I am quite sure that many people out there do make use of Google Maps when it comes to locating a certain store, shop, office or home, but this does not mean that Google Maps has not had its fair share of controversies in the past – especially when it comes to naming conventions and the like. Take Basingstoke for instance – this particular place has been placed back on the map after seeing its name literally replaced with ‘Town Centre’ by the search engine giant.
Needless to say, this particular error was far from popular with local business owners, and it is a good thing that Google did the gentlemanly thing and apologized for the current situation. Google Maps has since reinstated the town name of Basingstoke on select browsers, although the BBC did report that for some users, it still remains blank. According to a spokesman for Google who also issued an apology from Google, “An engineer is quite literally putting Basingstoke on the map.”
I am quite sure that the attention brought about by this omission has clearly raised the profile or public awareness of Basingstoke that is located approximately 48 miles southwest of London, bearing an estimated population of about 84,275.
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