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home / gdir.telae.net / item 47102610
+0.69 Text-Based Google Directions (gdir.telae.net)
45 points by TigerUniversity 4 days ago | 15 comments on HN | Neutral Product · v3.7 · 2026-02-25
Summary Digital Access & Inclusive Navigation Advocates
Text-Based Google Directions is a minimalist navigation service explicitly designed for accessibility across feature phones, terminal-based browsers, screen readers, and low-bandwidth connections. The service demonstrates strong commitment to Articles 1, 2, 13, 19, 25, and 26 through both editorial framing (universal access mission) and structural implementation (no JavaScript, free model, global coverage). The platform advocates for human rights primarily through technology design that removes barriers rather than through explicit rights language.
Article Heatmap
Preamble: +0.60 — Preamble P Article 1: +0.55 — Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood 1 Article 2: +0.88 — Non-Discrimination 2 Article 3: ND — Life, Liberty, Security Article 3: No Data — Life, Liberty, Security 3 Article 4: ND — No Slavery Article 4: No Data — No Slavery 4 Article 5: ND — No Torture Article 5: No Data — No Torture 5 Article 6: ND — Legal Personhood Article 6: No Data — Legal Personhood 6 Article 7: ND — Equality Before Law Article 7: No Data — Equality Before Law 7 Article 8: ND — Right to Remedy Article 8: No Data — Right to Remedy 8 Article 9: ND — No Arbitrary Detention Article 9: No Data — No Arbitrary Detention 9 Article 10: ND — Fair Hearing Article 10: No Data — Fair Hearing 10 Article 11: ND — Presumption of Innocence Article 11: No Data — Presumption of Innocence 11 Article 12: +0.40 — Privacy 12 Article 13: +0.57 — Freedom of Movement 13 Article 14: +0.53 — Asylum 14 Article 15: ND — Nationality Article 15: No Data — Nationality 15 Article 16: ND — Marriage & Family Article 16: No Data — Marriage & Family 16 Article 17: ND — Property Article 17: No Data — Property 17 Article 18: ND — Freedom of Thought Article 18: No Data — Freedom of Thought 18 Article 19: +0.68 — Freedom of Expression 19 Article 20: ND — Assembly & Association Article 20: No Data — Assembly & Association 20 Article 21: ND — Political Participation Article 21: No Data — Political Participation 21 Article 22: ND — Social Security Article 22: No Data — Social Security 22 Article 23: ND — Work & Equal Pay Article 23: No Data — Work & Equal Pay 23 Article 24: ND — Rest & Leisure Article 24: No Data — Rest & Leisure 24 Article 25: +0.97 — Standard of Living 25 Article 26: +0.97 — Education 26 Article 27: +0.53 — Cultural Participation 27 Article 28: ND — Social & International Order Article 28: No Data — Social & International Order 28 Article 29: ND — Duties to Community Article 29: No Data — Duties to Community 29 Article 30: ND — No Destruction of Rights Article 30: No Data — No Destruction of Rights 30
Negative Neutral Positive No Data
Aggregates
Weighted Mean +0.69 Unweighted Mean +0.67
Max +0.97 Article 25 Min +0.40 Article 12
Signal 10 No Data 21
Confidence 27% Volatility 0.19 (Medium)
Negative 0 Channels E: 0.5 S: 0.5
SETL -0.19 Structural-dominant
FW Ratio 60% 30 facts · 20 inferences
Evidence: High: 6 Medium: 4 Low: 0 No Data: 21
Theme Radar
Foundation Security Legal Privacy & Movement Personal Expression Economic & Social Cultural Order & Duties Foundation: 0.67 (3 articles) Security: 0.00 (0 articles) Legal: 0.00 (0 articles) Privacy & Movement: 0.50 (3 articles) Personal: 0.00 (0 articles) Expression: 0.68 (1 articles) Economic & Social: 0.97 (1 articles) Cultural: 0.75 (2 articles) Order & Duties: 0.00 (0 articles)
HN Discussion 12 top-level · 3 replies
TigerUniversity 2026-02-21 17:10 UTC link
A minimalistic directions service aimed at users of feature phones/dumb phones, terminal-based browsers, low-bandwidth connections, screen readers etc. Best suited for public transport directions. No JavaScript requirements.
jmclnx 2026-02-25 18:26 UTC link
Very Nice, this is very much needed
THansenite 2026-02-25 18:51 UTC link
As someone who is currently enamored with Meshtastic devices, several of which have built in GPS, this is making me wonder of future iterations of the software and being able to somehow utilize the directions on the mesh.
a456463 2026-02-25 19:18 UTC link
Love this! Thank you
lostmsu 2026-02-25 19:23 UTC link
How exactly does this work? Does it use Gmaps API?
staffordrj 2026-02-25 19:26 UTC link
Reminds me of GOOG-411! Used to use that all the time back in the day before I got a smart phone. https://youtu.be/J937N9m-XtE?si=-rsbP3Nm6GRGpZGQ&t=185
Melatonic 2026-02-25 20:05 UTC link
Very cool
regus 2026-02-25 20:08 UTC link
This takes me back to the MapQuest era, printing out directions and reading them while driving.
lukeasch21 2026-02-25 20:18 UTC link
As the developer of an app that uses SMS as a transport medium for a WebView "browser" UI [1], I'm very appreciative of Peter Foster for hosting this service! The site design is highly compressible and text is kept to a minimum - you can usually get directions in just a few texts.

