Topic: Wundermap changes?

[Jasiu]

Just noticed today that the look / feel of Wundermap changed and the URL parameters that I'd previously use to select particular layers / features do not work anymore. 

Anyone see any documentation or release on this?  I'll look around.

[ArmySlowRdr]

No but occasionally and today is one of them, the wundermap goes completely missing on my site and an error pops up that says it is illegal for security reasons for the wundermap to be displayed in an iframe.

[Jáchym]

Be careful about that, I was asked to make a plugin for my template using the wundermap.

Before I do such things I always check the Terms and Conditions and as soon as I did that I didnt have to continue...

People often assume that iframing (which works in most cases and provides a very easy solution of scraping data) is ok, but you should be careful about that as it is not. If you read the WU license it says very clearly that you are not allowed to redistribute it even for non-commercial purposes.

[Jáchym]

You may access, view and make copies of the Data in the Site for your personal, non-commercial use and will not publish or otherwise distribute the Data for any other purpose. Without limiting the foregoing, you may not utilize the Site to sell a product or service, to advertise or direct activity to other websites or for similar commercial activities without our express written consent. You may not modify, publish, transmit, display, participate in the transfer or sale, create derivative works, or in any way exploit, any of the Data, in whole or in part. Further restrictions on the use of this Site and its Data are provided in Sections 2, 6 and 9 of these Terms and in the Photo Gallery Agreement (where applicable).

[wa3pnt]

My map view is also all messed up.

I'll wait a day or two and see if WU sorts things out and restores the previous views.

RodeoGeorge

[westhillman]

Yes, looks like a developer has been told to make as big a mess of Wundermap that he can, and this is the result.  A similar thing happened recently with the Met Office WOW site.  Seems that there is a constant need to 'update'  web pages/ apps but the job is often given to someone who has no idea what the site is actually being used for. 

[Jáchym]

Yes, though keep in mind guys what I said above. Iframing is very dangerous and you have to check if it is something you can do - not just technically... and in case of WU you cannot.

[Jasiu]

By clicking on the "share" button, it reveals a URL (pick "full link") that appears to show the available parameters.

The URL is of the form:

https://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=(lat)&lon=(lon)&wxstn=0&radar=0&sat=0&cam=0&severe=0&fronts=0&lightning=0&sst=0&sstanom=0&fire=0&rep=0&surge=0&tor=0&hur=0&models=0

Each of the parameters with a zero can be set to one to turn on a layer. These match what is on the right side panel for choices.

There seems to be no way to make that right side panel disappear to make the map larger. Grrrr.

[catdon]

Hope this is just a work in progress...no way to save settings, no models?

[SpringHillWeather]

Yes it looks like they re-vamped the whole Wundermap and took away features? 

Maybe its a work in progress but REALLY?  There are some obvious bugs like can't zoom the map with mouse wheel anymore.  Clicking on a Webcam from the map, you cant close the window with the X button.   I'm mean really, don't they test this stuff before they release it.   It is kinda of disappointing cause it seems like they are heading in the wrong direction.   

Also, there used to be a place where users left feedback for suggestions but I can't find it anymore on WU.   There were many good suggestions however I never saw anyone say, Hey we want 5 Gold stars for QA.   LOL

[Jáchym]

Exactly Tom, of course they could be just testing something, but does WU really not have enough money to get a test server?!

Either they are testing on a production site, which is extremely bad habit, or they released a totally untested, buggy product, which is also unacceptable...

[Jáchym]

Hang on.... I maybe know why....

Didnt they use Google Maps before? Im almost 100% sure they did, look now, it is OpenStreetMap.... and that has much less features and possibilities. Now it makes sense. They migrated from Google Maps to OSM, because Google introduced that API limit, which obviously would not be enough for them and they probably do not want to pay Google for higher quota... thats why I also said that in my template I want to keep using Google, because it is by far the best and for our purposes, 10000 views/day is of course absolutely sufficient.

[SpringHillWeather]

Hang on.... I maybe know why....

Didnt they use Google Maps before? Im almost 100% sure they did, look now, it is OpenStreetMap.... and that has much less features and possibilities. Now it makes sense. They migrated from Google Maps to OSM, because Google introduced that API limit, which obviously would not be enough for them and they probably do not want to pay Google for higher quota... thats why I also said that in my template I want to keep using Google, because it is by far the best and for our purposes, 10000 views/day is of course absolutely sufficient.

Oh so its an Ibm vs Google War 

[Jáchym]

Confirmed..... I just checked archived Wundermap and indeed they used (the best) maps API from Google.

