Google Maps is abandoning support for Mapplets quicker than anyone might have expected or suspected.

Put simply a Mapplet was a sort of gadget that you could create and have added to the Google Maps page for users to connect to. The main attraction of writing a Mapplet was the public availability of the app.

Back in May Google announced that Mapplets were being deprecated and not to be used for new projects but they also stated that they would continue to support them for at least 3 years. As things are turning out this seems to be a very weak interpretation of "support".

A recent announcement in the Google Geo Developers Blog states that the Google Maps Directory is to be closed and links to Mapplets will be removed from the MyMaps tab. The Google Maps Directory has around 1500 Mapplets.

Any bookmarks a user might happen to have to existing Mapplets will continue to work, but they will be redirected to a new Mapplets page. However, Mapplets will no longer have access to users' preferences.

Developers who had invested a lot of time creating Mapplets should be rightfully annoyed.

The change is planned to take effect soon after December 8th.