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Google Maps Ditches Walking Calorie Counter After Backlash (engadget.com)

Following online backlash, Google is removing a planned feature in Maps that shows you how many calories you'd burn when in walking mode. Google's attempt to promote a healthy lifestyle caused a number of people to lambast the feature on Twitter, claiming it would "shame" and even "trigger" those with eating disorders. Engadget reports: Taking note of the negative reaction, Google is now dumping the experiment. It confirmed to Engadget that the update was briefly tested on iOS, and has been abandoned based on user feedback. As The Hill's Taylor Lorenz noted in her tweets, there was no way to turn off the feature. Lorenz also claimed that using pink cupcakes as the unit of measurement was "lowkey aimed at women." Others pointed out that Maps wasn't the appropriate place for the update. After all, there are plenty of fitness and calorie counting apps that keep track of your activity and consumption -- again emphasizing how misplaced the feature was.

214 of 364 comments (clear)

  1. Chalk Up Another Victory... by hondo77 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...for the Culture of Outrage!

    --
    I live ze unknown. I love ze unknown. I am ze unknown.
    1. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm outraged that they're implying pink cupcakes are only for women. I love all cupcakes equally.

    2. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by EEPROMS · · Score: 3, Insightful

      or Google bows to the "everything offends me crowd" Seriously people grow the f**k up, the universe doesn't care about your feelings and if you are fat deal with it. FYI I also love food and I am in a constant battle with my body weight but I have learned "to control my urges".

    3. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      or Google bows to the "everything offends me crowd"

      That's the problem: once you appease them you're stuck with them. They smell weakness. They realize the power they have over you. They will demand more and more, never being satisfied.

      Unfortunately Google has already gone so far as to make this cancer part of their own corporate culture.

    4. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by pseudofrog · · Score: 2, Insightful

      A handful of people complained about the feature on Twitter. There was no real outrage, just a few people who were annoyed you can't turn it off. Engadget is being incredibly dishonest here by throwing red meat to the "omg pc culture is ruining everything" crowd.

    5. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by dslauson · · Score: 1

      Chalk Up Another Victory... for the Culture of Outrage!

      I'd call this "marketing psychology" more than "caving to outrage". For Google, users are both their customers and their product. If any part of their service potentially makes people feel bad (shamed, judged, or, god forbid, triggered), there's a chance that some percentage of them will choose a different service next time, which means less data for them to sell. I'd call this "marketing psychology" more than "caving to outrage".

    6. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 5, Insightful

      the universe doesn't care about your feelings

      True. But if I'm trying to sell you something? I sure as hell care about your feelings--at least until the check clears.

      Remember, Google is in it for the marketshare. They don't make money off of Maps, they make money keeping track of to where you ask directions and using that information for marketing purposes. "Oh, look, you go to this grocery store? Maybe you'd be interested in some coupons..."

    7. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by sexconker · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The standard "cupcake with frosting" image includes pink frosting. Chocolate frosting is far more common in real life, but that ends up looking like poop when used in any sort of graphical sense.

      White frosting is usually taken to mean vanilla, and vanilla is synonymous with "boring".
      Green and blue are unappetizing colors for food.
      Strong red (such as frosting) looks like blood and is a hard color to get consistent (be it across print, web, etc., and don't you dare try to JPEG anything with large solid blocks of red).
      Yellow has the piss likeness if it's too strong, and looks weak and lame if it's too weak.
      Orange? Only for Halloween. (All colors are valid for their respective holidays.)

      Pink frosting is the default because it's "fun", doesn't look like a bodily secretion, doesn't look like rotten food, etc.
      Go ahead, use your favorite search engine to look up images of real life cupcakes, then look up drawings / clip art / cartoon / etc. cupcakes. Notice the huge spike in representation of pink frosting.

    8. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by dslauson · · Score: 1

      See if you can figure out which sentence I accidentally put in there twice. See if you can figure out which sentence I accidentally put in there twice.

    9. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by alvinrod · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but you have better things to do than to whine about shit like that on Twitter, so no one cares.

      I'm not even sure how there were people complaining about it on Twitter in the first place though. I thought they had something in the ToS against children using their service.

    10. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 4, Funny

      As if I'm gonna take my frosting advice from some guy named Sexconker. Your out of your mind, mate. ;^)

      --
      If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
    11. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 5, Insightful

      But PC culture *is* ruining everything. It's not some kind of false conclusion. Remember when that scientist, celebrating the achievement of a lifetime, landing a space probe on a fucking COMET, was forced to tearfully apologize the next day for his choice of shirt?

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    12. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      PC culture only ruins what people are willing to allow it to ruin. There is absolutely nothing stopping you from maning the fuck up and telling them to fuck off, except your own fears. PC culture, meh, who gives a fuck.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    13. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Funny

      OK, so used bing,

      I see why you posted anonymously.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    14. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by sizzlinkitty · · Score: 1

      Google wouldn't lose any market share if they kept this, they're big enough to not give a fuck. Even if all of these "offended people" stopped using google, nobody would notice.

    15. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by JustNiz · · Score: 2

      I for one am outraged at your being outraged at others outrage.

    16. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by sexconker · · Score: 1
    17. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      But PC culture *is* ruining everything.

      No. It's a tool for manipulating people. Your post (and most of those to this story) are examples of how that tool works in action.

    18. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by QuadEddie · · Score: 1

      Google has already bowed to that crowd and IS that crowd. Have you learned nothing from the James Damore speaking truth to power incident?

    19. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by 0123456 · · Score: 1

      Indeed. Gotta love watching SJWs eat each other.

    20. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      It's not "allowed to ruin" anything when you can be fired from your job and be subject to potential civil and even criminal penalties. Companies like Google can ruin your business by deliberately putting your site on page 138 of search results. Type "James Damore" into Google's homepage and watch autosuggest totally fail to suggest anything. Ignoring PC culture will not make it go away.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    21. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      Type "James Damore" into Google's homepage and watch autosuggest totally fail to suggest anything.

      Just did (well, using the search box widget). "James dam" suggested "James Damore". "James Damore " suggested "James Damore memo" first with letter, google, manifesto, linkedin, twitter, reddit all appearing high up.

      Hitting search on "james damore" yields his linkedin page as the first proper link.

      IOW you're high on your own outrage (again) and are, as usual, utterly full of shit.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    22. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      OK well they've changed it then. During the scandal you couldn't get Google to suggest anything. Obviously they blacklisted the term. Oh wait, I said on Google's homepage, don't know if that's different.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    23. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by TimothyHollins · · Score: 1

      Actually, all of Google's tracking information on the demographic buying pink hairdye would be lost.

    24. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by TimothyHollins · · Score: 1

      If any part of their service potentially makes people feel bad (shamed, judged, or, god forbid, triggered), there's a chance that some percentage of them will choose a different service next time, which means less data for them to sell.

      You forgot "responsible for their own actions".

    25. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      or Google bows to the "everything offends me crowd"

      Says a member of the "everything offends me crowd". It actually says in the summary and TFA that the main issue here is that it couldn't be turned off. If there had been an off switch for people who wanted it, or even better make it opt-in, everything would have been fine.

      I never saw it, but personally I'd be kind of annoyed if my phone started nagging me to burn calories. If I wanted that I'd install an app for it, I use Google Maps for mapping.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    26. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      The term "political correctness" is used to silence people exercising their free speech right to criticise. Would you really want to take way people's right to criticise his choice of shirt, is that really the kind of censorship you want?

      I really sounds like you want the whole world to be a safe space where people can't be criticised in case it hurts their feelings and causes them to make a tearful apology.

      The correct response is to criticise the critics, and in this case they certainly were roundly criticised by people who thought his shirt was fine.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    27. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by C0C0C0 · · Score: 1

      For real. How hard can it be to just ignore stuff that you don't find helpful but others do? This kind of nonsense is red meat for the alt-righters.

      --
      You are totally blocking my view of the wall. - Dogbert
    28. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by barbariccow · · Score: 1

      OK, so used bing,

      There's your problem.

    29. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by barbariccow · · Score: 1

      If you actually read the parent, he mentioned that while real-life representation of pink may not be high, drawing/clipart is. And then parent spent his/her entire post explaining why.

      Go ahead, use your favorite search engine to look up images of real life cupcakes, then look up drawings / clip art / cartoon / etc. cupcakes. Notice the huge spike in representation of pink frosting.

      In fact, you've "proved" his final point head-on.

    30. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by barbariccow · · Score: 1

      Someone? You mean the entire former cast of "Jersey Shore" right?

    31. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by barbariccow · · Score: 1

      How dare you undermine my couponing disorder!

    32. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by barbariccow · · Score: 1

      But PC culture *is* ruining everything.

      Face it, mainframes are dead. PCs are the future.

    33. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      That's what GM and the other Big 3 thought, that they could cut costs, shitting up their products, and customers would keep buying. As their products have a 10 year cycle, it took awhile to drive people away.

