EST]



Profile Pic GKW All-Star Author Virginia

Posts:888 Points:295,655 Joined:Nov 2003 Message Posted: Jul 20, 2014 4:02:49 AM

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Good to have maps back! The heat maps did not allow pin pointing price variations within the "heat" zones. [Edited by: GKW at 7/20/2014 7:03:54 AM EST]



Profile Pic jrsva Champion Author Virginia

Posts:12,375 Points:2,112,025 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 11:20:00 PM

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As noted in almost all the posts below, the new Map Gas Prices feature is a complete disaster. The Google base map is great — I’ve been asking for that for years. The old base map was horribly out of date. That is the ONLY favorable thing I can say.

As the OP says, one cannot bookmark the map so that one can open it with specific features selected. For example, I have a bookmarked URL that includes this string: z=9&lat=38.43&long=-78.88&ft=A&tl=All That sets the zoom level, the lat/lon, all fuel types, and all stations (no time limit). I have six different map setups bookmarked; now none of them work properly.

Worse, if one clicks on a station’s map pin and then returns to the map, it has reset to the default of 24 hours and the default zoom. This makes any use of the map highly tedious.

The price entry method on the map pin is tedious to the point of being unworkable. Previously, if one wanted to update a price with the same value one could click on it and hit Escape, which would re-enter the same price. One could do that for all four prices in just a few seconds, then select a time spotted and click submit, which would send the prices and return one to the map. NO LONGER. Now one must click on the station pin, then click on Report Prices, then type them all in even if unchanged. Clicking Submit brings up a Thank You page. One must then hit the Back button twice to return to the map and there all of the parameters have reset to default values. What a disaster.

If the map pin shows a price but it is older than 24 hours it disappears when one clicks on the map pin. Previously, the pin would say “Old” for prices older than (maybe 48 hours ??) but when clicked on it would display prices for all four grades back to 96 hours. I want to see older prices because they do not change often in this area and most are updated infrequently as well.

When one clicks on a map pin and then on Report Prices, it brings up the reporting page with all four grades check marked even if the station does not sell all four. This encourages bogus price posting, which is already rampant on GB.

When one sets the map to show All Stations, it shows those that are closed as well as active stations. Clicking on Report Prices opens the price-reporting page even for a station that is out of business. I have not tested it to see if the system will accept prices for a closed station but whether it does or not, closed stations should never appear on the map. (They appeared under the old system too, so this is not a new issue.)

I hope, as does everyone here, that these deficiencies will be corrected soon. When I make a run to the city every week or so I have typically collected anywhere from 50 to 100 prices, occasionally more, and reported them, some from an FSL but mostly from the map. I guarantee that I will NOT be doing that anymore with the current map setup. It is just too tedious and time consuming. I will limit my price posting to a few nearby stations that I can post from my FSL. This is very frustrating.



Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,569 Points:3,531,860 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Jul 20, 2014 12:17:18 AM

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The option to extend the posting day by posting prices from another state is also an obstacle now.



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,125 Points:1,137,280 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Jul 20, 2014 8:08:37 AM

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I initially had issues with IE 8 while AdBlock Plus was running and the Map Gas Prices page would not finish loading. However, there are still more problems with IE 8 even after disabling the blocking program. The map will pan and zoom fine, and the satellite images are functional, but the search for zip code or place name is not working at all. This isn't an issue with Chrome.

When selecting Map Gas Prices under Maps on the main menu bar, the Fuel Type and Time Limit pull down menus are still blank in IE 8 on an XP PC. This isn't true with Chrome running on the same system.

When selecting the map using the icon adjacent to a displayed station's price, the map will open correctly to the area. It is now possible to leave the window, enter prices and return to the same view using the back button. This wouldn't work the last time I looked; it would return to the North America map. This problem seems to have been addressed.

I'm still only seeing icons for a few station brands (Marathon and a very few others) but most are not displaying correctly and only a price appears. The same is true using Chrome and with IE 11 on Win 8.1 while icons for all major stations seem to be working correctly in the new Android app.

More later,

RG [Edited by: RichWLIN at 7/20/2014 11:10:09 AM EST]



Profile Pic jcs72 Champion Author Dayton

Posts:6,379 Points:2,175,390 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 10:38:59 PM

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Some of the contributed station photos are missing, too!


Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,569 Points:3,531,860 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 10:30:32 PM

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I also tried the map gas prices map. It takes even longer to load than the other maps.

I realize that JT and others probably put a lot of work into this but it is far from user friendly. :(



Profile Pic dirt girl Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:38,569 Points:3,531,860 Joined:Oct 2004 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 9:56:28 PM

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I'm using Windows 7 pro IE 10 on dial-up.

The new map (both general heat map and local heat map) takes forever to load and then I still can't zoom in close enough to even come close to the correct zipcode.

I've tried right clicking to get to the correct zipcode but it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Every time TBTB make an "improvement" to the site, it means increased load times and other problems.

IMHO, this new feature is not an improvement and is more frustrating than anything else.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,652,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 9:48:15 PM

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Has anyone heard/read anything from the mods as to whether this is the final version of the maps, or if it is still a work-in-progress that they put up so we'd have something until they finished? I dearly hope it is the latter, but it doesn't seem probable.

The missing station phenomenon happened to me the other night. A station disappeared after I submitted the price, which did NOT end in "0". It ended in a "4".

Ok, I just tried right clicking on "report a price" and it did open in a new tab, and it is easier than starting over. But it is certainly NOT as easy as it was before. Thanks for the tip.

I do not have a great memory, and it's worse for numbers. In the old system, I'd look at the old price and note in my mind if it was the same as the price I saw. If it is, then when I get into the posting window, if I forget the exact numbers I could just look down at the map and see it. Now I don't see it. Of course I can write it down, or if it's already written, I can look for the little piece of paper again. But why have to bother?

Similarly if I'm reporting prices at stations that are near each other, sometimes I forget which one I opened, it's just easier to look down at the map and see it spatially.

Some of us are more visual and do not have linear minds like computer programmers. That was one thing that was nice before, that there were options to how we could post, and we could choose the one that worked best for us. Now that option has, in some ways, been eliminated.

The bottom line is that they have previously wanted to encourage people to post prices, to strengthen the site. Making major changes that make it harder, more time consuming and confusing, does not further that goal.

I just hope that everyone who agrees that this is inferior to the old one, will contact the mods and let them know.

Oh, and I while ago when I was just trying things, I accidentally zoomed in too far, then when I zoomed back out to where it had been, one side of the map failed to reload. I waited a while, went to a couple of other tabs and then came back a couple of minutes later and it still hadn't loaded. Much longer than the previous wait. It did eventually load, but quite a few minutes later, after I'd given up thinking that it would. Who's going to want to wait that long to report or even to check prices?



Profile Pic west_of_lville Rookie Author Atlanta

Posts:1 Points:250,900 Joined:Feb 2013 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 7:22:47 PM

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rick_evans: Do the current prices for the selected grade at the the stations in question end in 0? As noted below by MBAcura and Kirk33, stations with current prices divisible by 10¢ currently vanish from the map. If the stations have current prices that don't end in 0 for other grades, selecting the other grade on the map will make the station appear.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 5:50:17 PM

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rick_evans - have you tried setting the time limit to "All"? The default map view only shows stations which have had prices reported in the past 24 hours. You can increase the limit up to 96 hours, or select "All" to see all stations regardless of if they've had any prices posted within the past 4 days.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 4:34:27 PM

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LM: I'm tight on session time today, but will investigate the Time Limit stuff tomorrow.



Profile Pic rick_evans Champion Author Boston

Posts:6,171 Points:1,523,890 Joined:Aug 2005 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 12:59:10 PM

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I notice a number of stations are now missing from the map even though they are in the GB database.



Profile Pic rick_evans Champion Author Boston

Posts:6,171 Points:1,523,890 Joined:Aug 2005 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 12:09:23 PM

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Please go back to the mode where reporting prices from the map display returns you to the map display instead of the favorite stations display.

If you're trying to report more than one station having navigate back to the map display gets tedious. The old way worked. Why change it?

For that matter as long as clicking on the price brings up the cash/credit price display why not just use that dialog to enter prices instead of clicking a button to open a new window?



