12/6/02
Cynthia Typaldos
Basic concept simple -- groups can overlay maps with data. You may remember a venture-funded website which allowed people to put "sticky notes" on webpages (called "ThirdVoice") . The company and website failed for a lot of reasons, but structure is similar.
All that is needed is a mapping application (e.g. Yahoo Maps) and a eGroup capability (e.g. Yahoo Groups). [Note this would work with other types of online groups too, e.g.IM groups.]
Best to explain thru sample scenarios:
1) Dog Guardians of Silicon Valley: Members overlay map with notes on good places to walk dog, hotels that accept dogs, outdoor cafes that admit dogs, where the big, bad dogs live, dog parks, etc.
2) Mercury News Willow Glen Neighborhood: Residents -- overlay map with comments about stores & restaurants, quirky info such as "Jim proposed here", previous establishments (now gone), petty crime activity, hazardous street/sidewalk conditions, broken street lamps, etc. Reporters - overlay map with links to stories relating to the people, place, or activity that occurred. Police/Firemen - overlay map with arrests (and convictions) for burglary, drunk driving, jaywalking.
3) Emergency Personnel: Overlay map with location of key items, people counts (day, evening, night), issues that could come up in an emergency for a particular location e.g. bedridden invalid, horses in back field, cell phone quality.
4) Commuters of HiWay 17 (San Jose/Santa Cruz): Members overlay map with hazardous road conditions (turn too sharp), bad drivers (watch out for the 7am red Porsche speeder at Bear Valley Road), convenient stopping points (for overheated cars, getting a good cup of coffee), daily road conditions (short shelf life of course).
5) Environmental hot spots: groups are biologists/ecologists, locals, visitors, activists, even birds/animals could have tracking devices (notes fade over time so that only the most recent locations -- perhaps with a time lag to protect the animal -- are visible). Photos of the area current and past.
6) Photos could also be added and annotated.
And of course the comments that the map is wrong in a certain spot. Why not let the members fix the maps? They are the ones that go there every day. Heck, we implemented this capability at GolfWeb in 1995 (for golf courses).
Features:
1) Comments have some categorization so that they can be analyzed, sorted
2) Comments have a life span and must be renewed
3) Comments from a group can be private, visible to other selected groups, or public
4) Comments can be rated and this reputation feeds into the sorting algorithm
5) Members would develop a reputation based on their comments
How would people use this?
The scenarios above give some examples, but also anyone who is looking at a map could call up the comments (by eGroup). For instance, you are traveling to meet someone at a previously never visited location and bring along your dog(s). Where is a good place to sit outside with coffee and a bowl of water? A newcomer is looking to buy a house in Willow Glen. What are the neighbors like? Read their comments and gain a lot of insight.
Why do this?
1) Except for the software coding (which is relatively easy) very little investment.
2) Members add value which grows over time.
3) Even greater lock-in to Groups (feeds into subscription fee)
4) Maps now have competitive edge that accumulates over time (as Members add comments/value). Can charge subscription fee for Maps.
5) Possible
commercial use of data. Issues would be privacy; what data is valuable to
whom.
In the
same way the companies buy their name for a stadium, or sports
arena, these sites, in their virtual incarnations, along with
buildings, streets, parks, etc. could acquire layers of names in
memoriam, in honor of, special moment mementos, etc
"Networking
of Groups and Maps":
http://www.typaldos.com/word.documents/group.and.maps/index.htm
Cynthia
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