      Google would not have that luxury in the 6 month cycle of consumer electronics.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    34. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      Right tales of paranoia for which there's no evidence. FYI it's exactly the same on his home page.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    35. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      The problem was that HUMANITY LANDING A SPACE PROBE ON A COMET was overshadowed by shrill voices that shouted for his head because of his tasteless shirt. I mean, a towering accomplishment like that, and it got pushed off the top news by a fashion story. It created a hostile environment for women in science, it wasn't welcoming to little girls that wanted to be scientists, etc.etc. Your crack about the safe space is likely you smarting from getting criticized for safe spaces and wishing to make others hurt in the same way. It doesn't work, for right-wingers there are no safe spaces, anywhere. Literally not one exists.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    36. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      I am sorry you do not understand but simply you must man up and take the consequences and the more than do it the more effective it becomes but it does start with you. Whining about it wont change anything, simply man up, tell them to fuck off and take the consequences if you get it right you are not alone, get it wrong and your are screwed. I did not say ignore PC culture I said specifically charge it head on and that means telling actively telling them to fuck off and standing up for yourself, come hell or high water.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    37. Re:Chalk Up Another Victory... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Seems like the fault there was the guy whose job involved being an international spokesperson for the European Space Agency apparently not realizing that his shirt might not be appropriate for that role.

      It doesn't work, for right-wingers there are no safe spaces, anywhere. Literally not one exists.

      Then why are you complaining about people criticising this guy? Just because he helped land a probe on a comet doesn't create a safe space for him, he has to accept criticism of his shirt any time anywhere according to you.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  2. It's time for a purge by Baron_Yam · · Score: 5, Insightful

    >Google's attempt to promote a healthy lifestyle caused a number of people to lambast the feature on Twitter, claiming it would "shame" and even "trigger" those with eating disorders.

    Those people are poisoning our society. They need to be ostracized and allowed to wallow in whatever ghetto they manage to find refuge in.

    1. Re:It's time for a purge by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      So you're outraged at the people who were outraged and demand action be taken to stop them from continuing to outrage your sensibilities. Do I have that right?

    2. Re:It's time for a purge by SvnLyrBrto · · Score: 1

      Heh. I wonder when these people are going to take notice that Apple... having realized that the market for a $18K status symbol that will, like all technology, be a obsolete in three years, is fairly limited... has refocused the Watch, and its accompanying marketing, almost entirely on health and fitness.

      The apoplectic fits whenever one of them sees that little black square on everyones' wrist will be fun to watch.

      --
      Imagine all the people...
    3. Re:It's time for a purge by TimothyHollins · · Score: 1

      What did middle managers and telephone sanitisers do to you!?

    4. Re:It's time for a purge by AbRASiON · · Score: 1

      Damnit this post deserves higher moderation!

  3. wtf? by viperidaenz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How can this feature be added back in? I'd find it handy.
    What's wrong with encouraging people to walk instead of drive?
    Where else could you put such a feature, apart from Maps? Adding navigation to a fitness app would be even worse.
    What's wrong with pink cupcakes? Raspberry icing is awesome. How dare women try to claim it for themselves.

    1. Re:wtf? by Cederic · · Score: 1

      I'd go so far as to suggest that pink cupcakes are the definitive colour. I tend not to eat cupcakes at all, but if I do I'm well up for one with delicate baby pink icing on it.

      For walking maps I've found this site to be excellent in the UK:
      https://www.mapometer.com//

      Other regions may vary.

    2. Re:wtf? by h4ck7h3p14n37 · · Score: 2

      How can this feature be added back in? I'd find it handy.

      That's what always pisses me off about these morally outraged complainers, they project their own biases and don't give a crap that there are other people who find the feature useful.

      Some years ago one of the dating sites (match.com?) added "obese" to their list of body types. Some people were all offended that fatties were going to be excluded from dating now that the site allowed them to be identified. These people apparently only considered the possibility that large people would be discriminated against. It never occurred to their prejudiced little minds that some people are interested in seeking bigger people to date.

    3. Re:wtf? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      These people apparently only considered the possibility that large people would be discriminated against. It never occurred to their prejudiced little minds that some people are interested in seeking bigger people to date.

      They know damned well that some people are interested in that. However, the feature is way more likely to be used first to exclude fat people, second to find fat people to fetishize and treat like a fat fuck doll, and only third because someone just happens to prefer fat people.

      However, it's also a truth in advertising feature, and if nobody is forcing you to accurately select your body type, no one is being harmed against their will. So waaaaah. Which, frankly, is how most of these discussions should go.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    4. Re:wtf? by Kellamity · · Score: 2

      Yeah man, I think if the bus is late and it tells me it's a 25 min walk and I can burn some cal, maybe I'd think, hell why don't I just walk?

      There was a cardio app that was abondoned by the developers that used to be really good called Cardio Trainer and at the end of your workout they's show you the calories represented as different things, for example 5 apples, 2 oranges, 1 cupcake. It would randomly pick one that matched the amount.

      I'd like if Google maps told me I'd burn a pint of beer by walking home from work, I could alter my course via the pub and know that it was ok!

    5. Re:wtf? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      And now you have to waste time meeting people in person to find out if they are fat or not. It would be easier on the obese people if I could just exclude them straight up because as someone who is bordering on underweight, I just don't see how it could work out.
      Vise versa plenty of people would not be interested in me with little meat on my bones, and that's ok. They should know up front.

    6. Re:wtf? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's a dating site. People are going to exclude fat people whether or not it's listen as a feature.

      What do you expect people to arrange a date without even exchanging pictures, then showing up at a restaurant and finally seeing the other person, and simply go "I guess we don't need a restaurant, let's go directly to the bedroom - but we'll have to do it on the floor, my bed isn't reinforced", and being successful?

  4. As a fat person... by Pfhorrest · · Score: 2

    As a fat person myself, how is it offensive to be informed that you are burning calories by doing something? It's not like someone's telling you that you should go for a walk to burn calories because you really need it. They're telling you "hey, I noticed you're out on a walk, did you know that that's burning calories? good for you!"

    --
    -Forrest Cameranesi, Geek of all Trades
    "I am Sam. Sam I am. I do not like trolls, flames, or spam."
    1. Re:As a fat person... by zugmeister · · Score: 1

      There's an idea (that seems mostly promulgated by overweight people) that being obese is not a health issue. Anything implying that you might want to not be overweight might therefore be construed as a judgement that obesity is a bad thing. For a humorous example of these people, head over to YouTube and search on "fat acceptance".

    2. Re:As a fat person... by shellster_dude · · Score: 2

      Don't you understand? Having an eating disorder or being overweight, means you must also have broken legs. How are you condoning Google's insensitive and mean feature that makes fun of the fact that you don't have legs? Wait, what that? You have legs and they work just fine? You can walk? Uh...carry on then...

  5. Two Options: by kaatochacha · · Score: 4, Insightful

    1) change your possibly useful feature to include the ability to turn it off, modify the icon, allow customization.
    2) Demand, outraged, it be removed.

    Guess which one prevailed.

    1. Re:Two Options: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Option 3: Ignore the casually outraged minority.

    2. Re:Two Options: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Reasons I might use if I wished to complain
      - Information I don't care about (make it a toggle)
      - Trying to garner favor, esp w surface dwellers and normals (who doesn't, it's just good business)
      - GUI clutter (make it a toggle)

      Reasons I wouldn't use if I wished to complain
      - TRIGGERED

      The whole thing was probably just a sideshow meant to cash in on the whole step counter craze. Which has my scorn, but from an "I am a hipster" place, not PC/SJW'ing.

    3. Re:Two Options: by swillden · · Score: 1

      1) change your possibly useful feature to include the ability to turn it off, modify the icon, allow customization. 2) Demand, outraged, it be removed.

      Guess which one prevailed.

      You don't know which one prevailed. My guess is that it will be #1.

      Google teams generally operate on a very rapid release cycle, many with weekly releases. How do you develop a feature that takes several weeks (or months!) when your team releases weekly? What you don't do is branch the code and work on your branch for a long time, either constantly rebasing or trying to do a big merge at the end. That way lies madness. And bugs. Lots and lots of bugs.

      Instead, you flag-protect your feature. As much as possible you put your new code into the regularly-exercised paths, so it gets run by automated tests, manual QA and real users, but without actually activating the new functionality. The part that you can't allow to be run, because your feature isn't ready yet, you protect with a flag that defaults to off. You can easily flip it on for your own development testing. When you get far enough along, you can flip it on for a bunch of internal users ("dogfooders").

      When it's finally ready to go, you flip the flag for all users. If there are tens of millions of them, you also flip the flag progressively, first for 1%, then wait to see if anything breaks, then progressively greater percentages until you get to 100.

      Now... with that in mind, if your feature provokes howls of outrage, what do you do? It's utterly obvious: you flip the flag back off for everyone, to silence the outrage while you figure out the next step.

      In this case, I suspect that the next step will be to add a control to the settings interface. That sounds like an easy task, but don't forget that you have to run a gauntlet of UX people focused on keeping the software as simple and intuitive as possible, and a gauntlet of QA people who point out that every boolean option you add doubles their test burden, not to mention internationalization and host of other things. Adding a switch to an app used by a billion people isn't easy. But my guess is that it might make enough sense to do it, so in a few weeks we'll see the feature come back, turned off by default.

      Or maybe they'll decide that the clutter and testing burden are too much and just kill it. Could go either way.

      But, whatever, it's blindingly obvious that step #1 is to un-flip the damned flag and stop the whining while you figure out what to do next.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
  6. Toughen up, snowflake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    A number of people lambasted the feature on Twitter, claiming it would "shame" and even "trigger" those with eating disorders.

    Really?

    Really?

    Lorenz also claimed that using pink cupcakes as the unit of measurement was "lowkey aimed at women."

    That would be a valid point (sort of) if it were true. It isn't. The article shows screenshots: it just shows a calorie count.