Profile Pic rick_evans Champion Author Boston

Posts:6,171 Points:1,523,890 Joined:Aug 2005 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 12:00:02 PM

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Color code and show cash price by default.

Assuming you still agree with your own FAQ.

"GasBuddy's goal is to help everyone make wise fueling decisions. "



Profile Pic RichWLIN Champion Author Indiana

Posts:7,125 Points:1,137,280 Joined:Jun 2011 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 5:31:01 AM

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Just checked the maps at home on an older XP PC with IE 8. The maps never finish loading. The fuel type and time limit drop down menus remain incomplete.

I wasn't sure if this had something to do with an ad blocking program, so I opened a Chrome browser window without the ad block software enabled and it finished loading normally with completed drop down menus. Disabling Adblock Plus in the IE browser corrected the issue as well. This may be a problem for folks with this system configuration.

I can now see stations, pan and zoom the map; however, not every station is showing up and there are some missing here and there.

Also, not all of the icons for stations are displaying. The Marathon icon is showing and a few others, but there are major station icons that appear correctly in the app like Shell and Sunoco for instance that are not recognized here on the full web site.

I'll check this on newer systems and browsers at the office later and report back if there are any other nuances.

RG



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 8:57:12 AM

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> it shows me prices for the past 24 hours, and if I click on "Show Search Options", the "Prices in the last..." drop-down won't let me select more than 24 hours.

Interesting - that was true last night; today it is showing prices for the last 36 hours, and the drop-down goes up to 36. However, the map is still showing me prices that are more than 48 hours old.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 6:07:12 AM

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goldieolds wrote: > I tried right-clicking to open map in a separate tab, but it didn't work.

What I had suggested was not opening the map in a separate tab, but rather from the map, after you click on a station and see the pop-up that says "Report Prices", right-click on that and select "Open in new tab". That way, your map view remains undisturbed while you enter the prices.



Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,652,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 5:26:53 AM

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From MBAcura: "I would also suggest putting the name of the price poster on the map balloon rather than having to view details."

I agree!!



Profile Pic MBAcura Champion Author Orlando

Posts:4,150 Points:1,136,490 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 4:09:47 AM

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My bad, that last issue in my last post WAS due to a trailing zero in the regular price. When I shifted to another grade, the station showed up.

Previously reported by Kirk33.



Profile Pic MBAcura Champion Author Orlando

Posts:4,150 Points:1,136,490 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 3:59:14 AM

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Some stations disappear off the map altogether. Searching for the station finds that it has prices, no trailing zeros, etc. but it won't show up on the map at any zoom level.



19 3:54 AM Profile Pic MBAcura Champion Author Orlando

Posts:4,150 Points:1,136,490 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 3:54:51 AM

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And also stop rounding the time to the nearest hour. It doesn't really have any bearing on the price, but that lack of any real, yet available, precision is annoying.

I'm sure they'll work on the 'annoying' things last.

D



Profile Pic MBAcura Champion Author Orlando

Posts:4,150 Points:1,136,490 Joined:Apr 2011 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 3:53:28 AM

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I would also suggest putting the name of the price poster on the map balloon rather than having to view details. It may just be unique to me, but there are some known price spammers in this area.



Profile Pic GoGoGoodyear Champion Author Los Angeles

Posts:4,216 Points:769,215 Joined:Mar 2010 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 2:39:36 AM

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I believe these problems are because GB is now using google maps where they were using their own maps. There must be certain settings that GB is not able to send to google maps to control how they display or the ability is there but not yet configured correctly. I suppose it's the price to pay when one sells their soul to the 'do no evil' marketer of all your privacy.

The previous maps did not have these problems, but many members also complained that those maps were outdated and were missing newer streets and other geographic features.

> are the photos of gas stations no longer accompanied by the photographer's name? <

I can also confirm that. The photos in the MSL still show the contributor's name and upload date, but on the station details page they no longer have names or upload dates. The details shown on the map are also not as detailed as they were with the old maps, instead there is now a link to the station details page.



Profile Pic tamanite Champion Author Los Angeles

Posts:27,364 Points:2,530,225 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 19, 2014 2:00:56 AM

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How do we correct a gas price back to zero when a mid-grade or diesel is posted erroneously?