Now obviously they have a problem and they do not want to pay so they migrated to OSM, which is not as good in terms of what you can do with it, I know it myself because I was looking at it after google introduced the API key (but as I said, for our purposes it is absolutely ok).

It is pages like this that made Google do this, because they surely had millions of hits every day and putting a huge load on Google Maps servers.

And I must say I am really curious what is going to happen in about 1.5 months time... because I know so many big websites that use Google Maps and just out of curiousity I always check the console, where I find "Google Maps API key missing" - so it will work until 8th October and then.... lets see what the others do.

[Jáchym]

But it is a bit absurd....

I just checked the pricing, so I was incorrect, the daily free quota is in fact not 10k, but 25k.... and additional 1000 queries costs 50 cents.... So eg. 100k would cost them 37 dollars a day... I wonder how much profit WU makes every day and if it was worth stripping down the Wundermap like this

[catdon]

Yes it looks like they re-vamped the whole Wundermap and took away features? 

Maybe its a work in progress but REALLY?  There are some obvious bugs like can't zoom the map with mouse wheel anymore.  Clicking on a Webcam from the map, you cant close the window with the X button.   I'm mean really, don't they test this stuff before they release it.   It is kinda of disappointing cause it seems like they are heading in the wrong direction.   

Also, there used to be a place where users left feedback for suggestions but I can't find it anymore on WU.   There were many good suggestions however I never saw anyone say, Hey we want 5 Gold stars for QA.   LOL

Yeah the feedback section was removed awhile ago...any comments now have to be sent to support. I asked them about removing the feedback section and their reply was that it was causing confusion with people posting support questions or whatever. It was just a way to stifle dissent with all the negative comments coming their way imo.

[Jáchym]

I would not necessarily blame them from not wanting to accept negative feedback, it is probably rather just another way to cut costs... I mean dealing with feedback and support means you have to get some staff to do it...

[SpringHillWeather]

Yes it looks like they re-vamped the whole Wundermap and took away features? 

Maybe its a work in progress but REALLY?  There are some obvious bugs like can't zoom the map with mouse wheel anymore.  Clicking on a Webcam from the map, you cant close the window with the X button.   I'm mean really, don't they test this stuff before they release it.   It is kinda of disappointing cause it seems like they are heading in the wrong direction.   

Also, there used to be a place where users left feedback for suggestions but I can't find it anymore on WU.   There were many good suggestions however I never saw anyone say, Hey we want 5 Gold stars for QA.   LOL

Yeah the feedback section was removed awhile ago...any comments now have to be sent to support. I asked them about removing the feedback section and their reply was that it was causing confusion with people posting support questions or whatever. It was just a way to stifle dissent with all the negative comments coming their way imo.

Hello fellow Staten Islander

I think it more of it was a community and now its a business....

Such is progress 

[KC9Q]

I noticed that when I bring up the page to show the town I'm in there is a list of Nearby Stations at the bottom of the page.  About 50% of those stations (mine included) are not displayed on the WU Map at this time.  I also notice that when you select a station on the WU map, the detailed display only shows the old styled temperature/dew point graphic.  Is that something only in my area?

Mike

[catdon]

They have no interaction with their customers anymore...no explanations of anything such as changes, problems etc. By removing the feedback section it reduced it further. Masters and others are always blogging there but never addressing anything about the website. All these little problems keep popping up and nothing gets fixed.

[Jáchym]

Well I think it is actually quite obvious....

1. no more feedback - possibility to reduce staff/time
2. OpenStreetMaps instead of much better Google Maps API - no need to pay anything (despite the fact the price is absurd)...

obviously they are trying to cut down costs as much as possible.

[DoctorKnow]

My station and all others do not update "LIVE" anymore on the Wundermap. If this is not fixed, there is no need to be pumping data to them every few seconds. This really sucks.

[wa3pnt]

Is anyone looking at an alternative to WU?

If so, what are you thinking of going to?

RodeoGeorge

[robereno]

Advertising heavy Intellecast: http://www.intellicast.com/

But I've just started looking.

Is anyone looking at an alternative to WU?

If so, what are you thinking of going to?

RodeoGeorge

[saratogaWX]

Ahh.. IBM owns The Weather Company, LLC, which in turn owns The Weather Channel (weather.com), Wunderground (wunderground.com) AND Intellecast (intellicast.com).  The T&Cs for all three sites are pretty much the same -- no reuse, no redistribution of data or images on our sites.

However, Wunderground has allowed us fair use for data/images while we contribute weather data to their network.  Not so with weather.com, intellicast.com or accuweather.com.