    That being said, it's still likely a useless feature. People are wildly different, and how many calories an individual burns is going to depend on their weight, posture, walking gait, and who knows what other variables. Hell, even the current temperature and wind are probably enough to make the calorie counts completely wrong.

    Remove it because it's going to be mostly meaningless, not because some snowflakes don't like to be reminded of just how inactive they are.

  7. Because shaming. . . by quonset · · Score: 1

    a 325 pound murderer is a bad thing to do.

  8. Couldn't these people just go somewhere by future+assassin · · Score: 1

    else in the world where real help is needed?

    --
    by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
    1. Re:Couldn't these people just go somewhere by PrimaryConsult · · Score: 1

      I would happily fund a kickstarter to send a planeload of SJWs on a one way trip to Venezuela...

      Throw in a camera crew and it could be a reality show actually worth watching!

  9. Re:MOD PARENT DOWN -1 FLAMEBAIT by PsychoSlashDot · · Score: 1

    Your comment seems to imply that people with eating disorders should be ostracized. Eating disorders are mental health issues; in other words, they are serious medical issues. They require treatment by doctors, but they most certainly shouldn't be blamed or ostracized for having health issues. Your comment is flamebait and should be moderated as such.

    Unless of course "those people" are the same as the "number of people" that are complaining about the feature. Yam's comment is insightful, and should be moderated as such.

    --
    "Oh no... he found the .sig setting."
  10. NOMGM by future+assassin · · Score: 1

    Not On My Google Maps

    --
    by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
    1. Re:NOMGM by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      It's probably just as well. If you want to track your calories burned, just install Google Fit.

  11. Oh no, my fat got triggered by slashmydots · · Score: 4, Insightful

    For real, wanting to go somewhere and wanting to get exercise are two completely different things. It's rarely overlapped where I don't care how long it'd take to get there so I'll burn some calories on foot. So it is completely useless and somewhat insulting, especially to people like me with mobility issues when it comes to walking. BUT screw those in-denial fat ass whiners who can't handle being told they're disgustingly unhealthy and need to do something about it. If they can't handle that simple fact, let alone taking steps to do something about it, that's THEIR own mental illness. DO NOT cater to those types.

    1. Re:Oh no, my fat got triggered by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      screw those in-denial fat ass whiners who can't handle being told they're disgustingly unhealthy and need to do something about it. DO NOT cater to those types.

      Yeah - the last thing they need is more catering.

    2. Re:Oh no, my fat got triggered by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      If you go to the gym I agree. If you don't feel the urgent need to drive 20m to your mailbox then no, exercise and the need to go somewhere overlap.

    3. Re:Oh no, my fat got triggered by TeknoHog · · Score: 1

      To me, being human is all about using your body, and I find it idiotic to try and separate "exercise" from other forms of being. I do catch a ride if it's going to be more than a few miles, and I do certain exercises that are not immediately useful besides maintaining a healthy body. Still, I have a hard time understanding people who drive a car to a gym, and then proceed to run on a treadmill or something. When I was in college, I used to run to the gym and back again.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    4. Re:Oh no, my fat got triggered by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      I have asthma, I don't run unless I'm scared. But I have occasionally been in the habit of working out.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  12. Re:Whatever by Man+On+Pink+Corner · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If only it weren't against every principle of modern UI design to, you know, actually ALLOW PEOPLE TO TURN FEATURES ON AND OFF.

    Because if it were, those who find a given feature useful could turn it on (or leave it turned on), and those who don't want it could simply turn it off (or leave it turned off), all without starting a massive Twitstorm.

    But of course, it's no longer fashionable to trouble the user with such responsibilities. Google Knows What's Best For Us All(tm)... and if they don't, Apple and Microsoft will be happy to take on the burden of making decisions on our collective behalf.

  13. Re:Whatever by outlander · · Score: 1

    I like the feature. It kinda makes sense.....I get that people with eating disorders and stuff can be hypersensitive to calorie counts and that it can cause them to engage in the behaviors that they're trying to avoid, but gah, still....it's a useful feature for those of us who try to walk as part of a fitness regimen and really need to track what our exercise buys us.

    --
    "Truth is what works" -- William James "It works!!" -- o-dark-AM comment
  14. Yeay Twitter by Bender+Unit+22 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    For a happier life, ignore everything written on Twitter.

    1. Re:Yeay Twitter by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 2

      You and your outrage culture are the problem.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    2. Re:Yeay Twitter by Bender+Unit+22 · · Score: 1

      I know, these are unsettling time. I still opt for ignorance., :D
      It's not like I have the power to change anything.

      I'm gone fishing
      I got me a line
      Nothing I do is gonna make the difference
      So I'm taking the time

      And you ain't never gonna be happy
      Anyhow, anyway
      So I'm gone fishing
      And I'm going today

    3. Re:Yeay Twitter by RightSaidFred99 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I don't get twitter. I go there and hate-read a few idiots to laugh at their antics, but it seems like we have a whole generation of people who take twitter seriously. I found it especially hilarious that people took a "day off" in solidarity with Rose McGowan recently. Then people got mad because that was "peak white feminism", lol. I think it's funny they complain about twitter and how much they hate it and the "bros" that run it, but they can't take the obvious step to stop using it.

      I'm old and all, early 40's, but generally not "get off my lawn" old but people who take social media seriously can "get off my lawn".

  15. Too late. I'm already triggered by bettodavis · · Score: 1

    By anything that remembers me I'm a obese sob.

    From commercials depicting thin people, thin people passing by in the street. People doing biking, walking, etc. anything that doesn't glorify eating in excess and being a obese sob.

    Oh, and I do get PTSD by the mere sight of sports stores and fitness centers. Check your body privilege!

    Should I be institutionalized or at least cease being such a whinny little brat? NO! the whole world must cater to my fragile special snowflake ego, by avoiding any triggering allusion whatsoever.

  16. Re:MOD PARENT DOWN -1 FLAMEBAIT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Listen fatass, maybe 0.001% of fat people have 'eating disorders', the rest of them just stuff their fat faces and don't give a fuck. They need to be DISCIPLINED, not 'medically treated' -- unless you're going to include 'mental health treatment' in that, for their delusions that they have a 'medical condition'. What they need to do is MOVE MORE, EAT LESS, and stop being goddamned HAMPLANETS. Seriously, this delusional bullshit has infected every 1st-world country now, and the only way to stop it is to slap the shit out of these people until they come to their senses and stop with the 'health at every size' shit, and stop trying to make obesity into some sort of fucked-up VIRTUE. FAT IS FAT, it's UNHEALTHY, DISGUSTING, and it should NOT BE TOLERATED. Put 'em on a treadmill and prohibit them from feeding themselves, they have to eat what they're TOLD to eat, until they're not fatasses anymore. Parents allowing their children to become obese should be prosecuted for child abuse and the kids put into homes with people who understand the importance of appropriate nutrition and EXERCISE for growing bodies; no more video games, no more guzzling sodas and cookies and chips and crap like that, get your little ass OUTSIDE and play, ride your bike, and so on. Oh and you fatass women out there? YOU ARE NOT ATTRACTIVE, YOU ARE DISGUSTING. I'd rather fap to the Internet than have anything to do with you. GET THE FORK OUT OF YOUR MOUTH and get down to a PROPER weight or be foreveralone. Shame fat people? HELL YES, I say it becomes mandatory until the problem is solved!

  17. Re:MOD PARENT DOWN -1 FLAMEBAIT by Calydor · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Your reading comprehension is failing. What the OP implies is that people taking offense ON BEHALF OF OTHERS should be ostracized. These are the people that keep us from making tongue-in-cheek jokes, that keep us from calling people-of-a-non-white-skin-color black, and who generally live and breathe their own outrage, because only by trying to make the world PERFECT can they find meaning in their own pathetic little lives.

    They are the ones who always know best, who will run from crusade to crusade to prove how great and noble they are, and they are a cancer upon the world.

    People with eating disorders? I pity them and hope they get the help they need.

    --
    -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
  18. Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by XXongo · · Score: 1

    That's it exactly. It's not that the feature is bad, it's that Google DIDN'T ALLOW PEOPLE TO TURN IT OFF.

    1. Re: Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by myid · · Score: 1, Troll

      My wife teaches them ... These kids want everything crippled in the same way that they have been crippled by their parents

      That's something that I've been wondering. When students protest speeches that they don't like, claiming to feel threatened, do they really feel threatened? I thought they just used that as an excuse to shut down speakers, whose politics they don't like.

    2. Re:Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      At first, that appears to be a perfectly reasonable complaint, and it actually is, but the problem I have with it is that in the past, I was several times unhappy with online maps "features" and/or their changes I didn't like, and with the inability to turn them on and off, but I didn't notice anybody trying to spin it into some kind of a social issue. Why is this the one feature I should be able to turn off and not the other ones? (I'm not aiming this at you, just to be sure.)

      (And why the hell is it supposed to be about fat people, and not about, you know, the obnoxious get-everywhere-by-car culture?)

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    3. Re: Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by SharpFang · · Score: 1

      Yes. Of course assuming them feeling threatened has anything in common with actually being threatened (or even the speech containing any threats) is really far-fetched. But they grew so over-sensitive they will cry, throw a tantrum and sue for use of words like 'niggardly'.

      --
      45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
    4. Re: Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      If they feel threatened by someone speaking what the hell are they going to do if something like a war or a natural disaster happens?