[1] https://github.com/lukeaschenbrenner/TxtNet-Browser

k26dr 2026-02-25 20:32 UTC link
hey guys. love the service. paypal donations are down. wanted to donate and couldn't. just a heads up.
felixguendling 2026-02-25 22:06 UTC link
Similar just based on open source + open data https://social.tchncs.de/@Jbb/116082509413974306
tonymet 2026-02-25 22:56 UTC link
it would be fun to use AI to change this to 1990s directions like "Make a left at Eastside high, drive until you see taco bell, turn right down the alley , i'm the 3rd garage with the blue door".
purplehat_ 2026-02-25 19:46 UTC link
Yes, to self-host it you will need a Google maps API key.

In the related links at the bottom, https://gdir.telae.net/links.html, the Git repo https://github.com/pafoster/gdir.telae.net is available along with some other cool things.

escapecharacter 2026-02-25 21:05 UTC link
GOOG-411 was insanely cool.
gojomo 2026-02-25 22:00 UTC link
Competitor MapBlast's 'LineDrive' directions were my favorite printable option – both the abstract overview and the turn-by-turn abstract clips.

https://somethingaboutmaps.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/remember...

Editorial Channel
What the content says
+0.70
Article 26 Education
High F: Educational access framing P: Accessible technology education
Editorial
+0.70
SETL
-0.19

The service demonstrates commitment to Article 26 by providing accessible navigation support that enables access to educational services, particularly in low-resource contexts.

+0.65
Article 25 Standard of Living
High F: Health and mobility framing P: Accessible public transport information
Editorial
+0.65
SETL
-0.19

The service supports Article 25's right to health and standard of living by providing accessible public transport directions, enabling movement for healthcare access and daily wellbeing.

+0.60
Article 2 Non-Discrimination
High F: Non-discrimination through inclusive design P: Device-agnostic technical architecture
Editorial
+0.60
SETL
-0.18

The service explicitly rejects discrimination by functionality: it serves users with feature phones, screen readers, and low-bandwidth equally with feature-rich users.

+0.55
Preamble Preamble
High F: Universal accessibility framing P: Inclusive technical architecture
Editorial
+0.55
SETL
-0.25

The service describes itself as aimed at users of feature phones, terminal-based browsers, low-bandwidth connections, and screen readers, directly advancing universal human dignity and equal access.

+0.55
Article 13 Freedom of Movement
High F: Freedom of movement framing P: Universal access to navigation service
Editorial
+0.55
SETL
-0.17

The service explicitly supports freedom of movement by providing directions across 195+ territories for public transport and other travel modes without restriction.

+0.50
Article 1 Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood
High F: Universal access framing P: Inclusive design practice
Editorial
+0.50
SETL
-0.24

The service's mission to serve all users regardless of device type or connectivity reflects Article 1's principle of equal dignity and rights.

+0.50
Article 14 Asylum
Medium F: Asylum-relevant access framing P: Refugee-accessible navigation
Editorial
+0.50
SETL
-0.17

While not explicitly addressing asylum, the service's support for 195+ countries and multiple travel modes could benefit persons fleeing persecution in need of navigation.