Profile Pic goldieolds Champion Author Twin Cities

Posts:10,814 Points:1,652,280 Joined:Sep 2007 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 11:19:49 PM

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They tried to fix something that wasn't broken, and now it is. It needed a few improvements, but worked reasonably well. Now it is a HUGE MESS! Terribly frustrating, time-consuming, confusing and difficult to use. If it stays this way, I'll stop and think before gathering prices: do I really want to deal with the hassle of reporting it? Probably not, much of the time.

Per MadFueler's advice, I tried right-clicking to open map in a separate tab, but it didn't work. Instead it zoomed out so that all the prices were bunched up so closely you couldn't differentiate one from the other.

After I entered my prices, I went back and looked, but they didn't show my updates, and one station disappeared altogether. It did not end in zero; the price I entered was $3.44

More specifics later. For now I'll just say, horrible, horrible, horrible.

I wonder if this has to do with the site being owned by a big corporation now? [Edited by: goldieolds at 7/19/2014 2:24:30 AM EST]



Profile Pic jcs72 Champion Author Dayton

Posts:6,379 Points:2,175,390 Joined:Jan 2006 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 10:52:07 PM

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Is it me, or are the photos of gas stations no longer accompanied by the photographer's name?



Profile Pic MadFueler Champion Author Winston-Salem

Posts:3,513 Points:671,390 Joined:Sep 2012 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 10:45:33 PM

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Oh, and another thing about temporarily closed stations: they aren't marked as such on the map balloon, the station details page, or the price reporting page. This will facilitate both more mischief and more errors. At least the old map had "This station is temporarily closed" in red with asterisks across the top of the balloon. I really hope this is going to be fixed soon.



Profile Pic MadFueler Champion Author Winston-Salem

Posts:3,513 Points:671,390 Joined:Sep 2012 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 9:18:36 PM

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One thing I notice about the new map is that all four grades are visible for all stations, not just the ones checked on the station's MSL page. Also, if you select "all" as your time limit, you can see stations marked as "closed-temporarily." I think these should be rendered invisible as they are on the mobile app to discourage errors/bogus postings.



Profile Pic Kirk33 Rookie Author Michigan

Posts:22 Points:889,790 Joined:Nov 2008 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 8:23:50 PM

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The new map is not properly recognizing prices that contain a trailing zero. For example, if the price of diesel is $4.00 it displays $4 or $3.70 it displays $3.7. If you then select the type of fuel to display as diesel, these stations disappear. It would appear the map is ignoring prices if it doesn't contain three digits.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 8:17:10 PM

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Another problem: The map shows credit prices for dual-priced stations; I want to see cash prices. (I realize that some people do want to see the credit prices; it would be nice if we could select which to display.)



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 7:58:21 PM

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CK wrote: > Say you get it the way you want it; you could then click to store the situation, even if it is not visible in the URL.

While that would be a helpful first step, I'd really like to see the ability to save multiple URLs that point to different areas and specify different settings. There are a couple of routes I travel that each have a number of gas stations in a row. I have a couple of bookmarks saved which brings (brought) up the map for each route, so whenever I went through one of those stretches I could enter in prices for each gas station in the order in which I had passed them.

Being able to only save one configuration loses this flexibility.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 7:44:44 PM

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CK - If I go to the price list at [L=]http://www.newyorkgasprices.com/[/L], it shows me prices for the past 24 hours, and if I click on "Show Search Options", the "Prices in the last..." drop-down won't let me select more than 24 hours. Despite this, the "time limit" drop-down on the map will let me select any of 4 Hours, 8 Hours, 12 Hours, 24 Hours, 48 Hours, 72 Hours, 96 Hours, or All. As I increase the time limit, I see more prices. So, they're clearly stored somewhere. All I'm asking is that if you're showing me a price in the map, and I click on that price, show me the same price along with any others you have for that station.

For example (and clearly this is time-sensitive) if I set the time limit on the map to 72 hours, I see a price for the Shell at 259 Underhill Ave, Harrison, NY 10604. Changing the fuel type in the map, I can see prices for each of Regular, Midgrade, Premium, and Diesel. Despite the fact that it has prices available for each grade, if I click on the price when any grade is selected in the map, the pop-up dialog doesn't show me any prices. (If I set the limit to 48 hours, this station doesn't show up. If it doesn't show up for you at 72 hours, try 96.)

