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Live Video Startups Rejoice: YouTube is Sitting this One OutAugust 13th, 2008 at 11:31 amSource:Mashable! Google is under fire today over reports claiming the company failed to include any data for Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan on Google maps. Worse, some reports suggest that once the fighting broke out between Russia and Georgia, all relevant information about the latter was wiped from Google maps. According to the Azerbaijan Press agency, all “the relevant maps went blank as soon as fighting broke out.” But Google contends that that assertion is simply false and it has not changed anything in quite some time. “Google has not made any recent change to Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in Google Maps,” the company said in a statement. “We do not have local data for those countries and that is why local details such as landmarks and cities do not appear.” In response to even more public outcry, Google Maps product manager, Dave Barth, said Google failed to include relevant street and city information because it wasn’t satisfied with available map data. But in an attempt to quell user distress, Barth said that Google would now input basic information about all of these countries instead of leave them blank. And while some users are applauding Google for doing just that, I think it begs the question of whether or not Google should populate countries regardless of the quality of data, or if it should leave countries blank until it has the data necessary to make the maps as accurate as possible. The way I see it, Google has no responsibility to its users to populate every country in the world if it feels it can’t provide them with the most accurate information available. Along those lines, why would users even want data that Google feels isn’t the best on maps of countries that aren’t generally the most searched for in the world anyway? As far as I’m concerned, maps should be kept blank if the data isn’t sufficient to populate them and if users don’t like it, well, that’s their problem. —Related Articles at Mashable! - The Social Networking Blog:Google Maps Hangs Up on Click-to-CallGoogle Offers Easy Embed Code for MapsCustom Icons for Google MapsGoogle Maps in (Almost) 3DVisualize Recent Edits to Google MapsAdSense is Coming to Google MapsGoogle Maps Street View
Is Google-owned YouTube backing out of live streaming video because it’s too expensive? It would appear so, at least according to Michael Learmonth of Silicon Alley Insider. While it’s hard to fathom that any service would require more capital than Google is willing and able to spend, according to Learmonth’s sources, the cost of adding live video would be enormous – a 20 to 25% increase in the company’s infrastructure costs if only 10% of YouTube users adopted the service. Considering YouTube’s huge user base in comparison to startups like UStream, Mogulus, and Justin.tv, that certainly sounds plausible. There’s also the fact that YouTube is still sorting out its own monetization strategy, so adding more costs and advertising inventory certainly isn’t a priority on the march towards profitability. Meanwhile, YouTube staying out of the space should be cause for celebration at the live video startups. In a poll we conducted back when YouTube was seemingly poised to launch a live video offering, 69% of our readers indicated that YouTube would likely become the most popular video streaming service. On the other hand, Google staying out of the market also sends a statement that they don’t necessarily think live video is worth an investment at this time. —Related Articles at Mashable! - The Social Networking Blog:Pirate Bay Cancels Plans for BOiNKSwarmcast Moves Into Live StreamingVeodia Streams Live from Your Blogustream.tv Aims to be YouTube for WebcastsMadonna Concert Live on MSNcomScore Releases Video Streaming StudyThe Pirate Bay to Launch YouTube Killer
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