+0.50
Article 27 Cultural Participation
Medium F: Cultural participation framing P: Access to cultural navigation
Editorial
+0.50
SETL
-0.17

The service indirectly supports Article 27 by enabling navigation to cultural sites and events through accessible directions across diverse geographic contexts.

+0.45
Article 19 Freedom of Expression
Medium F: Information access framing P: Universal information availability
Editorial
+0.45
SETL
-0.16

The service supports information access by providing directions without device restrictions; the mission emphasizes universal accessibility to information.

ND
Article 3 Life, Liberty, Security

No observable editorial content addressing personal security or life protection.

ND
Article 4 No Slavery

No content addressing slavery or servitude.

ND
Article 5 No Torture

No content addressing torture or cruel treatment.

ND
Article 6 Legal Personhood

No content addressing legal personhood.

ND
Article 7 Equality Before Law

No content addressing equality before law.

ND
Article 8 Right to Remedy

No content addressing remedy for rights violations.

ND
Article 9 No Arbitrary Detention

No content addressing arbitrary arrest or detention.

ND
Article 10 Fair Hearing

No content addressing fair trial or due process.

ND
Article 11 Presumption of Innocence

No content addressing criminal law or presumption of innocence.

ND
Article 12 Privacy
Medium P: Minimal data collection practice

No editorial content addressing privacy.

ND
Article 15 Nationality

No content addressing nationality.

ND
Article 16 Marriage & Family

No content addressing marriage, family, or personal relationships.

ND
Article 17 Property

No content addressing property rights.

ND
Article 18 Freedom of Thought

No content addressing freedom of conscience or religion.

ND
Article 20 Assembly & Association

No content addressing freedom of assembly or association.

ND
Article 21 Political Participation

No content addressing political participation or governance.

ND
Article 22 Social Security

No content addressing social security or social rights.

ND
Article 23 Work & Equal Pay

No content addressing labor rights or employment.

ND
Article 24 Rest & Leisure

No content addressing rest, leisure, or reasonable working hours.

ND
Article 28 Social & International Order

No content addressing social and international order.

ND
Article 29 Duties to Community

No content addressing duties to community.

ND
Article 30 No Destruction of Rights

No content addressing prohibition of rights destruction.

Structural Channel
What the site does
Domain Context Profile
Element Modifier Affects Note
Privacy
No privacy policy or data handling statement accessible on-domain.
Terms of Service
No terms of service visible on evaluated page.
Accessibility +0.25
Article 2 Article 26
Service explicitly designed for feature phones, terminal-based browsers, screen readers, and low-bandwidth connections; demonstrates inclusive design architecture.
Mission +0.20
Article 19 Article 25
Mission statement emphasizes accessibility and universal service availability across diverse devices and connection types.
Editorial Code
No editorial content or stated editorial policy observed.
Ownership
No ownership or operator information accessible on-domain.
Access Model +0.15
Article 25
Free service with optional donation model; no paywalls or mandatory fees for core functionality.
Ad/Tracking
No advertising or tracking mechanisms evident in page structure.
+0.75
Article 26 Education
High F: Educational access framing P: Accessible technology education
Structural
+0.75
Context Modifier
+0.25
SETL
-0.19

The technical architecture itself functions as education in inclusive design; feature phone optimization and no-JavaScript approach demonstrate that advanced technology is not necessary for essential services.

+0.70
Article 25 Standard of Living
High F: Health and mobility framing P: Accessible public transport information
Structural
+0.70
Context Modifier
+0.30
SETL
-0.19

Free service with optional donations ensures financial accessibility; optimization for feature phones and low-bandwidth supports populations with limited resources.

+0.65
Preamble Preamble
High F: Universal accessibility framing P: Inclusive technical architecture
Structural
+0.65
Context Modifier
0.00
SETL
-0.25

The platform is built without JavaScript requirements and optimized for diverse access conditions, demonstrating structural commitment to inclusive participation.

+0.65
Article 2 Non-Discrimination
High F: Non-discrimination through inclusive design P: Device-agnostic technical architecture
Structural
+0.65
Context Modifier
+0.25
SETL
-0.18

Technical architecture (no JavaScript, text-based interface) ensures feature phones and assistive technologies function identically to modern browsers.

