| I asked a colleague from work today if he had | | | | but the craze is spreading to other countries too. |
| any news about new Internet phenomena that | | | | is a site that shows you all of the trains in Dublin, |
| would be cool to check out. He told me about the | | | | Ireland, their destination, and where they are on |
| concept of social software. Social software is | | | | their route (in approximate real-time). |
| where someone takes an existing computer | | | | is a site link that takes you to a map where you |
| program and combines it with another idea to | | | | can click on hundreds of traffic cameras around |
| make it more personalized for people. A perfect | | | | Toronto, Canada to actually see real photos of |
| example of this comes in the form of a new | | | | current traffic conditions in a specific area. is a |
| craze taking over the world: Google Map | | | | cool site to see and download professional photos |
| mash-ups. is already a cool site that has taken a | | | | taken in different locations around the world. I had |
| personalized approach to many different ways of | | | | a quick look at the game called where you are |
| helping people. For example, I typed in 'Pizza | | | | asked to find certain images around our whole |
| restaurants' into the finder with the name of the | | | | planet. It doesn't look easy!The list of links related |
| town my father lives in near Atlanta, Georgia, | | | | to this single new form of social software on is |
| USA and it showed me exactly where all the | | | | very impressive. I'm interested in finding out about |
| pizzas were, the names of the restaurants, and | | | | other forms of combined software that could help |
| contact details (if I wished to place an order over | | | | humanity in a social context. My friend mentioned |
| the phone). Pretty cool. This is only the tip of the | | | | that he'd read an article about a proposed travel |
| iceberg. Other people around the world have | | | | site that would rate the relevance of user's |
| taken the Google Map software and combined it | | | | comments in relation to your own personal |
| with their personal interests to create a whole | | | | statistics. For example, if your are a 20 year old |
| array of exciting maps filled with photos and | | | | male, a 60 year old woman's remarks about a |
| information. The ultimate site to check some out | | | | hotel will be rated as of less importance |
| is me give you an idea of what people are doing | | | | compared with another person who falls into a |
| out there on the Internet to make the world a | | | | similar social category to yourself.This is an |
| more informed place. I'm planning on going to live | | | | interesting and exciting craze. I can see clearly |
| in Japan pretty soon. Well at I could find a map of | | | | how these specific idea-based maps will be able to |
| the Kansai region (where I will probably live) which | | | | help humanity in so many ways. However, all |
| showed me exactly where all the vegetarian | | | | things in life are balanced so we do have to draw |
| restaurants are, the type of cultural food each | | | | a line sometimes. Another friend at work told me |
| was (E.g.: Sri Lankan), a photo of the | | | | a story about an angry mob that stood waiting |
| establishment, as well as all the relevant | | | | outside a house that an Internet sex offenders' |
| information-including reviews. You can tell I'm a | | | | site informed them of a predator in their local |
| connoisseur, or at least I attempt to be one. Let's | | | | neighborhood. The thing is the site hadn't been |
| go elsewhere.The site has map categories like | | | | updated when the ex-convict had moved from |
| current events, transportation, weather, wireless | | | | the house, so an innocent person had their house |
| and mobile, housing and real estate, business, | | | | picketed for something that was totally unrelated |
| stats and demographics, employment, recreation | | | | to them. On the positive side of the coin, I do |
| and fitness, events and sport, travel and tourism, | | | | think that the possible future innovations even in |
| and even maps of crime and sex offenders-that's | | | | this one area of Internet-mapping could in itself |
| a little weird for me, but some people obviously | | | | have awesome results for human society.By |
| are keen to keep their families safe at all costs. | | | | Jesse S. Somer |
| There is also Google map games that people | | | | |
| have created, and you can download tools to | | | | Jesse S. Somer is quite pleased that by simply |
| create a map of your own.At you can see a map | | | | turning on the Internet he can now find a map |
| with some pictures of the best pubs in London. | | | | with photos of the best sushi restaurants in |
| Under current events, and you know how | | | | Kyoto, Japan. |
| 'positive' current events are, at you can see a | | | | Jesse S. Somer is a creative writer working at |
| map with all of the places where avian flu | | | | M6.Net: 'The web-hosting company for humans.' |
| outbreaks have occurred. At you can look at a | | | | M6.Net is working hard to help humanity |
| map of the USA and click on houses for sale in a | | | | experience the power and freedom to develop |
| city you'd like to go to. You get the house's | | | | their own part of the Internet, to share their |
| address, cost, and many of them have photos as | | | | information and connect with anyone, anywhere, |
| well.There's a lot of this kind of thing in America, | | | | anytime. |