Google no longer expects users to use its maps as maps. Instead, it expects the maps to be merely a means of conveying other data, such as computer-generated routes, and advertising, and links to other Google products. The idea that someone would look at a map, and, just by looking at it, be able to tell how to get from one place to another seems incredibly old-fashioned. And so there’s no longer any need for the visual clues necessary to make map-reading easy and intuitive.

Google no longer expects users to use its maps as maps. Instead, it expects the maps to be merely a means of conveying other data, such as computer-generated routes, and advertising, and links to other Google products. The idea that someone would look at a map, and, just by looking at it, be able to tell how to get from one place to another seems incredibly old-fashioned. And so there’s no longer any need for the visual clues necessary to make map-reading easy and intuitive.

slightly off topic but i love this little game around google street view/goolge maps:

https://geoguessr.com/world/play


to me, australia ressemble south africa, but they are so far appart it hurts.
Same for east and west russia

Could someone post a side-by-side comparison of the previous version and the current version, on the same location ?

The thing I miss most is the correct UK road colours. A year or two ago Google unilaterally recoloured roads in the UK against the standard convention here (which is reflected in road signs; blue motorways, green trunk roads, red A roads, orange B roads, yellow C, white minor). Not only was this ugly and arrogant, many A/B/C/minor roads that used to be differently coloured all became indistinguishable white/gray which made route finding next to impossible on them (e.g. http://www.markgoodge.com/2013/07/googl ... n-and-red/). There was a hack I had to sort-of fix this on classic, but it doesn't work on new. As the author of that links says:

It's not just that, Bantari. There's something different about the route planner and the map that it presented for the route, that I can't quite put my finger on.

It's not just that, Bantari. There's something different about the route planner and the map that it presented for the route, that I can't quite put my finger on.

... A blank piece of paper is very clean but doesn't make a good map.

The Bellman himself they all praised to the skies--
Such a carriage, such ease and such grace!
Such solemnity, too! One could see he was wise,
The moment one looked in his face!

He had bought a large map representing the sea,
Without the least vestige of land:
And the crew were much pleased when they found it to be
A map they could all understand.

"What's the good of Mercator's North Poles and Equators,
Tropics, Zones, and Meridian Lines?"
So the Bellman would cry: and the crew would reply
"They are merely conventional signs!

"Other maps are such shapes, with their islands and capes!
But we've got our brave Captain to thank:
(So the crew would protest) "that he's bought us the best--
A perfect and absolute blank!"