Thoughts on Google's 'My Places' maps function

The previous post is my finished attempt at creating my own map using Google maps. In this post I'll set out how I did it and my thoughts on how it went and the 'My Places' tool that Google offers.

I wanted to create a map of my holiday to Alaska that showed the approximate routes we traved, plus text and photos (no video possible because I only took an analogue camera) for places of interest.

I first had to work out how to get a URL for my photos. This is perhaps the most clunky thing I did. After a bit of searching and reading forums I choose to upload my photos onto Photo Bucket. It occurs to me now only after I've finished the map that I could have used Dropbox. Oh well. 

Photo Bucket is free and therefore riddled with adds. Yuck! 

This was obvious where to go to get the HTML and there were other linking options which I thought was good. 

After having worked this out I created a map. 

It was easy to do and if you've watched an intro video then it's like second nature.

I gave my map a title, wrote a little blurb on its reason for being and ensured that I selected 'public viewing'. 

This is essential if you want to ensure that your map can be a resource for others. 

I then set about adding place marks. I did texts and photos. Pink place marks for text and blue/icons for photos.

This took longer than I thought and was a little frustrating. Sometimes the HTML link for my photos would not work (not sure why).

I used the 'Edit HTML' tab to past my photo links and the 'Plain text' to type my text.

The biggest problem (which if you've had a look at the map and clicked on a place marker with a photo - you'll know what I'm talking about) was that the photos are a little too big to view easily on the finished map. If you click on them they will be brought up on a separate tab so you can see them properly that way. I just didn't want to shrink them and lose the quality. But I imagine that users might find their large size irritating to manoeuvre.  

When the map was done I could invite people to collaborate. I chose my brother because he might have had more photos from our trip to add. I decided against allowing anyone to edit the map. Just because its of a personal nature and I'd like to share it with my family and would't want anyone else's additions.

This, of course, would be very different if I was just doing a general holiday map with recommendations for places to stay/eat/hike etc. I wouldn't include any photos of my brother or me if I were to do this.

The collaborate aspect of Google maps is amazing. There is so much scope for creativity and for sharing. It will be like a collective memory being mapped if enough people take it on.

It was easy to customise the map size before I copied the HTML to be embedded in my blog.

I really liked that from last weeks lecture and tutorial on HTML I didn't bat an eyelid when I had to copy and paste the HTML text into my blog. I definitely would have felt much more daunted by this had I not recently had a go at writing some HTML code. Learning bit by bit. 

Summing up Google 'My Places' Maps - 

Collaborate mapping is truly a tool for collaboration, communication and creativity. 

It would be useful for an organisation - for whatever purpose they chose. A university could map out all of the libraries on its campuses with collection summaries, opening times and photos of the buildings for their new students. This would be a very helpful resource for a student during orientation week. 

I found a map created by the European Library that shows all of the places they are going, and the events that they are holding there. Click here for map.  This is an good example of an organisation using Google's 'My Places' map to their advantage.

I enjoyed creating the map. And I think I will do one on Berlin for a few friends going in a month - I'll be able to list all the spots I think will be of interest to them and to include pictures and websites. 

Handy! 

Ellen