Updated

This update includes a test of all external links, and a renewal and reformatting of the blogroll.  Overall the resources on the page continue to be useful, and the links haven't changed that much. 

Welcome

This site has evolved into a repository of resources and links to all things related to mapping.  Its not really a blog, and for now I will keep it this way.

Summer 2012

Changes in mapping and in pedagogies of mapping continue at a pace difficult to keep up with.  In order for me to manage these changes and continue to provide a useful site for all things mapping, I will try using this blog in different ways my teaching.  Not sure what these will be, but this post starts the process.

6 months later ...

Its been more than six months since the last update - I'm wondering what developments there have been in Web 2.0 mapping. 

There are a lot of questions to ask:  Are the geospatial applications previously identified still active?  Have there been changes in functionality?  What new applications can be identified?  What evidence is there of  how these applications are being used?  Who is using the geospatial web?  Are some types of applications more useful than others, and for what purposes?

A brief search of recent literature reveals a surge of scholarly articles on the geospatial web, some of which I have included in the updated Reading List page above.

Once again, students in my cartography course will explore online mapping applications and report their findings on this blog later in the fall term.To help get these investigations going again here are a few new map apps on the scene:

     Mapnificent

     Padmapper

     One Bay Area Maps

     Historypin

     WhatWasThere

     Wild Knowledge

     Camineo

Navigating Map Rap

Map Rap is laid out pretty much like a conventional blog.

Under the blog title are the Introduction to Map Rap, a library of Bookmarks to geospatial websites, a list of key websites in Canada, and some Readings.

The middle panel has two kinds of content (so far):

- periodic notes on the development of the geospatial web, as well as the blog itself.

- links to resources, including:  geospatial tools, and articles related to various issues and applications

 The left panel has two columns providing links to other blogs that relate to maps and the geospatial web.  Each blog is continuously updated, which makes this my favourite component of Map Rap.

On the right panel are Exhibits that present the geospatial web in different ways.  Under Geolinks are direct links to useful websites related to the geospatial. Labels are helpful when searching the blog for topics like tools, issues and applications.

Map Rap Blog Flog

Ready or not, its time to open this blog to the world, or at least to my students and my social network.  Given that I don't know how all the various blog functions work I may need a few pointers along the way, so feel free to comment and suggest.

I'm not sure how to involve others in its future development.  One way is for readers to add comments.  A second is for readers to send me stuff which I could then post.  A third is to invite others to join me as coauthors of the blog.  I'll figure it out as I go along.

On with the geospatial revolution!

Bob

Geospatial web - reading list

I moved the reading list to a separate page under the blog title.

I moved it on August 26, as I have begun to discover the limitations of using a blog for adding, searching and retrieving particluar types of information:  general messages, lists...

Clearly the blog is effective for capturing the temporal release of information but maybe a website is better for???