Schmap + Sucks = Schmucks
Must be a full moon or something. Am I exhuding pheremones that attract CEOs? Here’s the latest:
I am writing to let you know about a beta mapping technology and new series of free downloadable digital destination guides launched recently. Schmap Guides are digital destination guides to cities, islands and regions throughout Europe and America. In common with their hardcopy counterparts (Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, Fodor’s etc.), they contain useful background reading, top picks and suggested tours, reviews, directory listings, photos and maps. Schmap Guides, however, are digital and downloaded for free to the user’s computer.
Schmap Guides, however, are useless thanks to this new technology called a “search engine.” That, and who wants to download and install something that you can already get on the Web with software you already have? I’d probably be a lot more gentle with these guys if I didn’t receive a generic email from the CEO.
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7 Comments
Blamarama
November 16th, 2007
at 6:22pm
received a response from Emma Williams. I also submitted feedback via their customer feedback form, but they still have an entry in their guide for the Hard Rock Cafe. I’m not the first person to question the need for Schmap. Chris Pirillo has somechoice words
L'économie sans tabou
November 17th, 2006
at 4:38am
qui voyagent un peu trop et se retrouvent souvent a chercher que voir/où dîner (voire, pour les plus primesautiers, des occupations moins substantifiques), il y a bien sûr maintenant les engins de recherche. Pour d’aucuns, c’est suffisant ; mais, ne leur en déplaise
Andrew Denny
September 18th, 2006
at 3:45pm
Chris, I tried to to trackback to this post, but it hasn’t showed. Did I do somthing wrong?
My post.
http://www.grannybuttons.com/granny_buttons/2006/09/schmaps_not_muc.html
thanks!
Lucy
February 22nd, 2007
at 2:29pm
You are a debbie downer.
Philip Kozloff
February 4th, 2008
at 3:57pm
I think Chris’ characterization is a bit harsh.
It is not a bad piece of editing and assembling and it could be very helpful to potential travelers who are neither web experts or fully knowledgeable about the destinations.
Isn’t the nice thing about the web that there is something there for anybody? Why be a wet blanket?
Jeff Spacey
April 10th, 2008
at 12:54pm
Hi Chris,
It appears that you don’t know much about Web 2.0, or haven’t actually left your computer long enough to do much traveling.
Your pat analysis of Schmap is naively critical – Anyone who travels and spends time in these places gets great value out of schmap’s functionality.
Someone who spends time overseas really does need information at their fingertips about Resturants, Nightlife Landmarks, Businesses, Hotels, etc.
Simply Using a search engine is a really piss poor way to cobble together data, compared to the efficiency of an online guide.
But if you have no life…I guess the details don’t matter.
-J
Angel
June 1st, 2008
at 3:57am
Someone who spends time overseas really does need information at their fingertips about Resturants, Nightlife Landmarks, Businesses, Hotels, etc. <– Jeff!! what does this have to to with Schmap?
I travel a lot, I know a lot about web 2.0 and I think Schmap is a poor excuse for a website. Ripping of others images and using it on your site to promote yourself is weak. Schmap should be named Schmucks… Like you Jeff.