      Nobody has a sense of perspective anymore.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    5. Re: Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      It won't be long before you can buy bottles of "aerobically fermented sour wine condiment"

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    6. Re:Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by sabbede · · Score: 1

      Only half the population can have an IQ under 100. It's the average.

    7. Re:Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

      Yes, the next big thing will be a headset that bans stupid uglies from my sight, and from my internet.

      BUZZZZZ***

      Sorry, wrong response....that kind of thought, especially when published publicly can no longer be tolerated.

      Please report to the nearest re-education center.

      And note...if you are fit and trim, and NON-ugly, well, this is a serious problem, and it is your fault.

      Everyone else is right, and YOU should be ashamed for physically putting forth such an outrageous, and un-attainable body image model for our new big boned majority.

      Won't you please....think of the children???

      Hmm...modded down to zero "0",eh?

      Maybe I should have thrown in that sarcasm tag...?

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    8. Re:Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by Whibla · · Score: 1

      Only half the population can have an IQ under 100. It's the average.

      And what's the average (as in mean) of the following set of numbers: [108, 100, 99, 99, 99, 99, 99, 99, 99, 99]? And what proportion of them are below 100?

      Would you like to reconsider your statement?

    9. Re:Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by gnick · · Score: 1

      Only half the population can have an IQ under 100. It's the average.

      ...
      Would you like to reconsider your statement?

      IQ is scaled to a normal distribution with a standard deviation of 15. About half the population will be below average.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    10. Re:Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by tsqr · · Score: 1

      Only half the population can have an IQ under 100. It's the average.

      And what's the average (as in mean) of the following set of numbers: [108, 100, 99, 99, 99, 99, 99, 99, 99, 99]? And what proportion of them are below 100?

      Would you like to reconsider your statement?

      sabbede was talking about IQ scores, not a small set of numbers selected to prove a point. Do you know how IQ scores actually work?

    11. Re:Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by Whibla · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the reply, and the links.

      As it happens I am somewhat familiar with the notion of IQ, and the various statistical distributions - many of which are single hump bell shaped but definitely not 'normal'. I'm not totally convinced that IQ, however you define it, is actually 'normally' distributed, however that's a topic for another time and also not relevant to the nit-picky point I was trying to make.

      Granted the example I gave was trivial, and, in retrospect, perhaps not the best I could have thought of, nor was it explicit. It is true that roughly as many people will have an IQ less than 100 as will have an IQ of greater than 100. In fact, pedantically, that's going to be less than half, as not only is the median value defined as 100 it's also the most common (modal) value - probably a good couple of % of the population right 'on the nail' so to speak..

      Having said all that, I was scanning in a rush before going to have lunch when I replied. In other words I was basically just being a right grumpy bugger. Always nice to have someone civilly point out I've been an ass. Cheers!

      When our teacher called my friend and I distinctly average I thought he was saying I was a comedian...

    12. Re:Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by Whibla · · Score: 1

      Do you know how IQ scores actually work?

      Yes, thank you.

      As it happens his statement is still wrong, but I hold up my hand to being a bit of an ass in my reply.

    13. Re:Totalitarian software [Re:Whatever] by gnick · · Score: 1

      ...pedantically, that's going to be less than half, as not only is the median value defined as 100 it's also the most common (modal) value - probably a good couple of % of the population right 'on the nail' so to speak.

      Using the curve they use to scale IQ (normal distribution, mean=100, standard deviation=15), 2.66% of the population should fall between 99.5 & 100.5. So, yes, a couple of % "right on the nail."

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
  19. Give them an off and they might take it too far by XXongo · · Score: 1

    That's the problem: once you appease them you're stuck with them. They smell weakness. They realize the power they have over you. They will demand more and more, never being satisfied.

    Yeah-- give them the ability to turn one feature off, and people might start to demand that they be able to turn other features off. Turn off autoplay on videos! Turn off automatic notification of things you don't give a damn about! Why, some people might even want to turn off autocorrect!

    1. Re:Give them an off and they might take it too far by Immerman · · Score: 1

      Before you know it you'd be back in the bleak world of Windows 95 or Linux - where your computer could be configured to work the way you wanted it to, rather than "allowing" you to jump through endless unavoidable hoops for things you'd otherwise want to do frequently.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
  20. I don't know which is worse. by AKCoder · · Score: 2

    I don't know which is worse: 1. Mentally unstable "people" who claimed this is an issue. 2. Mentally unstable "people" at Google who backed off on the feature.

    --
    I do not respond to trolls (AKA Anonymous Cowards)
  21. "lowkey aimed at women" by Osgeld · · Score: 1

    Your damn right, as a whiskey drinkin, cigar smokin, red meat eattin MAUN! I have never in my life ate a pink cupcake!

    really wtf, why are pink cupcakes "aimed at women", just cause you happen to be a woman and desire a pink cupcake on your guilt walk? Well guess what, I have pink cupcakes, I am going to enjoy one, its strawberry with a little ribbon of rasberry jam in the middle, and you madam are not allowed to have one...

    better?

    1. Re:"lowkey aimed at women" by liquidsin · · Score: 2

      many men, both straight and gay, as well as many other individuals across the gender spectrum, like the colour pink; for her to suggest this is aimed at women is sexist and insensitive.

      --
      do not read this line twice.
    2. Re:"lowkey aimed at women" by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      Hell! I'll eat any cupcake. I don't care what color it is!

    3. Re:"lowkey aimed at women" by Kellamity · · Score: 1

      As a women who isn't really into pink or cupcakes at all, I now feel shame that I am not womaning correctly. How dare you shame me, Taylor Lorenz, whoever you are.

  22. That is just stupid by modmans2ndcoming · · Score: 1

    I really have no more words....Just stupid. Might as well call a pedometer or smart watch a fat shaming product.

  23. Everything offends me by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

    And I demand that we stop talking about anything.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  24. Re: If it offends you..... by phantomfive · · Score: 1

    If this offends you, it's time to get a health coach. A good one doesn't (necessarily) cost that much, and can be a tremendous help in losing weight. This is especially true for people who have emotional issues around food and get offended by it. This is not easy to do alone.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  25. Problem? by thegreatbob · · Score: 2

    Rather than just taking a shit on another seemingly useful feature, why not make it opt-in instead? The weenies that will complain about its mere existence can be ignored with extreme prejudice.

    --
    There is no XUL, only WebExtensions...
    1. Re:Problem? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      That means the server would have to check the user's profile for a new setting. The setting would need to be stored. A UI would need to be developed for the setting. Help articles would need to be written. All of that would need to be translated into many languages. Etc... Going from a required to an optional feature can take a lot of work.

      Better to change the icon to bacon and link it to your nearest bacon provider. I'm surprised they missed this profit sharing opportunity. This was a valued feature showing you how much more bacon you could eat. It will be missed. We should all have a moment of silence.

      .

      .

      .

      .

    2. Re:Problem? by h4ck7h3p14n37 · · Score: 1

      It was opt-in! They're the ones that opted to use Google Maps. The outraged people could have simply switched to Yahoo's or Apple's service.

    3. Re:Problem? by swillden · · Score: 1

      Rather than just taking a shit on another seemingly useful feature, why not make it opt-in instead? The weenies that will complain about its mere existence can be ignored with extreme prejudice.

      I answered that here.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    4. Re:Problem? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      Google maps employs ex-Apple designers, options are bad and need to be removed in favor of a least common denominator, one size fits all solution.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    5. Re:Problem? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      Yup, that's the problem, isn't it? They're not making it better for users, they're making it better for Google. Who cares about what the users get, the real point is to make Google employees' life easier.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
  26. Re:Whatever by Nethemas+the+Great · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What do I not get about people with eating disorders that would cause them to short-circuit by seeing a calorie estimate if they walked? Seems to me that it'd make for a positive motivator; it would encourage people to dare I suggest, "walk." I have a hard time seeing this as anything more than guilt avoidance by people choosing exercise impoverished lifestyles.

    To me it looked like a pretty cool feature. It posed a "what if" that might encourage me to opt-in to walking when I otherwise might not have decided to walk and therefore opened my exercise tracking app. That's kind of a shame, I hope they revisit the idea, and just pacify the nay-sayers with an "off" switch.

    --
    Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once ... with negative results.
  27. Re:Whatever by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 1

    Speaking of UI design, I just with that Google Maps did the one thing I do request of it: Show the English names.

    I understand that hundreds of villages in China may not have English-translatable names, but the Chinese characters certainly do have English-character translations. But when I am looking at Europe and every village is in the local language, I wonder why there is the option to choose English if it doesn't show the names in English.

    --
    If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
  28. Re:Whatever by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 2

    I think they mean the opposite end of the spectrum as well. Those who think they are fat, even though they wear a size 0 dress. The ones that have to burn off the calories from a banana.

    --
    If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
  29. Pink cupcakes, Mmmmmmmmmm.... by TiggertheMad · · Score: 1

    As The Hill's Taylor Lorenz noted in her tweets, there was no way to turn off the feature. Lorenz also claimed that using pink cupcakes as the unit of measurement was "lowkey aimed at women."

    As a man who will eat the shit out of any pink cupcake that is dropped in front of him, I am highly offended by Lorenz's tweet. Lorenz is racist against men and sexist against pink! Boo!

    --

    HA! I just wasted some of your bandwidth with a frivolous sig!
    1. Re:Pink cupcakes, Mmmmmmmmmm.... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      As a man who will eat the shit out of any pink cupcake that is dropped in front of him, I am highly offended by Lorenz's tweet.

