Keep Google Earth and Google Maps accurate with the improved Map Maker

Over three years ago, Google introduced “Map Maker” to allow people to make updates to Google Maps and Google Earth. You could mark businesses as being closed, move their pins around, edit information, add roads, etc. It’s quite a useful tool.

Now Google has updated Map Maker to make it even more powerful and easy to use.

map-maker.jpg

Not only will your updates appear on Google Maps and Google Earth (after they’re approved by a Google staff member), but they’ll also appear on Google Maps Mobile — and that’s very important. With the growing popularity of Google Navigation on Android, accurate maps are a necessity. This also shows why Google Navigation is so wildly popular; rather than getting yearly updates (for $99) like a Garmin device, you get access to maps that are updated daily for free!

Just When You Began to Think the Front Range Was All That…

They roll this out…

This afternoon, I sat through the “Collaboration Panel” discussion. The panel was made of of a few people representing state, regional and local governments and well as utilities and academia. Almost uniformly, there was a fear (yes, I mean fear) of crowdsourcing that was best summed up by the following statement:

“Crowdsourcing presents a vulnerability to us.”

Fear of accurate maps?  I wish I was there to see who could have this backward stance, but it doesn’t really matter.  The tide is against them and in time they will be washed away.  If there wasn’t a better reason to have SOTM 2011 in Denver, I can’t think of anything else.  These folks need help and if the Front Range is the great hope for the USA, we are screwed.

Can’t find my way home because the map isn’t crowdsourced!