Support the spread of “good practice” in generating, managing, analysing and communicating spatial information Participatory Internet-based Mapping Basics of Internet-based Mapping By: Jon Corbett and Kasondra White Unit: M13U01

Introduction Increased accessibility of the Internet Emergence of the ‘GeoWeb’ Enhancing community involvement Why Web-based mapping? Capabilities of the GeoWeb Tools of the GeoWeb

Web 2.0 Interactive Communication and collaboration Contributors, instead of viewers, of content Examples include: –blogs; –wikis; –social networking sites; –photo management and sharing applications.

Enhancing community involvement Bringing people together via: –online forums; –discussion boards; –instant messaging; –social networking; –photo sharing. Helpful when working with dispersed communities

Participation and the Geospatial Web Supporting high level of community involvement Uploading community-generated content Sharing with other community members Linking digital media (sound, video and photo files) to points on a map

Why Web-based mapping? Ease of participation for those with Internet access Tangible and satisfying end product Suitable for reasons related to: –cost; –ease of use; –representativeness; –access to data.

Who is the expert? Supports notion of “community expert” Local knowledge a central component Disputes may arise Mediation may be necessary

GeoWeb capabilities Spatialising features: –creating maps –adding points, lines or polygons –attaching content, such as photographs or video Content management: –uploading and organising content –sharing and modifying content –integrating content with online maps

Creating and modifying virtual content Choosing the right tools Community members need to decide: –which features they would like to see mapped; –what kind of content will be accessible through the map interface; –who will be allowed to edit the map; –what will be done with the end product. Determining appropriate privacy settings

The mashup Process of combining information from multiple Web-based applications Data is integrated by: –defining points; –defining lines; –defining polygons; –associating information with these places.

GeoWeb applications: Google Maps ‘My Maps’ feature allows users to create data layers and share with one another

GeoWeb applications: Google Earth Based on satellite imagery Users can create and save points as a.kml file Displaying data created with other programs

GeoWeb applications: Google Sketch-Up Users can create 3-D models of features Models can be integrated with Google Earth Useful for adding features that do not show up on the map Useful for modelling proposed features

GeoWeb applications: Wikimapia Editable, online map Allows users to contribute textual information

NASA World Wind A viewer used to zoom to various features of the Earth’s surface Data can be extracted and used elsewhere

GeoWeb applications: Picasa Web Albums Online photo- sharing application Can be used alongside Web- based mapping applications

GeoWeb applications: YouTube Online video-sharing community Users can upload videos Users can comment on videos Videos stored on YouTube can be embedded in online maps