The geospatial web is a relatively new term that represents
the merging of geographical and abstract information that is currently
dominating the internet (ESRI par. 1). It has had a profound impact on managing
knowledge, structuring facts, and communicating with individuals in virtual
communities. The concept was first introduced by Dr. Charles Herring in his
1994 paper “An Architecture of Cyberspace: Spatialization of the Internet”,
which kick-started the development GIS with new technologies, concepts, and
products (Anders par. 18). Today the internet holds a wide array of geospatial
applications to explore, which all carry specific themes and objectives. For
example, the MapMyFitness corporation which has created geospatial websites
such as MapMyRun, MapMyRide, MapMyMountain, MapMyHike, and MapMyWalk, are all
fitness-oriented. By using satellite images provided by Google Maps these
applications allow individuals to create specific exercise routes around the
world. Users also have the ability to view maps created by others, allowing
information like the advantages and dangers of their courses to be seen.
Overall, the most dynamic and intricate application created by this company has
been MapMyTri, which allows individuals to create their own triathlon route
“with just a few mouse clicks” (MapMyTri par. 2). However, even though MapMyTri
does have clear benefits for avid athletic enthusiasts, it still carries
fallbacks such as pop up advertisements, and poor security. It is because of
the obvious strengths and weaknesses of this geospatial website that we found it
to be best suited for a critical overview.
Laura Curk
Steven Allison
Ashley Gyori
Olivier Leonard
Erin Gouweleeuw