+0.60
Article 1 Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood
High F: Universal access framing P: Inclusive design practice
Structural
+0.60
Context Modifier
0.00
SETL
-0.24

Global country selector (195+ territories) and multiple travel modes demonstrate structural equality in service availability.

+0.60
Article 13 Freedom of Movement
High F: Freedom of movement framing P: Universal access to navigation service
Structural
+0.60
Context Modifier
0.00
SETL
-0.17

Global country selector and multiple travel modes enable movement planning across jurisdictions.

+0.55
Article 14 Asylum
Medium F: Asylum-relevant access framing P: Refugee-accessible navigation
Structural
+0.55
Context Modifier
0.00
SETL
-0.17

Global accessibility and feature-phone optimization benefit populations with limited resources, consistent with refugee and asylum-seeker needs.

+0.55
Article 27 Cultural Participation
Medium F: Cultural participation framing P: Access to cultural navigation
Structural
+0.55
Context Modifier
0.00
SETL
-0.17

Global country coverage and public transport support enable access to cultural sites and events without technical or economic barriers.

+0.50
Article 19 Freedom of Expression
Medium F: Information access framing P: Universal information availability
Structural
+0.50
Context Modifier
+0.20
SETL
-0.16

Text-based interface and no-JavaScript architecture ensure information accessibility across connectivity and device limitations.

+0.40
Article 12 Privacy
Medium P: Minimal data collection practice
Structural
+0.40
Context Modifier
0.00
SETL
ND

Service is text-based with no apparent advertising or tracking mechanisms; minimalist technical design suggests limited personal data collection beyond operational necessity.

ND
Article 3 Life, Liberty, Security

No structural mechanisms related to life or personal security evident.

ND
Article 4 No Slavery

No structural mechanisms related to anti-slavery provisions.

ND
Article 5 No Torture

No structural mechanisms related to dignity protection from harm.

ND
Article 6 Legal Personhood

No structural mechanisms related to legal status.

ND
Article 7 Equality Before Law

No structural mechanisms related to legal equality.

ND
Article 8 Right to Remedy

No structural mechanisms related to legal recourse.

ND
Article 9 No Arbitrary Detention

No structural mechanisms related to protection from state action.

ND
Article 10 Fair Hearing

No structural mechanisms related to legal proceedings.

ND
Article 11 Presumption of Innocence

No structural mechanisms related to legal liability.

ND
Article 15 Nationality

No structural mechanisms related to national status.

ND
Article 16 Marriage & Family

No structural mechanisms related to family rights.

ND
Article 17 Property

No structural mechanisms related to property protection.

ND
Article 18 Freedom of Thought

No structural mechanisms related to religious expression.

ND
Article 20 Assembly & Association

No structural mechanisms for assembly or association.

ND
Article 21 Political Participation

No structural mechanisms related to political rights.

ND
Article 22 Social Security

No structural mechanisms related to social welfare.

ND
Article 23 Work & Equal Pay

No structural mechanisms related to labor conditions.

ND
Article 24 Rest & Leisure

No structural mechanisms related to rest or leisure.

ND
Article 28 Social & International Order

No structural mechanisms related to systemic order.

ND
Article 29 Duties to Community

No structural mechanisms addressing community duties.

ND
Article 30 No Destruction of Rights

No structural mechanisms related to rights protection.

Supplementary Signals
Epistemic Quality
0.68 low claims
Sources
0.6
Evidence
0.7
Uncertainty
0.7
Purpose
0.8
Propaganda Flags
0 techniques detected
Solution Orientation
0.76 solution oriented
Reader Agency
0.8
Emotional Tone
measured
Valence
+0.6
Arousal
0.3
Dominance
0.4
Stakeholder Voice
0.68 3 perspectives
Speaks: institutionindividuals
About: marginalizedindividuals
Temporal Framing
present unspecified
Geographic Scope
global
United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Afghanistan, India, China, Japan, Brazil, Australia
Complexity
accessible low jargon none
Transparency
0.25
✗ Author ✗ Funding
Event Timeline 3 events
2026-02-25 23:42 eval_success Evaluated: Neutral (0.69)
2026-02-25 23:26 eval_success Evaluated: Strong positive (0.77)
2026-02-25 23:05 eval_success Evaluated: Neutral (0.67)
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build 0ab3844+kau3 · deployed 2026-02-26 00:11 UTC · evaluated 2026-02-26 00:16:07 UTC