      I prefer a cupcake filled with pudding or custard, not "pudding" or "custard"

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  30. Re: Whatever by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I think his point is that you can transliterate them

  31. Stupid snowflakes by technomom · · Score: 1

    C'mon. This wasn't hurting anyone. I'm a 50+ yo lady who has about another 15 pounds to go on my own weight loss quest. I would love to have this feature in Google Maps. It's a great motivation. I love cupcakes but seriously, triggering from a cartoon icon? Have just a little backbone and self control!

  32. Re:Whatever by youngone · · Score: 4, Funny

    Quick, what's Chicago in German?

    Kaltesdreckloch.

  33. Wait, What? by buss_error · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I'm fat. I know I'm fat. Having someone say to me "You're FAT!" may be uncouth and rude, but it's true.

    And as I stated, it's something I am already aware of, thank you, Capt. Obvious.

    --
    Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
  34. Leave them alone!!! by dethjester · · Score: 2

    Those fat fat fatties are excellent consumers, leave them alone!

  35. Re:Whatever by KiloByte · · Score: 1

    Hell yeah this. Everyone even semi-educated can read the Latin script these days -- most languages have a sane letter-to-sound mapping (*cough* English and French), thus even if you don't know that Polish 'w' is pronounced 'v' or Spanish 'j' is 'h', you'll get it close enough to be understood in speech.

    I've made program (Debian package "tran") to transcribe (ok, transliterate with a 1/4-assed attempt at transcription) between writing scripts -- it'd be great if Google could pipe the names through this.

    This version lacks CJK support as those characters are logographs rather than letters, thus they convey meaning rather than a series of sounds, but if you know which language they're in, the Unihan_Readings database is good enough for a first stab.

    --
    The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
  36. self-diagnosis by doctorvo · · Score: 1

    Google's attempt to promote a healthy lifestyle caused a number of people to lambast the feature on Twitter, claiming it would "shame" and even "trigger" those with eating disorders.

    People with diagnosed eating disorders are under medical care and hence constantly reminded of their disorder. The people who are likely complaining here are people with obesity who do not actually have a diagnosed eating disorder and merely claim an "eating disorder" as an excuse for their weight problem.

    1. Re:self-diagnosis by sabbede · · Score: 1

      Notice that it doesn't say "people with eating disorders lambasted the feature...". I think they may have been whining because they thought someone else's feelings might get hurt. Which makes them huge idiots, and Google even stupider for listening.

  37. Oh no! by JustNiz · · Score: 2

    >> it would "shame" and even "trigger" those with eating disorders.

    Oh no! We must shelter those delicate little flowers from facts and truthful information!

    1. Re:Oh no! by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      in a store, ever have to pass one of those land whales that almost brush both sides of the aisle? and yes, women are more likely then men to be obese, so shaming them with pink cupcakes or anything else stereotypically feminine is fine. quit stuffing yer face, ya cows!

    2. Re:Oh no! by JustNiz · · Score: 1

      >> women are more likely then men to be obese

      Intuitively it seems right, but please cite references.

    3. Re:Oh no! by avandesande · · Score: 1

      Aisle filling is dominated by women....
      https://www.niddk.nih.gov/heal...

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    4. Re:Oh no! by thewolfkin · · Score: 1

      Aisle filling is dominated by women.... https://www.niddk.nih.gov/heal...

      It's a six percent difference ya clad. And women are much more likely to have body issues. Guess what happens when you feel pressure to be stick thin and you're not that body type. Your diet fails and you feel like a failure and things get out of hand.

      --
      Just another second banana
    5. Re:Oh no! by avandesande · · Score: 1

      I would assume 'Aisle filling' means morbid obesity, and it is two to one in the link I provided. Not sure why the need to explain something that just is.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    6. Re:Oh no! by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      those "issues" you list are not excuses to stuff one's face with twinkies.

      In big cities the M/F spread is even bigger, those food stamps should not be allowed for crap with high GI

    7. Re:Oh no! by thewolfkin · · Score: 1

      a) you're assuming people are stuffing themselves with gas station snacks which isn't exactly true. b) you're assuming all the fat people are on food stamps. c) you're assuming that healthier options are as easily available in the same price range.

      --
      Just another second banana
    8. Re:Oh no! by thewolfkin · · Score: 1

      I would assume 'Aisle filling' means morbid obesity, and it is two to one in the link I provided. Not sure why the need to explain something that just is.

      Yes in a link that talks about overweight and obesity and extreme obesity I'm just supposed to assume Aisle filling only meant one category. and specifically only that category and not the collection. Especially since the original phrase you're talking about said "women are more likely than men to be obese". Which actually only has a 8:7 ratio (40.4% to 35%) again hardly dominating.

      The word morbid doesn't appear in your link but the phrase extreme obesity is. Specifically

      Extreme obesity was higher in women (9.9 percent) than men (5.5 percent)

      2:1 only because we're talking about a little over 5 percent vs a little under 10 percent. Hardly dominating. Honestly you're just pushing goalposts and failing at it.

      --
      Just another second banana
    9. Re:Oh no! by avandesande · · Score: 1

      It's not a contest.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    10. Re:Oh no! by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      false, logic is failing you not me.

      People on food stamps have higher incidence of obesity than general populace. They buy low nutrition / high carb foods with food stamps. both these problems are well known, except by you.

    11. Re:Oh no! by thewolfkin · · Score: 1

      You're the one that's failing at logic. Fat people are on foodstamps is not the same thing as Food Stamp people are fat. You can't state one and then defend it with the other. And again I'm not denying obesity isn't an issue within the food stamp community. I'm denying they sign up (metaphorically) for obesity. Healthy food is expensive and on food stamps it's more expensive. That is my point.

      --
      Just another second banana
    12. Re:Oh no! by thewolfkin · · Score: 1

      It's not a contest.

      It was never a contest. it was an insult

      women are more likely then men to be obese, so shaming them with pink cupcakes or anything else stereotypically feminine is fine. quit stuffing yer face, ya cows!

      You were the one who insisted that it was dominated by women. You are the one who suggested it was a contest

      Aisle filling is dominated by women....

      --
      Just another second banana
    13. Re:Oh no! by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      no, healthy food can be very cheap, cheaper per pound than the crap most of those buy. you're going to tell me a pound of processed meat is cheaper than say whole chicken? snack food vs. brown rice in bulk? Ignorance is the problem.

  38. Re: Whatever by poity · · Score: 1

    air pollution overlay

    Uh... I don't have the funds to move out of an industrial area and it would trigger me to see this information

    --
    your thin skin doesn't make me a troll
  39. Humor by Neuronwelder · · Score: 1

    If you can ride in a car while simulating walking, can you drive them nuts?

  40. Re:Crybaby snowflakes by Immerman · · Score: 1

    It's also not in Google's interest to make such core functionality unusable by people suffering from psychological diseases, as it both needlessly restricts their market/data-farm, and comes across as extremely insensitive

    Of course the optimal solution would be to just let people easily turn the feature off if it bothers them. Heck, I'd probably do so just because I don't want to waste pixels on information I don't care about.

    As for pink frosting - I'm inclined not to read too much into it, but there's nothing sexist about acknowledging the existence of sexism. The association of pink with women/girls is well established in our society, and thus the fact that something is pink becomes an (imperfect) indicator that it is targetting women. Imperfect of course because there are legitimate other reasons to use pink, but you should probably do so with the assumption that the existing association with women will be invoked in your audience.

    --
    --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
  41. Re:Whatever by Meski · · Score: 1

    There are many Type II diabetics out there who are controlling their blood sugar with drugs that have the unfortunate side effect of increasing their appetite. This makes it very difficult for them to avoid weight gain. I'd think that having an app that counts how many calories you're burning, especially one that you can't turn off, would be very unpleasant for them because of the implication that they could get rid of that extra weight "if they only tried harder."

    <Puts hand up>

    yes, but you're unlikely to manage your weight issues just by exercise. You *have* to eat less as well. An app that suggests exercise alone will fix your problems is counterproductive. And then there's BMR, which might exceed your calorific exercise burn. Get an app that does it all, and not a half-arsed one that just monitors exercise. And if you're T2, and you *are* gaining, it's just going to get worse, as you're going to need ever increasing amounts of those drugs that make you hungry. FWIW, Byetta got me off that positive feedback treadmill, to mix some metaphors.

  42. Re:Whatever by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 1

    Uhm... because you can't translate proper names?

    Really? Let's see.

    Open Google Maps in a new tab. Go to Europe. Zoom in on Hungary. Look northwest of Budapest. There is a green area named "Budai Tájvédelmi körzet". Pointing the mouse at the label, a box pops up with the English translation: Buda Landscape Protection Area -- I imagine the equivalent of a national forest or wildlife refuge.

    So Google Maps knows the English version of the name, yet shows the local language on the map, despite my clear choice of English in the Settings page.

    Besides, I already said that not every village will have an English-translatable name. Just like not every English, European, or American town has a name that translates directly into Chinese.

    --
    If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
  43. It will soon be ruined for everyone by fireman+sam · · Score: 1

    Perhaps we should just ban pink and blue - fuck it, let's ban all colours (an even colors). Let the whingers wear shades of grey and be miserable.

    --
    it is only after a long journey that you know the strength of the horse.
    1. Re:It will soon be ruined for everyone by thewolfkin · · Score: 1

      I'd go for genetic engineering so that future generations have monochromatic vision.

