Changing the World with Google MapMaker

This might be a little off topic and not relevant to the US market (yet), but it is “geeky” and pretty cool, so I’ll post it anyway. Google MapMaker, which is Google’s attempt at using its massive community of users to improve their Google Maps product, is live! According to Lalitesh Katragadda & Sanjay Jain from Google Maps –

Google Map Maker is a significant step in our ongoing efforts to engage Google Maps users and equip them with an easy-to-use tool to build high quality maps of their neighborhoods, cities and countries. Map Maker allows you and your peers to add, edit and moderate most features you see on maps including roads, lakes, parks, points of interest, businesses, cities and localities. You will be able to trace many of these features using satellite images; as you trace, maps are immediately updated.

Currently, the feature is only available in some regions of the world, likely so that Google can learn more about the quality of contributions and gauge whether or not this is something they can implement throughout Google Maps. Below are the regions currently “editable”:

Cyprus, Iceland, Pakistan, Vietnam and the Caribbean nations of: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago.

OpenStreetMap and Wikimapia are other websites that allow individuals to collaboratively edit maps.

[via Mashable]