The absurd image of an Android “Droid” mascot urinating on Apple’s logo, that was spotted earlier today on Google Maps near the city of Rawalpindi in Pakistan, has just been removed by Google, along with an apology that echoes the incompetence of company’s shoddy Maps review team, “We’re sorry for this inappropriate user-created content. We’re working to remove it quickly.” According to Business Insider, Google has insisted that even though it may be a bitter rival for Apple, its employees aren’t to blame for this imagery.
“A spokeswoman for the company told me that the bizarre image was created by Map Maker: A Google app that lets users update and contribute to its Maps to improve their accuracy. These edits are supposedly reviewed by other users to ensure there’s no abuse, but this one apparently got by unnoticed.”
Even though Google’s MapMaker can be used by just about anyone to add erroneous information to Google Maps, it does not rule out the possibility that the image was indeed created by a company employee. Interestingly though, another message appeared in a nearby forest shortly after the Rawalpindi prank was spotted, that says “Google review policy is crap” (shown below).
With a simple to use tool like MapMaker, anybody can navigate to Google.com/mapmaker, log in with a Google account and start drawing stupid stuff like this, which most likely will go live, without catching the eye of Google’s terrible review team.
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Usman never misses an opportunity to diss Google or anyone else. If this is an oversight which might I add, happens in every division of every company (even the almighty Apple), its pretty lame to take cheap shot and call Google’s review team “terrible”. Have some integrity dude.
While it’s impossible to oversee all revisions and edits, I’m surprised this got through and stayed up for as long as it did. Surely someone could have intervened and removed it sooner (prior to the press jumping all over this).
That’s not an excuse to take cheap shots at a tech company. This blog was created to give Canadians iPhone and Apple related news, not voice opinions. That’s what the comments section is for. This site has gone downhill, it doesn’t even bother reporting any news that hasn’t already made it through the usual suspects.
Sounds like you’re having a bad day. We try our best here to provide news and more to our readers. It’s unfortunate you feel we aren’t relevant to your needs anymore. And also, thanks for determining our editorial policy and what we should or should not say. Hope you feel better soon.
Who are you to say what this place is and isn’t? Go scratch your ass on a tree dummy. Anyone can report on the news, but I actually value the opinions from staff on here; which is rare in the tech news world. What I don’t value is trolling from people who have nothing to contribute.
I dunno, I think they’re doing a fine job. News is news, and this does tie into Apple a bit as it’s within the perimeters of the story.
Try to get a little extra sleep tonight champ ^_^
I’m with Usman, this is pretty terrible. He gave 2 examples of Google’s review team failing. I know Apple maps had huge issues early on with direction, but at least it didn’t have similar fails as above. Unless you can prove otherwise.
Appreciate it!
Yeah, it’s pretty stupid on Google’s part that this was allowed. Considering Google is such a huge company, it can’t even oversee these community edits, especially when juvenile stuff like this happens? For shame, Google.
And sancheezy, lighten up, you sound like a real winner, i cant imagine how you’d be at parties, probably when you enter the room the fun stops. Relax dude lol
I agree with sancheezy, at least google HAS a mapmaker.
Apple’s maps are lacking a lot of info because they insist on doing everything themselves…. and getting it wrong I might add. Who cares if there’s a funny illustration in the middle of Pakistan -_-
Excuse me if the review process for Pakistan doesn’t pass by every echelon of google.
And it was removed the SAME DAY
“Who cares if there’s a funny illustration in the middle of Pakistan -_-”
Your argument is invalid.
Not sure what you mean
Because you obviously do, or others do as well, or you would of commented.
dude, you probably don’t care the image is listed in Pakistan because an ignorant b@stard like you fail to realize there are real people living in Pakistan. Consider yourself lucky you’re living in North America, God forbid if your stupid ass got dropped to Pakistan, you’ll be running like a little chicken trying to save your shitty ass. Grow up little baby.
Umad? 😛
indicative of google all over, it explains why Android market place, used to and still does, let in crap apps that cause problems for their OS users. And say what you will about Apple maps, but keeping it in house and being in complete control avoids these issues, for the most part. And this is what they notice, what if someone slightly changes road or building locations.
Now this has been brought to Google’s attention, as well as many other users and how to do it, I wonder if we’ll see a lot more of this to come in the future. I can see Google’s team getting slammed with a lot of stuff like this now that the idea has been thrown out there.