      All fun and games until someone sees the color red.

      --
      Just another second banana
  44. Re:Whatever by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

    Quick, what's Chicago in German?

    That would be "Yerdedmuthafuker'.

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  45. Re:Whatever by magarity · · Score: 1

    What do I not get about people with eating disorders that would cause them to short-circuit by seeing a calorie estimate if they walked?

    But the calorie counter is a pink cupcake on a system called Oreo, talk about the double whammy. No wonder they lost it.

  46. Re:Whatever by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

    This version lacks CJK support as those characters are logographs rather than letters, thus they convey meaning rather than a series of sounds

    That is true for C and J, but not for K. K is phonetic.

  47. Re:Whatever by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

    I think they mean the opposite end of the spectrum as well. Those who think they are fat, even though they wear a size 0 dress. The ones that have to burn off the calories from a banana.

    Burning off the banana calories with exercise is almost certainly better than vomiting it up, using laxatives to poop it out, or not eating it at all.

    For everyone with an eating disorder who exercises too much, there are probably 10 that exercise too little.

  48. Bliss by Reverend+Green · · Score: 2

    Is it not delightful to see baizou turn on their own kind and tear one another to shreds?

  49. Re:Whatever by techno-vampire · · Score: 1

    yes, but you're unlikely to manage your weight issues just by exercise. You *have* to eat less as well.

    Or, in my case, eat more calories without eating more carbs, because I'm Type 1.5 and I've been underweight for years. I was thrilled to learn that NovaLog causes weight gain, but all I gained was four pounds, less than half of what I was hoping for.

    --
    Good, inexpensive web hosting
  50. Re:Whatever by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

    Don't diabetics also benefit from walking in general, or doesn't walking help prevent diabetes? I'm not sure that diabetics are in the end a good argument *against* this.

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  51. Re:Whatever by techno-vampire · · Score: 1

    Just about everybody, including diabetics benefits from walking. My point was that counting steps, as in a pedometer is a good way to tell if you're getting enough exercise, but for many people who don't or can't get as much exercise as they need, the constant calorie count can look like a way to shame them into walking more, and that's counterproductive.

    --
    Good, inexpensive web hosting
  52. Triggered? by ayesnymous · · Score: 1

    What's with all the hypersensitive people the past few years? Do they get "triggered" when they see calorie counts on restaurant menus or nutrition labels?

    1. Re:Triggered? by thewolfkin · · Score: 1

      What's with all the hypersensitive people the past few years? Do they get "triggered" when they see calorie counts on restaurant menus or nutrition labels?

      People have always been triggered. It's just traditionally no one cared and everyone ignored it. That was bad. Better to care than not.

      --
      Just another second banana
    2. Re:Triggered? by ayesnymous · · Score: 1

      Nobody will be able to do anything then, since something will always trigger somebody in some way.

    3. Re:Triggered? by thewolfkin · · Score: 1

      Nobody will be able to do anything then, since something will always trigger somebody in some way.

      No that's not the way triggered works. It doesn't mean you can't do it. It just means you have to mindful of people who would be affected. Sometimes that means giving them a way out. Sometimes that means just telling them before you start. It doesn't mean you can't do it.

      --
      Just another second banana
  53. I can hardly believe by Chrisq · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The screenshots in linked to the article shows that the complainer looked up driving directions for somewhere 0.7 miles away. That's a little under 1,000 steps. Unless there is some good reason (taking lots of luggage, rough neighbourhood, person is disabled) surely most people would walk that? And if there is a good reason why would anyone see it as an insult?

    1. Re:I can hardly believe by sabbede · · Score: 1
      No, no good reason at all.

      Are people with weight problems even the ones complaining? I'm starting to get the impression that it's people who think it will hurt other people's feelings that started this nonsense.

  54. Re: Whatever by Cederic · · Score: 1

    It sends a very clear message that modern politics is failing to meet the needs of around half of the voting public, and change is required.

    Not too dissimilar to the Brexit vote really. Dissatisfaction reached tipping point and people voted for something that they knew would hurt because it was still superior to the status quo.

  55. Sexist woman by kbg · · Score: 1

    What? Is Lorenz saying pink cupcakes are only for women? Is she saying pink is a girl color only? Or that cupcakes are only for girls? I am outraged at this sexist remark. I am a middle aged man that loves cupcakes of all colors, especially the pink ones.

    1. Re:Sexist woman by TeknoHog · · Score: 1

      I am a middle aged man that loves cupcakes of all colors, especially the pink ones.

      Not that there's anything wrong with that.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  56. Re:Whatever by reboot246 · · Score: 1

    We will eventually arrive at a point where nobody will even look at another person, much less try to communicate with them. I think we'll call it "the end of civilization".

    I'm old and I hope I'm dead before we reach that point, but y'all have fun with it!

  57. Re:Whatever by KiloByte · · Score: 1

    North Korean is purely phonetic, yeah. South Korean, though, contaminates a perfectly good alphabet (it's an alphabet even though they have that weird-for-us combining of three letters into one glyph) with Chinese logographs. Thus, they degrade a script which, true to the words of its 15th century inventor, can be learned in hours, into a monstrosity that requires several years to learn.

    --
    The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
  58. Re:Whatever by TimothyHollins · · Score: 1

    If they aren't walking enough as is, "shaming" them into not walking more doesn't have any effect whatsoever. At the same time, consider all those people that *would* benefit from seeing how many calories they could lose.

    Not everyone must conform to the wishes of the very small subset of T2DMs that somehow managed to get offended by seeing a calorie counter. Sometimes we have to live with not having the world shaped exactly the way we want it after all, and we might even grow as people from the experience.

  59. Re:Whatever by sabbede · · Score: 1
    Which they easily could have done with what is clearly a beta feature. Instead they got rid of it all together. Why? The only explanation I can come up with is the nature of the complaints. Nonsense about fat-shaming and "triggers".

    It was a good idea and a good feature. I bet a lot of people would have loved it. But it hurt the feelings of some over-sensitive idiots, so now nobody can use it.

  60. Re:Crybaby snowflakes by TimothyHollins · · Score: 2

    It's also not in Google's interest to make such core functionality unusable by people suffering from psychological diseases, as it both needlessly restricts their market/data-farm, and comes across as extremely insensitive

    How far gone must you be to consider a calorie counter "extremely insensitive"?
    If you find the mere existence of a calorie counter extremely insensitive, the problem is not with the calorie counter, I assure you.
    I also assert that this thinking is far removed from the majority, and far removed from any rational demographic. The only people that would possibly complain about the existence of a calorie counter can accurately and reasonably be labelled as SJWs. Anyone else would, even if in disagreement, merely shrug their shoulders and move on.

  61. Re:MOD PARENT DOWN -1 FLAMEBAIT by sabbede · · Score: 1
    It may be flamebait, but not necesarially in the way you inferred. My take away was that people who are so pitifully weak-minded that being told how many calories they would burn walking turns them into screaming crybabies are the problem.

    It was a good, useful and sensible feature. Now it's gone because Google listened to idiots that should only be ignored.

  62. WTF: Never mod points when you want them by clay_buster · · Score: 1
    What 1/2 brain post this kind of $#!@# ?

    Jews kill themselves off by in-breeding (they shun those among them who are marrying goyim, hoping to enhhance IQ by directed breeding), but their gene pool becomes ever more shallower as a side effect and hereditary diseases are abound.

    Americans kill themselves off by refusing to move without motorization. An ass is no longer a beast of burden, but a lardish giant burden attached to the posterior of americans.

    Japanese kill off themselves by refusing to move at all, as they become shut-ins, jerking off to anime.

    Soon the planet will be owned by skiing finns, cycling dutch and black african runners.

  63. Re: Whatever by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The Brexit vote was a perfect example of cutting off the nose to spite the face. It's in nobody's interest, except for external parties that want to divide European countries and put them up against each other (i.e., Russia and the USA). Many voters only did it to annoy a few national politicians. But than, many would probably have voted differently had they known the outcome beforehand.

    I'm a liberal who voted remain and can confidently say that this is a load of horseshit. Most people voted leave because it makes long term economic sense and the UK gets *very little* in return for their monetary contributions to the EU. UK politicians went to the EU several times to try and get issues resolved and negotiate a better partnership, but nobody in the EU thought the UK would have the balls to walk away, so they said "screw you" to all attempts.

    The UK was very sensible in deciding to leave a one sided relationship and many of those who voted remain are disgusted at the behavior of the EU since the vote (seriously, they're acting like 4 year olds) and are now in the leave camp.

    Please stop spreading false narrative that the people in the UK are regretting the decision, they really aren't.

  64. Complainers aren't even fat?!?!? by sabbede · · Score: 1
    Taylor Lorenz isn't overweight. She's a skinny "journalist" with Politico complaining because she thinks someone else's feelings could be hurt. Scrolling through the tweets, I noticed that the people who agreed and had pictures of themselves as avatars were also skinny. The only comments from people who said they were overweight were in support of the feature and anti-Taylor.

    I'm going to go ahead and call her an idiot. I'm going to follow that up with calling her parents idiots because her first name is a job she'll never have. Plus they raised an idiot.

    1. Re:Complainers aren't even fat?!?!? by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      I'd never heard of the silly mare but Google says she's an " editorial strategist", whatever that is.

