Splitting Big Cities

I just don't like joining all these different sites and divulging personal info any more.

While I'm here, I'd like to mention that your "city search" for gas prices feature is flawed. I live in the former city of Etobicoke which was encompassed by "Metro (or GTA) West" on the old gastips. All former stations are now under "Toronto" which is a rather huge area. A price search under "Etobicoke" draws no hits. At the same time, Etobicoke technically exists only as an old borough "name". There is a potential to have overlapping areas and stations, which would be confusing to the users.

I know, change can be a difficult thing.

p r n d l 154K

I just don't like joining all these different sites and divulging personal info any more.

While I'm here, I'd like to mention that your "city search" for gas prices feature is flawed. I live in the former city of Etobicoke which was encompassed by "Metro (or GTA) West" on the old gastips. All former stations are now under "Toronto" which is a rather huge area. A price search under "Etobicoke" draws no hits. At the same time, Etobicoke technically exists only as an old borough "name". There is a potential to have overlapping areas and stations, which would be confusing to the users.

I know, change can be a difficult thing.

p r n d l 154K

... continuation ..

I do notice a number of stations for "etobicoke", however many of them are duplicates of the Toronto stations and ones I had in my favourites list in the format "StreetA & RoadB". The ones in your list give a numerical street address only rather than naming the intersection. In Toronto anyways people are more used to naming the intersection rather than the street address. Is it possible to have both? That would keep most people happy.

p r n d l 154K

... continuation ..

I do notice a number of stations for "etobicoke", however many of them are duplicates of the Toronto stations and ones I had in my favourites list in the format "StreetA & RoadB". The ones in your list give a numerical street address only rather than naming the intersection. In Toronto anyways people are more used to naming the intersection rather than the street address. Is it possible to have both? That would keep most people happy.

p r n d l 154K

Hello, prndl brought up a good point in another forum topic and I wanted to move it here to encourage some discussion as to the best direction forward.

cjc 28K

Hello, prndl brought up a good point in another forum topic and I wanted to move it here to encourage some discussion as to the best direction forward.

cjc 28K

The new gastips supports a way of linking cities together, like I have done in Vancouver: http://www.gastips.com/RegionPrices/1/vancouver-prices and I could set something like that up for Toronto if it made sense.

Personally, the format I would prefer for street addresses is: ### StreetA & RoadB... but that is just me as it will help with the geo linking.

cjc 28K

The new gastips supports a way of linking cities together, like I have done in Vancouver: http://www.gastips.com/RegionPrices/1/vancouver-prices and I could set something like that up for Toronto if it made sense.

Personally, the format I would prefer for street addresses is: ### StreetA & RoadB... but that is just me as it will help with the geo linking.

cjc 28K

I would prefer the "### StreetA & RoadB" format also, to make it compatible with everyone. That is how it's done at that "other" gas price-spotting site.

Somehow the station lists have to be cross-linked so that they will appear not only in Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York etc but also Toronto (or perhaps the Toronto Metropolitan area).

The old gastips had a clickable map already divided into areas, which I thought was a good way to narrow a search, and also keep the listed stations within the proper area. Perhaps something similar can be re-introduced.

p r n d l 154K

I would prefer the "### StreetA & RoadB" format also, to make it compatible with everyone. That is how it's done at that "other" gas price-spotting site.

Somehow the station lists have to be cross-linked so that they will appear not only in Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York etc but also Toronto (or perhaps the Toronto Metropolitan area).

The old gastips had a clickable map already divided into areas, which I thought was a good way to narrow a search, and also keep the listed stations within the proper area. Perhaps something similar can be re-introduced.

p r n d l 154K

I like what you did with Vancouver and the link to the regional Vancouver prices. Could you do the same for the "Greater Toronto Area" (or GTA as we call it locally). Then we can work on cleaning up duplicate stations. It would be nice to have a "station edit" feature which I mentioned in another post, to add the cross-streets to ones that just have the postal address.

p r n d l 154K

I like what you did with Vancouver and the link to the regional Vancouver prices. Could you do the same for the "Greater Toronto Area" (or GTA as we call it locally). Then we can work on cleaning up duplicate stations. It would be nice to have a "station edit" feature which I mentioned in another post, to add the cross-streets to ones that just have the postal address.

p r n d l 154K

Take a look at this, http://www.gastips.com/RegionPrices/3/gta

I am working on making the stations more editable. Please flag whichever ones need to be deleted.

Let me know what you think.

cjc 28K

Take a look at this, http://www.gastips.com/RegionPrices/3/gta

I am working on making the stations more editable. Please flag whichever ones need to be deleted.

Let me know what you think.

cjc 28K

I like it!

But now I have to clean up many of my stations that currently appear in "Toronto - Downtown" and re-establish them as "Etobicoke".

Don't be alarmed to see a whole wave of "deletes".

I am also looking forward to some type of "edit stations" feature so I can add cross-streets to my favourite station addresses.

In my spare time, that is ... I haven't been on here much lately - the new format still takes some getting used to.

p r n d l 154K

I like it!

But now I have to clean up many of my stations that currently appear in "Toronto - Downtown" and re-establish them as "Etobicoke".

Don't be alarmed to see a whole wave of "deletes".

I am also looking forward to some type of "edit stations" feature so I can add cross-streets to my favourite station addresses.

In my spare time, that is ... I haven't been on here much lately - the new format still takes some getting used to.

p r n d l 154K

There is a potential problem in splitting up Toronto. The areas "East End, North End, West End" must be defined, or eliminated. They are covered by or overlap "Scarborough, North York, East York and Etobicoke". These are old borough names which technically ceased to exist after the 1999 amalgamation. However, since new posters are updating stations in the boroughs, I propose to elimiminate "East, North, and West ends" since it will lead to duplication and confusion. Leave "Toronto - Downtown". But good luck trying to figure out the borders for East York and York. They zigzag all over. Most Torontonians wouldn't know them.

If anyone else wants to chime in here, I'm all ears. I recall members a lively debate over this very topic at that "other" gas-spotting site (which I won't mention here) before the site mods finalized things.

p r n d l 154K

There is a potential problem in splitting up Toronto. The areas "East End, North End, West End" must be defined, or eliminated. They are covered by or overlap "Scarborough, North York, East York and Etobicoke". These are old borough names which technically ceased to exist after the 1999 amalgamation. However, since new posters are updating stations in the boroughs, I propose to elimiminate "East, North, and West ends" since it will lead to duplication and confusion. Leave "Toronto - Downtown". But good luck trying to figure out the borders for East York and York. They zigzag all over. Most Torontonians wouldn't know them.

If anyone else wants to chime in here, I'm all ears. I recall members a lively debate over this very topic at that "other" gas-spotting site (which I won't mention here) before the site mods finalized things.

p r n d l 154K