GMAP4 may go offline

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fishmonger
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GMAP4 may go offline

Post by fishmonger »

Got an email from Joseph this morning - this isn't good:
I am the developer of Gmap4 which is an enhanced Google map viewer. Due to major policy changes at Google, Gmap4 might stop working June 10th. I am sending you this head’s up because my server log indicates that your website is hosting GPX or TPO files that Gmap4 has displayed sometime in the last few months.

Within a few days Google will decide the fate of Gmap4. When that happens I will post at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gmap4/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MappingSupport/

Earlier this month Google announced a major price increase for all maps that use the Google Map API (Application Program Interface). This includes Gmap4 and other popular browser-based map apps. Each time a map is opened, the API code is downloaded from Google’s servers to the user’s browser.

Currently Google allows a map to be opened 25,000 times per day for free. After that many API downloads the map stops working until the next day when the map gets another allocation of 25,000 daily API downloads. If the pay wall is hit then the map developer has the option of buying more API downloads to keep the map going that same day.

Starting June 11th the amount of free Google map API downloads is being slashed from 25,000/DAY to 28,000/MONTH. On average the new limit is roughly 900/day. Additional API downloads can be purchased at the rate of $7 per 1,000.

In the last 30 days Gmap4 downloaded the Google map API about 220,000 times. Under the new scheme that would have cost me ~$1,300.

Last year during the California wildland fires Google became aware of my wildland fire map which had hit their 25,000/day pay wall. Google contacted me with the cheery news they were raising my API allocation to 250,000/day. Later that API allocation was raised to 1,000,000/day where it remains as I type.

Under the new policies Google will grant more API downloads for disaster maps but the tone of their documentation indicates they have really tightened this up. Plus Gmap4 is used for a mixture of disaster/recreation/education/etc maps.

I have applied under the new policies for more API downloads based on the (1) disaster maps and (2) other public service mapping I do. However, if Google denies my request for a sufficient allocation of free API downloads so I can continue this volunteer mapping work, then Gmap4 will go offline while I convert to the open source Leaflet map API. When Gmap4 comes back online (1) it will not display any of the Google basemaps and (2) it might have a different name.

Sorry for the bad news.

Joseph Elfelt
Redmond, WA
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