[Rainy Day]

Maybe i’m in the minority, but i actually expect the scroll wheel to, um, scroll when displaying a Google map. I can’t seem to reprogram my expectations, and quite often find myself zooming in or out on a Google map. Whenever this happens, aside from exercising my swear-word vocabulary, i keep hoping that the person or persons responsible for this bad UI design at Google are outed, publicly flogged and humiliated, and perhaps tortured just a little bit. If the scroll wheel were meant for zooming, it would be called a zoom wheel! What were they thinking? Does anybody actually like this?

That aside, solutions do exist to solve this problem. Being the minimalist that i am, i would prefer a solution which works with Safari, and hopefully does not involve adding plugins. Many browsers (including Safari) support user defined style sheets and, with a little CSS magic, it’s amazing how much one can improve the look and feel of sites you frequent. Is there a way to finagle Javascript into Safari’s user defined style sheet, or a way to disable zooming using CSS alone? Inquiring minds want to know.

TIA.

[ghporter]

Google Maps' interface is built around "common" input devices. Zoom in and out makes sense with a 1-dimensional scroll wheel. However, since those maps can pan both horizontally and vertically, you'd need a 2-dimensional scroll control for that. Other than Mighty Mouse, are mice with "scroll balls" that common? Probably not. Which is probably why Google used this particular interface.

I do find it a bit annoying now and then, but not badly so.

[Rainy Day]

The “what were they thinking” question was actually rhetorical. Yes, Apple is more elegant and advanced (but still in the minority), with the 2D Mighty Mouse track-pea, and the Trackpad two-finger 2D scrolling, vs the vulgar Windoze-world 1D scroll wheels. And i understand all the lame rationales Google may have had for this atrocious UI, but at the end of the day, the UI still sucks.

I’m looking for a minimalist way to defeat it in Safari.

[fisherKing]

drives me nuts as well (on my macbook trackpad); would also like a fix...
i use google maps a lot, and it's a nuisance...

[EndlessMac]

I don't really find it annoying because I don't use Apple's Mighty Mouse so I don't have the 2D scroll wheel. Google allows you to click on the map and then drag in any direction you want so I don't really it's a big deal as you do. If I had to only use the arrow directional keys then I would find it annoying. I actually use the zoom feature a lot and I would miss the zoom scroll because it's a lot faster than clicking on the zoom in and out buttons.

I really think it comes down to each person's preference and how they use Google Maps. Your way would annoy me. UI creation is about catering to the masses so if you are indeed in the minority then I don't think Google did anything wrong.

[Rainy Day]

Originally Posted by EndlessMac 

I don't really find it annoying because I don't use Apple's Mighty Mouse so I don't have the 2D scroll wheel.

Well good for you. But how does that help to solve this problem?

Originally Posted by EndlessMac 

Google allows you to click on the map and then drag in any direction you want so I don't really it's a big deal as you do.

<Rhetorical question> How would you feel if, every time you entered the freeway, your steering wheel all of a sudden stopped controlling your direction of travel, and instead when you turned it to the left, the car sped up, and when you turned it to the right, your brakes slammed on? </Rhetorical question> That is exactly how i feel in Google maps.

But i didn’t start this thread to debate the merits of Google’s bastard UI. I am asking for a way to disable it privately in my browser. Anything else is off-topic. Those who don’t have anything useful to contribute might consider moving along to another thread.

[ibook_steve]

Answer: you can't.

Have you written to Google about this if it bothers you so much?

Steve

[QSilver]

I bothers me all the time...and I have both a Mighty Mouse and an MBP!