Here’s a great Firefox extension for those of us who are always trying to figure out where things are. Just highlight an address on a Web page, right-click, and select Map This and you’ll be taken to the appropriate location on Google Maps.
Update 1:28pm re: ConQuery comment
This is faster than ConQuery as it (a) only takes one click after the right click, (b) doesn’t make me find Google in a big long list, (c) takes me directly to a map result instead of a Google result list with a link to a map, and (d) loads the new tab as the active tab, not one in the background. (Though I will admit this last one might be a quirk of my browser and not typical of others.)
Update 1:43pm
Greg’s addition of the GoogleMaps search plugin solves problem (c) but still leaves me with the other three. To me “fewer clicks” = “better tool”.
Michael Sauers is currently the Director of Technology for Do Space in Omaha, NE. Michael has been training librarians in technology for the past twenty years and has also been a public library trustee, a bookstore manager for a library friends group, a reference librarian, serials cataloger, technology consultant, and bookseller since earning his MLS in 1995 from the University at Albany’s School of Information Science and Policy. Michael has also written dozens of articles for various journals and magazines and his fourteenth book, Emerging Technologies: A Primer for Librarians (w/ Jennifer Koerber) was published in May 2015 and more books are on the way. In his spare time he blogs at travelinlibrarian.info, runs The Collector’s Guide to Dean Koontz Web site, takes many, many photos, and typically reads more than 100 books a year.
View all posts by Michael Sauers
4 Replies to “Map This”
From what I can tell, I accomplish the same thing by using ConQuery (which I can see you already have) and querying to Google Maps. Is there a difference?
Oh, no. I’ve added the search plugin to Google Maps. So I just right click and pick Google Maps from my list of about 15 search engines, which must not be as long as yours.
Doesn’t it also solve problem A? Either way, I’m right-clicking once and left-clicking once. No?
Doesn’t this really just move Google Maps up one rung on the context menu hierarchy from ConQuery’s list? Why Google Maps vs. any of the other engines I’ve deemed important enough for a search plugin? Of course, if you’re not using ConQuery, then it makes sense, but why the heck wouldn’t you be, right? To each their own of course.
Incidentally, I prefer things opening in background tabs. You can configure ConQuery to do whatever you want. Does Map This give you the option?
Map This can also let you specify your home location in the preferences and just get driving directions using “Map To This”.
From what I can tell, I accomplish the same thing by using ConQuery (which I can see you already have) and querying to Google Maps. Is there a difference?
Oh, no. I’ve added the search plugin to Google Maps. So I just right click and pick Google Maps from my list of about 15 search engines, which must not be as long as yours.
Doesn’t it also solve problem A? Either way, I’m right-clicking once and left-clicking once. No?
Doesn’t this really just move Google Maps up one rung on the context menu hierarchy from ConQuery’s list? Why Google Maps vs. any of the other engines I’ve deemed important enough for a search plugin? Of course, if you’re not using ConQuery, then it makes sense, but why the heck wouldn’t you be, right? To each their own of course.
Incidentally, I prefer things opening in background tabs. You can configure ConQuery to do whatever you want. Does Map This give you the option?
Map This can also let you specify your home location in the preferences and just get driving directions using “Map To This”.