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My Google Maps biography  (View post)

justinf [PersonRank 10]

Wednesday, July 18, 2007
16 years ago4,327 views

I've started annotating google maps with memories, notes, places from when i grew up in cork , ireland

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=111440536677812530210.00043589563ae6473b264&t=k&om=1&ll=51.904142,-8.458786&spn=0.042682,0.112267&z=13

i'm finding it very interestng to do a bio in this graphical mapped way, as it seems to trigger a lot more memories – which is natural as our memories are more or less tied to places.

has anyone else done or is doing their life story in google maps ?

(as an aside, if enough people have done one, then this would be good blog material for philip , and even my blog – i'll credit your blog of course if you have a google maps bio done..)

Above 1 comments were made in the forum before this was blogged,

Reto Meier [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

I've started this for a couple of biographical type things:

My travels (not nearly up to date)
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=112503165633966220500.00000111c219241b52e0d&ie=UTF8&ll=49.049952,3.61264&spn=17.189817,34.013672&t=k&z=5&om=1

My offshore trips
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=k&msa=0&msid=112503165633966220500.00000111dfd91b4a56919&om=1&ll=7.623887,121.376953&spn=50.256058,68.027344&z=4

For me, the big problem is you can't re-order placemarks or put them in to folders.

I'd like to combine these, but put 'travel', 'work', 'lines/areas' into separate folders. And be able to reorder them so I can add my holidays in any order but list them chronologically.

Andy Myre [PersonRank 0]

16 years ago #

I wonder how it is possible to integrate such data. I have setup some hiking walkways to Google MyMaps and set the option to public – but they will not appear.

Niraj Sanghvi [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

I was really happy to see the mapping functionality appear in Picasa, as I can finally plot out and visualize past trips. The only annoying thing about it is I can't find locations the same way as Google Maps, presumably because the PicasaWeb version of maps doesn't understand how to look for businesses. So I have to keep using GMaps to find the place, then enter the address (or spot it visually) in the Picasa map interface to mark it.

Has anyone found a better way?

TOMHTML [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

I did that only with my pictures on Picasaweb, but basically it's not very useful for me.

I prefer spend more time on my map of "Google signs" ;-)
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=101555744172859669534.00000112f37423f782a8b&ll=37.420951,-122.084117&spn=0.014281,0.040169&z=15&om=1&gl=us
Enjoy!

Sour Grapes [PersonRank 1]

16 years ago #

I did this about a month ago, and blogged about it here:
http://grapes2dot0.blogspot.com/2007/06/googlebore.html. It all started with the news that children these days don't venture so far from home, so I set out to see how far from home we used to wander.

It's not terribly interesting for most people, but one day my kids might be interested. They'll think I was king of infinite space, compared to their gated and limited lives.

Justin Doub [PersonRank 0]

16 years ago #

This reminds me of the Memory Map group over at Flickr – http://flickr.com/groups/memorymaps/

justinf [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

sour grapes -> that is *very* interesting. looking at my own map , i'm a bit astonished at just how far away from home i used to walk as a kid.

it was not unusual, during the summer, to spend an entire afternoon, unsupervised, doing crazy skateboarding down dangerous hills (with no head protection whatsoever) or playing cowboys & indians in some field or forest nearby. (about the age of 7 or 8 maybe...).
i might be wrong , but i do suspect that we certainly did have a lot more freedom to roam as kids – far more so than the kids nowadays. but then again, there were far fewer cars around in the 1970s – thats certainly a big factor – the rise of the car.

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

> i might be wrong , but i do suspect that we
> certainly did have a lot more freedom to roam
> as kids – far more so than the kids nowadays.

There was a Boing Boing link recently talking about exactly that, and it showed a map visualizing where the grandpa used to roam vs where the kid today was allowed to go. I tried finding it right now but don't have the right keywords to bring it up...

Jared Cherup [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

I know what you are talking about Philipp... here it is.

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/06/15/map_shows_how_kids_a.html

justinf [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

i have to say, its fascinating doing this memory map. its really triggering some stuff i'd forgotten. now i'm looking for my old scout hall. :-)

overall , a great time waster!

Tony Ruscoe [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

<< There was a Boing Boing link recently talking about exactly that, and it showed a map visualizing where the grandpa used to roam vs where the kid today was allowed to go. >>

The area in the map is where I live! :-)

justinf [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

aha! another one of those strange internet coincidences.
remember that "i took a photo of you taking that photo" flickr group from a year or so ago – where disconnected strangers met up again over a flickr photo?

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