      Sort of confirming my new rule

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    2. Re:Complainers aren't even fat?!?!? by sabbede · · Score: 1

      I believe it's a synonym for "Propagandist". As in, "How do we write this story to advance our agenda?"

  65. Point? by wardrich86 · · Score: 1

    claiming it would "shame" and even "trigger" those with eating disorders.

    What's their point? If people are being "triggered" and "shamed" by the data, maybe they should ignore it or use another app? Who gives a fuck... This entire padded world we're creating is bullshit. They should have added a toggle to disable it, then create a "hurt snowflake" counter that counts the number of people that turned it off.

  66. Re:Whatever by Custard+Horse · · Score: 1

    Furthermore, conforming to every small subset (to make it fair) will result in something that is worthless or result in nothing at all (e.g. those who insist that sat-nav/electronic maps are no substitute for a paper map).

    If showing calories is causing people with eating disorders some grief perhaps we should remove all information on retail food packaging. We wouldn't want somebody with anorexia to see that an Oreo contains 25 calories otherwise they might choose not to upgrade their Android device.

    Of course, as has been said already, if Google permitted the calorie function to be switched off that would be a simple fix and would hopefully please everyone.....(who am I kidding?!)

  67. Re:Whatever by datavirtue · · Score: 1

    If I was being shown icons of cupcakes I would get super hungry for cake. I'm breaking into a sweat just thinking about the crunchy skin on the icing right now.

    --
    I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
  68. Re: Whatever by BlazeMiskulin · · Score: 1

    It depends on which version of Spanish you're talking about. There are many accents (and even dialects) for Spanish, with the most significant being the basic New World/Old World split.

    When I was in the Mexico City area, for example, I found that the J often makes almost no sound. So Julio sounded like "Oolio".

  69. Re:Crybaby snowflakes by Immerman · · Score: 1

    I've had family with anorexia - hard enough for them to stop starving themselves without not-so-subtle encouragements to reduce/burn calories. It's not that it's an insult or anything - it just aggravates an already life-threatening psychological condition.

    And the point is not "the mere existence of a calorie counter", it's the fact that it's unavoidably integrated into important core functionality of your smartphone.

    --
    --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
  70. Citymapper's is the best by Mr_Silver · · Score: 1

    My favourite is Citymapper which reports the 13 minute walk from my office to a nearby bar as taking up "49 cal, 3% of daily intake or 0.1 cheeseburgers or 0.3 pints of beer"

    --
    Avantslash - View Slashdot cleanly on your mobile phone.
  71. Re: Whatever by ffreeloader · · Score: 1

    It says a lot about our so-called cultures that you feel the need to post this as an AC to avoid the political backlash of speaking out on what really is happening with Brexit. I call our cultures so-called because any culture that cannot/will_not allow the free expression of ideas that reject the current media/academia/elite-imposed mantra is not a viable/self-sustaining culture. It is a self-destructive culture that will eat it's own and thus destroy itself through lack of the ability to actually think.

    --
    "while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." de Tocqueville
  72. Re:Whatever by ffreeloader · · Score: 1

    As a Type II diabetic who struggles with weight due to multiple factors, including insulin, I can tell you that the idea that the feature should be abandoned because some snowflake might take offense is that substance that comes from the northern end of a southbound horse.

    So what if I struggle with my weight. Should everyone else in the world be penalized, kept from having access to useful data, because of my personal health issues? What a crock of that same substance I mentioned above. This is nothing but pure selfishness on the part of anyone who would complain about such a thing. Anyone that selfish needs to be "triggered" as often as possible to teach them the world does not revolve exclusively around them.

    --
    "while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." de Tocqueville
  73. Calorie counts for food are required by enjar · · Score: 1

    If you go into a chain restaurant, the food items are clearly labeled with their calorie count. If you get food in a grocery store, the foods have a label whose content is regulated to let you know the nutritional information, including the calorie count. These measures were enforced to let people know what they are eating, so that people could see the numbers and adjust accordingly. These numbers aren't political, they are simply the facts. If you want to have a Big Mac, go right ahead. I guess if you get triggered because you are overweight, you don't go in chain restaurants. That probably likely works out better.

    But adding an indicator that shows where you can burn some calories by walking (or biking?) as an alternative to driving is offensive? Give me a break. I've used this tool to find a way to get some extra walking in, just to see how the time works out. Having a calorie count would just be icing on the cupcake.

  74. Re: Whatever by barbariccow · · Score: 1

    You can also say Hanukkah like "han new kuh" and you'll be understood, but it's not correct. It should sound like you're winding-up a spit, and many spell it with a "ch" instead of a "h" using latin characters to further drive this point.

  75. Re:Whatever by ffreeloader · · Score: 1

    Your point is non-existent. Anyone who would look at an app published to the general public and see it as an attack upon them personally has a lot bigger problem than their weight. They are paranoid beyond belief.

    --
    "while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." de Tocqueville
  76. Re: Whatever by barbariccow · · Score: 1

    It is subtle in that it changes slightly the way you "lead-in" to the following sound whilst itself generally not having a direct sound. English speakers commonly relate this to an "h", which is close.

    To quote a source:

    The j sound is what is known as a voiceless velar fricative, which means that it is formed by forcing air through the slightly constricted back part of the mouth. It's kind of a scraping or raspy sound from the back of the mouth. If you've learned German, you may know it as the ch sound of Kirche. You may hear it sometimes in English in the word "loch" when given a Scottish accent or as the initial sound of "Hanukkah" with a Hebrew accent.

    One way you might think of the sound is as an extended "k." Instead of sounding out the "k" in an explosive fashion, try lengthening the sound.

    The sound of the j varies with region. In some areas, the j sounds almost like a soft "k," and in some places it sounds very close to the "h" sound in words such as "hot" or "hero," although perhaps aspirated a bit more strongly.

    If you give the j the sound of the English "h," as many English-speaking Spanish students do, you will be understood, but keep in mind that is only approximate.

  77. Re:Whatever by barbariccow · · Score: 1

    So lets remove nutrition facts from labels of food, because seeing the number of calories on food might shame people into eating less/smarter!

    Come on, this is NOT a trigger condition. This is not like showing local needle exchanges automatically which might trigger a drug addict.

  78. Re:Whatever by barbariccow · · Score: 1

    Comes from the northern end of a southbound horse? What's that, dust?

  79. Re:Whatever by barbariccow · · Score: 1

    So change the damn icon! Don't nuke the feature! Show a picture of an pedometer rolling or something.

  80. Re:Whatever by AmazingRuss · · Score: 1

    Sure... but then the people that had the feature activated could use the fact that they activated it to shame people that didn't activate it.

    You should be ashamed of such an oversight.

  81. How insensitive! by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Other health features would be ok - like air pollution overlay

    My chosen gender is "air polluter" you insensitive clod!

    If you wonder what kind of partner an "air polluter" seeks, it's the gender "Rolling Coal".

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  82. Re:Whatever by stdarg · · Score: 1

    You can't translate proper names huh? Remind me... was ist Deutschland auf Englisch?

  83. Ehh better gone than what it was by thewolfkin · · Score: 1

    At first I thought this was blowing up too hard if they shut it down, I'm not sure triggering ED people should prevent caloric counters but

    As The Hill's Taylor Lorenz noted in her tweets, there was no way to turn off the feature.

    That's a no no. Like a BIG no no. It's things like this and removing headphone jacks that make me wonder if engineers are even people or if algorithms are deciding everything.

    pink cupcakes as the unit of measurement was "lowkey aimed at women."

    I didn't think so at first. But after thinking about it for 30 minutes or so I kinda agree. Maybe unintentionally aimed at women but whoever thought a cupcake was a good idea probably had a woman in their head.

    Maps wasn't the appropriate place for the update

    I disagree. I think it would have been a very interesting feature but it needs a default off switch. I'd like to be able to turn it on though.

    there are plenty of fitness and calorie counting apps that keep track of your activity and consumption

    which is a different sort of information than that this was giving you. This could have made things like planning your walk using google maps better. I think it was designed wrong but it could have been a good idea. I'm mildly sad it's gone but not gonna cry over it. Rather have it gone than forced on everyone.

    --
    Just another second banana
  84. Re:Whatever by Nethemas+the+Great · · Score: 1

    Where does this "pink" cupcake come from? I saw the Twitter screenshot. There's not a cupcake, only a calorie count.

    --
    Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once ... with negative results.
  85. Re:Whatever by techno-vampire · · Score: 1

    Why must everybody bow to the tyranny of the majority? Just make it opt in, and I've no objection.

    --
    Good, inexpensive web hosting
  86. Stupid people and IQ by i286NiNJA · · Score: 1

    You guys are hurting his feelings. Stop exposing his stupidity or else he'll bust out a infographic on logical fallacy and prove you wrong once and for all.

  87. Re:Whatever by TimothyHollins · · Score: 1

    "Tyranny of the majority" is more commonly named 'Democracy', and is by some strange people considered "a nice thing to have". But if you don't like it, you are always free to try your hand somewhere where this "tyranny of the majority" is not employed. I hear Somalia and Angola are both doing great. Just remember to keep your passport safe.

    But yes, as has been mentioned in many places, making it an opt-out feature would be the decent choice.

  88. Re:Whatever by techno-vampire · · Score: 1

    In case you missed this in school, one of the reasons the US government is set up the way it is is to prevent the tyranny of the majority, and protect the rights of the minority.

