Google Desktop

Tag : Hand Tool Bits

With the tool, people can using tracing tools to build maps inCyprus, Iceland, Pakistan, and Vietnam, according to the Google LatLong blog . Also open for cartographic contributions are several Caribbeannations: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, BritishVirgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Jamaica, NetherlandsAntilles, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and theGrenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.
I'm of two minds about this. On the one hand, it's great that thiskind of activity can be crowd-sourced (please excuse the jargon) sothe community (please excuse the jargon again) can contribute to aproject that reduces the amount of digitally uncharted terrain.Google has given us a way to help make a difference that, whilesmall, could collectively become quite large.
But on the other hand, I can think of worthy causes in greater needof charity or free labor than Google. If we're all going to beaugmenting Google Maps with user-generated content, wouldn't it benice if we could do it through a more neutral mechanism that letsothers benefit from the work, too? Geotagged entries in Wikipedia show on Google Maps , but not Google Maps alone, at least theoretically.
Overall, I think my first reaction will carry the day for me.
That's because, fundamentally, Google Maps is a service not justconsumed by many but also repackaged by many through theavailability of the Google Maps API (application programminginterface). So until the day Google flips its Don't Be Evil switchto the "off" position, Google Maps is in effect a public utility,and many can benefit from contributions to the service.
Google Map Maker looks slick, but it would be slicker with bettersatellite imagery. Parts of Iceland , one of my favorite places on Earth, are too coarse for anytracing.