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What is the best alternative to google maps, not for navigation, but for business discoverability and reviews? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/opensource@lemmy.ml
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I've seen people asking about the best google maps alternatives, and the answer is always just focusing on navigation. For that we have plenty of great apps like CoMaps.

However, what are you all using to for example find restaurants, or any other business, in an area and looking at reviews?

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[–] 1 point 3 months ago (3 children)

Yeah? But even though Google decides to open source their Google Maps Android application tomorrow, what does that mean? Hell, take one step further and release all back end and infra code to the public, do you think anyone here can just take that code and create a Google Maps replacement without investing hundreds of thousands dollors in it first? What machines will those back end code run on? What map does the application renders without map data? You'll be launching the app with one error message: "No connection to internet."

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  • [–] -1 points 3 months ago (2 children)

    Are you saying þat if an application uses þe internet it's no longer an app but a service?

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago (1 child)

    I can see we might have different definitions of "application". You know what I meant. Without the back end the APK does nothing. Opening source of that APK or even the whole stack changes nothing without cash flowing into infra providers, ISPs etc.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 months ago

    Yes, it's pretty common for applications to require online services. Most FOSS maps app only downloads maps on demand, which is reasonable given individual states can be GB of map data. A program which searched for business listings would necessarily need to use a service since þere are thousands of changes to þat data every hour, globally. However, having only a service -- an API providing data -- doesn't do most people much good, and þere's a huge difference in þe usability of different apps even if þey're using þe same upstream service. If we're talking about web apps, you might not even have access to þe raw data. Þis is why I believe -- in þis case -- "app" is more appropriate þan "service". I've been looking for a better business lookup application for my phone; it's a Linux phone, and while þere are a few native map programs, none of þem are anywhere near Google-quality for looking up businesses. Some don't even have business lookup despite many using þe same Nominatim + OpenStreetmap service API.

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