About WikiAssetMap
This is a prototype to demonstrate how to build a collaborative map with complex content using free services. This could be used for an asset mapping project, a stakeholder analysis, a spatial survey or any other kind of repository that requires specific input (more data fields than a simple description) from many contributors.
This is currently a missing piece in the realm of web mapping: There are plenty of free mapping services that allow you to create maps, like CommunityWalk.com, Google Maps and others. Some of them enable you to invite others to contribute. But each marker only has a title and a description field, that's it. What if you want to build a database with more information, like a url for each marker or contact information? Of course you can ask participants to squeeze that into the description field, but that usually gets messy and will require extra manual labor on your end. Or what about updating inaccurate information on other's markers? And finally, what happens if some of the items you are collecting don't have a location? None of these mapping services will allow you to enter items that just appear in a list but not on the map.
In this scenario you typically have to start developing your own solution. There are great mapping packages out there, like OpenLayers, that you can build upon, but that still requires plenty of coding, not a solution for most of us. Or Drupal is a great platform to build collaborative maps because it supports custom content types and has map modules, but still requires quite a bit of effort to set up even if you are fluent in Drupal.
With new web applications today we finally have the opportunity to put together a mapping platform that fills this gap: The customizable collaborative map that only requires minimal web-savvy and accounts on three free services. These include Zoho Creator, an online database tool that allows us to build a flexible input type, Yahoo Pipes to map that input and Weebly, for the base website. All these services are free and in combination create a powerful and highly customizable mapping tool like the one you are on. What you see here is easy to replicate and won't take more than a half hour to set up.
Start exploring or take a look at the 10 easy steps to replicate and customize this platform.
For comments, feedback and questions, please go http://eParticipation.com
This is currently a missing piece in the realm of web mapping: There are plenty of free mapping services that allow you to create maps, like CommunityWalk.com, Google Maps and others. Some of them enable you to invite others to contribute. But each marker only has a title and a description field, that's it. What if you want to build a database with more information, like a url for each marker or contact information? Of course you can ask participants to squeeze that into the description field, but that usually gets messy and will require extra manual labor on your end. Or what about updating inaccurate information on other's markers? And finally, what happens if some of the items you are collecting don't have a location? None of these mapping services will allow you to enter items that just appear in a list but not on the map.
In this scenario you typically have to start developing your own solution. There are great mapping packages out there, like OpenLayers, that you can build upon, but that still requires plenty of coding, not a solution for most of us. Or Drupal is a great platform to build collaborative maps because it supports custom content types and has map modules, but still requires quite a bit of effort to set up even if you are fluent in Drupal.
With new web applications today we finally have the opportunity to put together a mapping platform that fills this gap: The customizable collaborative map that only requires minimal web-savvy and accounts on three free services. These include Zoho Creator, an online database tool that allows us to build a flexible input type, Yahoo Pipes to map that input and Weebly, for the base website. All these services are free and in combination create a powerful and highly customizable mapping tool like the one you are on. What you see here is easy to replicate and won't take more than a half hour to set up.
Start exploring or take a look at the 10 easy steps to replicate and customize this platform.
For comments, feedback and questions, please go http://eParticipation.com