> that just as easily would have applied to the old map

This did work in the old map.



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 4:12:32 PM

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LM: If the Time Limit is set greater than the max allowable price ages for a given site, then, because the system deletes the latter if too old, the map has no prices to show, hence the ---. If you want the system to retain too-old prices for, say, up to 96 Hours and then filter them with Time Limit, that would be something novel and would be worthy of a separate and new topic (that just as easily would have applied to the old map).

For prices younger than a site's max age, the Time Limit function appears to work for the grade/fuel selected.

movr: Which two stations? (Unless you don't want us to care.) [Edited by: CampKohler at 7/18/2014 7:13:52 PM EST]



Profile Pic movrshakr Champion Author Florida

Posts:1,423 Points:1,888,025 Joined:Jan 2008 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 3:42:15 PM

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. MGP is 'kind of' back, but two stations I report several times a week have completely disappeared off the map.

Also, The 'control' that let you capture a url to the map as you had set it (location and zoom level and price age) has completely disappeared as well. So you now cannot make a shortcut that opens the map to appear where and set just as you use it.

LATER.

Now I see others have picked up on some of this same issue..

CampKohler Store favorite map settings as a default. 20140717 LarryMarge Show current prices in Price Report 20140717 LarryMarge Keep map position when opening Price Report or open in new tab. 20140717 LarryMarge Put Zoom Level, Fuel Type, Time Limit back in URL. [Edited by: movrshakr at 7/18/2014 6:46:04 PM EST]



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 3:31:34 PM

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Another problem I see - if you click on a price on the map, the dialog that pops up to show all the prices for that station doesn't seem to respect the "Time Limit" specified on the map. If I set the map to display all prices within the past 96 hours, I would expect that the pop-up would show me all those prices. Instead, it just shows '---' if the price wasn't updated recently.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 3:26:34 PM

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> I assume others will start topics on this, too.

Oh, no - I'm sure that everyone will check for an existing topic first, and not open dozens of duplicates. :-)



Profile Pic CampKohler Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:12,543 Points:1,973,320 Joined:May 2007 Message Posted: Jul 18, 2014 2:51:59 PM

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I don't know if the map work is done or they will do more. I assume others will start topics on this, too. Until the dust settles, I have created a catch-all list in table form at the top of the STL to gather map ideas.

My idea: We should be able to store all the map params and get the map to a general situation like we had when we opened the MGP before the upgrade. Say you get it the way you want it; you could then click to store the situation, even if it is not visible in the URL. Then every time you open the map, it would revert to that situation.



Profile Pic LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 17, 2014 7:53:26 PM

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Another issue:

It's a bit of a pain that the "report prices" from the map loses the map view. Furthermore, if you use the back-arrow from the "report prices" page, when it returns to the map view it lost the settings and reverts to the original zoom level, fuel type, and time limit.

This is particularly annoying if I'm trying to enter prices for a number of stations which haven't had any recent activity - I have to change the time limit every time in order to locate the next station. (The work-around is to right-click on "Report Prices" and select "Open in new tab". That way, the map view stays in the original tab.)

A related problem is that the "Update a Price" page doesn't show the current prices. If I'm refreshing prices that haven't changed, it's nice to see the current ones.



LarryMarg Champion Author New York

Posts:2,179 Points:486,745 Joined:Feb 2012 Message Posted: Jul 17, 2014 7:41:39 PM

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I'm glad to see that we have the gas price maps back. Thank you.

With the old maps, we could click on "Link to Map" and get a URL that would reflect the current view. Is there a way to do this now? (The details were provided by parameters on the URL - for example: www.newyorkgasprices.com/Map_Gas_Prices.aspx?z=10&lat=41.003160&long=-73.703119&ft=D&tl=96

The positioning (via 'lat' and 'long' for latitude and longitude) seems to work, but the zoom level ('z'), fuel type ('ft'; 'D' meant diesel) and time limit ('tl') no longer work. Around my area, the default time limit of 24 hours is pretty useless for finding diesel.

Are there any parameters we can provide to get the old functionality back? If not, please consider adding this capability.



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