    --
    Good, inexpensive web hosting
  89. Re:Whatever by TimothyHollins · · Score: 1

    You mean like the first past the goal post model for presidential elections, or the majority votes for congressional candidates? Or the judgement by a jury of peers? Or the long process of amending the constitution where a twothirds majority must vote in favor? Or the Supreme Court where a majority vote is needed?

    I don't doubt you have a valid point, but I do question that it is as permeating as these examples.

  90. Re:Whatever by techno-vampire · · Score: 1

    No, I mean that if we had the type of democracy you think we have, the last presidential election would have been decided by two states: California and New York. I suppose you would have preferred that, but that's not how things work in the US. Also, please note that although the House of Representatives gives the various states votes in proportion to their population, the Senate gives each the same number, to balance things out and keep the big states from forcing their will on the little ones.

    --
    Good, inexpensive web hosting
  91. Re: Whatever by KiloByte · · Score: 1

    It's always nice to see people comment on things they have no clue about. I have been living in South Korea for over a decade now, and I can tell you that your statement is absolutely untrue.

    While I indeed can't read Hangul nor Hanja, I know enough to tell them apart. Or, use a script to do so.

    The page you linked to indeed looks Han-free, but a random corpus of Korean text I've analyzed, both years ago when writing that transcription program and right now, show quite a lot of Han characters being used. For example, Wikipedia's article for "Korea" has 525 unique Hangul and 75 unique Hanja. How can you understand a text if you can't read a good part of it? Likewise, a transcription program is kind of worthless if it leaves random pieces unconverted.

    From what I read, this varies a lot in different contexts. When you want to type a text quickly, messing with input methods is inconvenient, thus I understand why people don't want to bother. But especially in names (the only thing someone not knowing the language wants to read) Hanja seems to be still widespread.

    --
    The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
  92. Disappointing by hackel · · Score: 1

    I would have loved this feature. Oh well, guess the regressives win again.

  93. Re:Whatever by ffreeloader · · Score: 1

    LOL. That, and those dark brownish green piles of apples that horses leave behind them.

    --
    "while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." de Tocqueville
  94. Re: Whatever by war4peace · · Score: 1

    Yes, and I will rule over its tattered remains because I sign my posts :)
    HURRAY!

    --
    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  95. Re:Whatever by war4peace · · Score: 1

    That is because the number of locals looking at those maps far exceeds the number of non-locals looking at those maps.
    Pointing the mouse at the label works? Good, you have a workaround. Stop being lazy.

    --
    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  96. Re:Whatever by war4peace · · Score: 1

    It seems to be doing an awfully-good job at maintaining that...
    Too bad that means sucking at most of the other things.

    --
    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  97. Need to also remove Traffic Reports by gachunt · · Score: 1

    I'm *outraged* that Google Maps includes Traffic Reports, as it's insensitive to those who can't afford a car or are immobile.

    Satellite view will need to go too. Imagine if homeless people see that other people live in houses. What injustice is in the World.

  98. Re:Whatever by war4peace · · Score: 1

    Whoa, wait a minute there, your "statistically speaking" is awfully flawed.
    You fail to take into account weighted values.
    It is way more likely for a Hungarian person to look at a Hungarian map than an American person looking at a Hungarian map (unless you're trying to invade Hungary too...). According to your assumption, I guess the USA map names should be shown in Mandarin... or Hindi... or Spanish, because either of those languages is above English as a native spoken language. If you also count totals, then Mandarin it is.

    Google, are you reading this? We only need Mandarin labels in your Maps application.

    --
    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  99. Re:Whatever by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 1

    Whoa, wait a minute there, your "statistically speaking" is awfully flawed.

    And your claim of "That is because the number of locals looking at those maps far exceeds the number of non-locals looking at those maps." is any better?

    You fail to take into account weighted values.

    No I don't. You missed a lot of valid arguments.

    It is way more likely for a Hungarian person to look at a Hungarian map than an American person looking at a Hungarian map (unless you're trying to invade Hungary too...).

    1) Why limit it to Americans? That's a big assumption. Did I use the number of people in the US? No, I used the number of people in Europe. The ~730 million Europeans who do not speak Hungarian. As opposed to the ~10 million who do.
    How many of the non-Hungarian-speaking people of Europe use Google Maps to plan a trip across the continent? As opposed to how many Hungarian-speaking people use Google Maps to see Hungary?
    Or do you also assume that non-Hungarian-speakers make it a point to avoid Hungary?

    2) One random national forest in Hungary was an example. The same situation happens with places in other countries across Europe.
    France: Parc Naturel Régional de la Forêt d'Orient is listed as such on the map, and the popup box has "Forêt d'Orient Natural Regional Park". So it is half translated. Google Translate gives the full translation as "East Forest Regional Nature Park", why not label it as such?
    Spain: ZEPA Sierra de San Pedro in western central Spain could simply be labeled as Sierra de San Pedro Bird Sanctuary, because that is what a "ZEPA" is.
    Ukraine: Actually has English names on the map for several of their national forests or preserves. Why can't Google do this for the rest?
    Others: I looked at several locations across Europe, and saw a great mix of the above examples, full local, mixed local and English, or full English. Limiting your argument to Hungarian based on my one previous example doesn't work.

    According to your assumption, I guess the USA map names should be shown in Mandarin... or Hindi... or Spanish, because either of those languages is above English as a native spoken language. If you also count totals, then Mandarin it is.

    Tell me where I said only use one language. Please, copy and past my statement to that effect.
    Or, maybe, I said that because I specifically chose "English" as the default language, places that have English translations should be displayed in English. If I chose Italian, I would expect the labels to be in Italian. If I chose Mandarin, I would expect Mandarin.

    Google, are you reading this? We only need Mandarin labels in your Maps application.

    Thank you for showing your level of intelligence. I wasn't sure about it before.

    --
    If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
  100. Re: Whatever by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

    I'm a liberal who voted remain and can confidently say that this is a load of horseshit. Most people voted leave because it makes long term economic sense and the UK gets *very little* in return for their monetary contributions to the EU. UK politicians went to the EU several times to try and get issues resolved and negotiate a better partnership, but nobody in the EU thought the UK would have the balls to walk away, so they said "screw you" to all attempts.

    Don't be dense, the majority voted leave because they bought into the money for the nhs lie or to get rid of foreigners line. Neither of which are happening or have any indication of happening while Maybot is in charge. No one in the leave camp was talking economics, they were painting a picture of a rosy wonderland where we are masters of our own destiny or some shit. It was a 52% vote on a non binding referendum (remember how they kept pointing that out before?) and then they ran with it because its a chance to make a few people very rich which shafting everyone else which is par for the tory course really. Brexit is a fucking joke, not only that it's a shambles.

    --
    Wanna buy a shirt?
    https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
  101. I asked myself by xenog · · Score: 1

    Where was the feature in Google Maps that showed me the estimated burned calories while walking or cycling? It would definitely be useful. Now I know. Thanks to the Social Justice Warriors I can't have it. Thank you Google for bending over for the SJW mob.

  102. Re: Whatever by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

    Spanish 'j' is 'h'

    The J is pronounced similar to Scottish/German/Dutch 'ch'. It's nothing like 'h' in English.

    That's why Jif became Cif.

    --
    Wanna buy a shirt?
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  103. Re:Crybaby snowflakes by RightSaidFred99 · · Score: 1

    Anorexia is certainly a serious issue for those it affects. However it's in the noise, barely even in the noise, in terms of cost in money and lives in this country. For each of your family members who died from it (let's round up to 1, if it's 0) there are probably 1000 people who died or had serious quality of life issues due to obesity related causes.

    They should definitely get help and treatment, but acting like anorexia (and related undereating disorders) are even a vague consideration in any kind of policy compared to obesity is absolutely silly.

  104. Re:Whatever by war4peace · · Score: 1

    OK, feel free to build an app which uses Google's API to overlay $LANGUAGE translated names onto Maps. After all, nobody's stopping you.
    Sell that app on the Google Play store and get rich. Start now and make the world a better place.

    FYI yes, locals looking at local maps is far more likely than foreigners looking at the same maps for glaringly obvious reasons, with ONE exception: top tourist areas with small local population (e.g. Venice). And for those, it's BETTER to have labels in local language because you can cross-check them with real labels. If you see a sign called "Rue de Poisson" and your phone says you're on "Fish Street" you might get confused.

    --
    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  105. Re:Whatever by 14erCleaner · · Score: 1

    I really want an option, on my Android phone, to turn off the stupid voice assistant that's constantly triggering when I'm trying to play music through my car stereo!!!!!!! Not that I'm bitter about it or anything...

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    Have you read my blog lately?
  106. Re:Whatever by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    Not sure how any of that prevents a tyranny of the majority. It just frigs around with how you decide who the majority is.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  107. Re:Crybaby snowflakes by Immerman · · Score: 1

    Sure, it's not a huge problem in percentages, especially at life-threatening levels, and *especially* not compared to obesity.

    But it's estimated that around 2-3% of women suffer from an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia, etc). That's between 4 and six MILLION people in the US with a condition that's aggravated by calorie-counters. That's an awful lot of people to tell to "just deal with it" without being an asshole.

    Seriously - I'm all for having the counter be available, even on by default. Just make it possible to turn it off for those millions of people for whom it's a problem.

    --
    --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
  108. Re: Whatever by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    Most people voted leave because it makes long term economic sense

    Not all, but a significant number, voted leave because they wanted to keep out foreigners.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it