I think google maps must have changed the way it detects browsers as now it’s telling me my firefox 2 based browser (actuall BonEcho for intel based macs) is not compatible. Even worse, they totally blog access from the google maps application, redirecting you to a totally hobbled version of the app. The minimum requirement it states is Firefox 0.8 which this browser is. Worse that that there is no one to tell about this which is incredibly frustrating. I ended up joining a google group for support and looked under “maps troubleshooting” and found another post from a user experiencing the same problem:
Date: Wed, Nov 22 2006 3:55 am
I’ve been using Firefox 1.0 Preview for nearly 2 years now. I’ve been
using Google maps about as long as it’s been around. I’ve always been
thankful for Google’s lean, yet powerful and flexible interface.
Suddenly, it’s telling me my browser is outdated. I check the list of
browser minimums and it says Firefox 0.8. I’ve changed nothing on my PC
(including software) since the last time I was able to use Google maps.
Anybody knows what’s going on? What Google changed that suddenly I’m
locked out? Thank you for your time.
and look at this useless answer, i’m not even sure they read the post
Date: Wed, Nov 22 2006 3:50 pm
Email: “Google Maps Guide”
I’m sorry to hear you’re unable to access Maps. We try to test as many
browsers as possible, and you may run into problems when using a browser we
don’t regularly test. From time to time a unsupported browser works on Maps,
but I can’t guarantee it will work as we continuously make changes and
improvements to our site. For a list of support browsers, please visit
http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=16532
We’re both using browsers “better” than the minimum requirement and still they block access to the maps program with this message:
This experience is very frustrating because it takes my ability to control the situation and make decisions out of my hands. It would be much better if they said “it looks like your using a browser we don’t support so use the application at your own risk”, that way I could use the maps application even if there detection script is broken 
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m Firefox 2/PC and it works fine. What about one of those plugins for Firefox that tells some sites that you are using IE?
i’m on a mac g4 with firefox 2.0: maps are working fine. just checked.
Big companies need to understand that it is usually our direct contact with their employees which has the biggest impact on our perception of their brand.
Karl, the response to your problem sounds a lot like my recent Flickr customer service experience:
*Rough summary of my note to Flickr (sent via their website, I don’t have an original copy)*
“Hi Flickr,
The Uploadr tool has suddenly stopped working. It hasn’t worked for the past couple of weeks. It crashes mid upload of the first photo. Here’s lots more specific details: xxxx Details about my computer spec: xxxx Software I use: XXXXX
Please help as I’m having to upload each photo one by one…”
*Their response to me*
Flickr Support to me
“We are sorry you are having problems uploading to Flickr. If
you are using one of the official Uploadr programs, please look at
some of our suggestions in our FAQ that addresses some of
the possible causes and solutions:
http://www.flickr.com/help/tools/#190
If you are still having problems after trying those
suggestions, please let us know and our technical specialist can help
further.
Regards,
Ana”
This response is not to ME. This response is to everyone who has any kind of uploading problem. This response is not specific to my problem. I spent time carefully detailing my problem, and the response looks like a ‘cut and paste’ from some generic template.
I don’t mind that Flickr took well over a week to respond when they said 72 hours. BUT I do mind that I sent them unique details of a specific problem, and they haven’t treated me as an individual customer.
Dealing with customer problems by passing responsibility of the problem back onto the customer is not a good customer experience.
I’m sure there are some work arounds, but the point is I am using a compatible browser and google maps would work fine if they would just let me get to it. It’s kind of like detecting the country someone is coming from and then only serving the user the language from that country and not letting them see any other language sites. Computer applications should make the best guess, but they shouldn’t be the final arbiters because their not infallible. Just because google’s browser detection script doesn’t think my browser is compatible doesn’t’ make it so.
And yes, Paul that’s another great example of a support request not being read and a standard response going out. There is nothing more frustrating than that because it takes time to describe a problem and your doing them a fucking favor, they could at least read it.
And if it has? A pox on google … look how they’ve screwed up blogger/blogspot.com. “You can’t post to this blog. You signed up for our beta program. You’re a loser. We spit on you. A fart in your general direction. Your mother wears snowshoes and your father smells of elberberries.”
Oh-wooops, I came here to talk about your reply to my post in Cambrian House.
*strikes tantrika posture*
Dang, it’s kinda related, i’n'it.
Hi Karl. For no good reason (I’ve been asked to produce a radio spot. No, not podcast. Radio. “The senior service” we called it.) I googled “WillowBear” and happened to find your reply to that post. Go figure: I hadn’t received any sort of notification of that.
I guess Calgary hates Brad Fitz, LJ, SixApart, and anyone who actually does anything well?
Hey, I’d a Redmontonian … works for me.
My lament (see “Tale of the Ancient Mariner”) since 1973 has been “Nice people suck”. Not real catchy is it. Meh.
