Dolphin and the Google API (license questions)

Some questions regarding the Google API used by Dolphin which came up for me while reading their documentation under

https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/?hl=en#GeocodingRequests

1) They say it is only allowed to make a certain amount of calls to the API for free (2500 for non-commercial websites and 100.000 for companys). Lets say i have 200.000 members and i make a range search (zip search) of 12.000km.

a) How many times is dolphin calling the API?
b) Is it theoretically possible for a member to consume the free contingent from Google?

"Use of the Google Geocoding API is subject to a query limit of 2,500 geolocation requests per day. (User of Google Maps API for Business may perform up to 100,000 requests per day.)"


2) Another question, when using Dolphin for a commercial website Google writes that accessing the API requires a digital signature for every API call. As i see in dolphins code it is not using it.

Normally i need to register with Google and add this to the query string or?

"Maps API for Business users must include valid client and signature parameters with their Geocoding requests. Please refer to Maps API for Business Web Services for more information."


3) When adding the range field to the profile search, so i can find members around my zip code, i see another problem. Google writes that accessing the API is only allowed if the results are shown on a map, for every other use this is forbidden.

How i can add the google map to the profiles extended search (i use 7.0.9) so the resultset is not only shown as a member list (thumbnails)? On the world map page there is no range search field, only one for zip. Maybe i can change the world maps search block to include the range field too?

"Note: the Geocoding API may only be used in conjunction with a Google map; geocoding results without displaying them on a map is prohibited. For complete details on allowed usage, consult the Maps API Terms of Service License Restrictions."

1) Only one! Just to translate zipcode to latitude and longitude coordinate.

1.a) Call to geocoding is performed once for particular member, then the result is cached and geocoding is not perfomed.

However it is possible to perform geocoding in bulk (for example if you reinstalled map module and you need update locations for the whole datase), then there is build in delay 3-5 sec between every call to not overcode the limit, so your site is not banned by Google.

2) I suspect that that there is different product - Google Maps for business which requires payment, because there a lot of sites which make money and using Google Maps for free.

Actually we are using google geocode to display profile, group, etc on the map. However geocoding result is cached and maybe used by 3rd-party plugins for any purposes.

Thanks for the info now it is clearer. I am still little bit confused regarding the "must be displayed on a map" and somewhere they mention the information retrieved also cannot be passed to some other services etc (in my eyes also 3rd party apps). But it is okay for me now.