Event Locations Disagree in UI - What to do?

[Glenn Nelson]

I know this isn't an API question, but I wonder if anyone can tell me the best practice for fixing these vexing disagreements. There are two map locations for any event and sometimes they are not the same. (1) Location linked to by text - most users will use this, (2) location linked to by "map" link seen next to the address.

Underlying this problem are errant locations in Google maps (esp. common with parks) and the vast number of (unfortunately incorrect) previously found places stored by Meetup - organizers reusing these locations perpetuate the problem.

As an organizer, I am looking at an event, for example, this hike at Castle Rock State Park in California. I click on the location title "Castle Rock State Park" (next to the Google-like map marker). It shows me the location and this happens to be correct - often it is not.

If not correct, I click on the link labeled "edit map" (you will see it as "map"). Whoa! That's different! If I drag the marker of this map to the correct location and save, it will update the other link that you first looked at. But the original location text will remain, even if it is no longer correct.

If the #1 link is correct, but #2 is not, should I update #2? Because then #1 will be changed anyway (if only by a few meters).

If the #1 link is wrong, I obviously need to change #2 in order to update #1.

Thanks for reading.

[Doug Tangren]

I can answer this from the API's point of view. An event has a venue and venues have a predefined lat/lon based on when they were created. For an particular event this lat/lon may not have the best accuracy. The edit event API allows you to pass in a more accurate lat/lon as separate parameters in the event edit endpoint -- http://www.meetup.com/meetup_api/docs/2/event/#editparams. You can know that this was changed from the default venues lat/lon if the venue portion of the event response contains a "repinned" field with a value of true.

 

Thanks for reading.

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[Joseph Lippeatt]

On Jun 3, 2014, at 1:22 PM, Doug Tangren <do...@meetup.com> wrote:

On Tue, Jun 3, 2014 at 11:27 AM, Glenn Nelson <kitec...@gmail.com> wrote:

I know this isn't an API question, but I wonder if anyone can tell me the best practice for fixing these vexing disagreements. There are two map locations for any event and sometimes they are not the same. (1) Location linked to by text - most users will use this, (2) location linked to by "map" link seen next to the address.

Underlying this problem are errant locations in Google maps (esp. common with parks) and the vast number of (unfortunately incorrect) previously found places stored by Meetup - organizers reusing these locations perpetuate the problem.

As an organizer, I am looking at an event, for example, this hike at Castle Rock State Park in California. I click on the location title "Castle Rock State Park" (next to the Google-like map marker). It shows me the location and this happens to be correct - often it is not.

If not correct, I click on the link labeled "edit map" (you will see it as "map"). Whoa! That's different! If I drag the marker of this map to the correct location and save, it will update the other link that you first looked at. But the original location text will remain, even if it is no longer correct.

If the #1 link is correct, but #2 is not, should I update #2? Because then #1 will be changed anyway (if only by a few meters).

If the #1 link is wrong, I obviously need to change #2 in order to update #1.

I can answer this from the API's point of view. An event has a venue and venues have a predefined lat/lon based on when they were created. For an particular event this lat/lon may not have the best accuracy. The edit event API allows you to pass in a more accurate lat/lon as separate parameters in the event edit endpoint -- http://www.meetup.com/meetup_api/docs/2/event/#editparams. You can know that this was changed from the default venues lat/lon if the venue portion of the event response contains a "repinned" field with a value of true.

PMFBI (again), but ...

I get that modifying the map is provided to correct the pen location of the selected venue address.  Here in Texas, the distance between addresses can seem very random and google maps gets it wrong often. 

However, to Glenn's point, If I'm meeting at the abandoned lot across the street from a Taco Bell, I have to use the Taco Bell as the "venue" and put in the MU description where we will actually meet.  This means I have a group that arrives at the lot, and the other group that didn't read details carefully and are parked at Taco Bell.  As the organizer of an outdoor meetup group, this has to be accommodated more often than not.

If the API will flag a repinned address, should a re pinned map location also be noted in the GUI so folks know?  And if I select Taco Bell, but change the map pointer to across the street, does that modify the pointer for other people using that venue?

Joe

[Glenn Nelson]

Joe says:

If the API will flag a repinned address, should a re pinned map location also be noted in the GUI so folks know?  And if I select Taco Bell, but change the map pointer to across the street, does that modify the pointer for other people using that venue?

Bingo! Those are the two important questions I forgot to ask - but the changing of venue for others has puzzled me in the past. I think I once got into a situation of editing what appeared to be a shared venue and it gave me a very uneasy feeling. But encountering so many incorrect shared venues (esp. hike trailheads) also gives me an uneasy feeling. 

Repinning in the GUI is nice, but probably not crucial.

For now, I will endeavor to repair future events in my favorite hiking group.

Thank you both for the replies.