Anyhow, uhhhhhhh … *sratches head*
*reaches for scotch* huh huh huh it’s been 5 years since I’ve seen Isla water!
*grabs beer*
Ohhhhhh ya. Please do peek the URL here … right new. (”New” for someone who’s been on the web for 11 years means “in the last 6 months”. For most folk “new” means in the last 6 breaths. Geebus, I’ve been online since 1978. I should expect people to grok? *shrug*
Oh, hey, you’ll like this. “”42” was never intended to be an answer to the question.” Ain’t that a mind-spihner?! huh huh huh)
So. This.
Ooooooooh. I just saw “experiencecurve”. huh huh huh, ‘tween you, me, and the rest of the lummoxs: earlier, talking “business metrics as snapshots” I opined, “Mebbe folk need more waterfalls and tumbling rivulets in their office space.” *dramatic pause* Geeeeeeebus that’s right! Folk have internalized fear of chaos, thinking it equivalent to random i.e. entropy … water-play in office space! Talk about disruptive technology … c/w Mandelbrot light shows! whoot whoooot!
8=)
So. That’s what you get for having belly-flopped into my pond.
http://www.livejournal.com/userpic/21591405/839066
*snort*
Howdey stranger.
How do you feel about men who have goats as pets.
Haaaaaaaaaahahaha, sorry dewd, broke myself up with that one huh huh huh.
K
bya
http://hfx_ben.livejournal.com
http://bentrem.sycks.net/gnodal/
I had the same problem with Google maps when I switched to Firefox 2 on Ubuntu Edgy. The problem was that I had a bad value in the general.useragent.override section of my Firefox about:config .
I right-clicked the value and did a reset, now maps works again.
I had previously set the value (in Firefox 1.5) because my bank decided to block Firefox, and had forgotten about it.
I hope this helps you.
I had the same problem but I found out that somehow, javascript got disabled. Just go to the Tools menu and select Options, then Go to the Content area and make sure the Javascript checkbox is selected.
Regards
I have Firefox version 2.0.0.14 (iMac Leopard) and it defaults to Mozilla 5.0/Mac Intel Universal with the User Agent switcher Add-on; when it defaults, or uses IE7(Windows Vista) or Opera9.25 (Windows Vista) the maps fail at Google. I have had Java and Javascript enabled all along.
However, when I set it to Netscape 4.8 (Windows Vista), no problems.
Also, using Firefox 2.0.0.14 on an HP PC, also defaulting Mozilla 5.0, and switching to IE6(XP), no problems. Naturally IE6(XP) also has no problems.
Well, it worked last week with Ubuntu 8.04 and Firefox 3, but today its not working.
Yet Yahoo maps and MSN maps works fins.
I’ve got Firefox 2.0.0.12 and all of a sudden google maps stopped working. (It works in IE, which I’d rather not use.) Yahoo maps works fine in Firefox.
Hi everybody I hade troubles when I passed from firefox 2 to firefox3,
but I solved using the Google Maps Help:
http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=18529&cbid=-1nbz7bw7gokod&src=cb&lev=
You simply have to change on value ^_^, very simple and it worked for me!
I’m using Firefox 3.0 and the fix described above by Luca did not work for me, using XP pro. Maps works ok in IE.
If you have Skype, and the Firefox Skype plugin installed, that might be the problem. See http://www.techtraction.com/2008/07/02/skype-extension-for-firefox-3-causing-problems-with-google-maps/
In short, you need to update your skype plugin:
https://developer.skype.com/SkypeToolbars?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=SkypeFFPlugin.2.2.0.90.exe
upgrade the skype plugin in your firefox browser.
google maps works fine again.
No update found for Skype extension 2.2.0.87 but disabling the extension allowed Google maps to work properly again.
Thanks for the tip, FortReno. Google maps was not working for me in Firefox 3.0 also, but I found you do not have to disable the skype extension. Just turn it off at the toolbar (small blue s) when you are using google maps and turn it on when you want to make skype calls direct from the webpage.
I don’t have the skype plugin and it still doesn’t work
Thank you for Skype plugin fix!!! I had tried every fix from Google and Firefox- nothing worked. Then I uninstalled the skype plugin, and everything works fine. I would have never made the connection….many thanks.
Tried to disable the Skype plugin and every time Firefox restarted the plugin was still enabled. Just uninstalled it and it fixed the problem. Thanks for the Skype info. Yay Firefox, Booo IE!!!
I was having the same problem in my firefox and removing the skype plugin worked for me. Thanks for offering up the tip.
Taking out the Skype plugin worked for me in Firefox 3. Google Maps came straight back. Thanks Guys.
@murph, I disabled the Firebug extension and Maps started working again. If you don’t have Firebug, then try disabling all your extensions, then turn them back on one by one to see which one may be causing the problem.