[NUUG kart] Assorted activity with on-line maps

[Edward Welbourne]

I doubt any are free - but here's some links from a recent discussion
among a group of my friends on the fun toys they've been seeing lately:

Google's recent addition:
http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/

Italy is already doing it better:
http://www.visual.paginegialle.it
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2089490,00.html

Endlessly touring to keep route-finder data up-to-date:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6684381.stm

Combining photographs to make 3-D models:
http://labs.live.com/photosynth/

One of the places where free projects potentially have a huge advantage
is the distributed collection and storage, with P2P distribution, of map
data.  Using P2P would make it harder for proprietary attackers to use
claims of copyright infringement against the project - while, at the
same time, ensuring the data largely resides physically near where it's
most apt to be wanted.  Leaving users to provide detailed local
information (e.g. as annotations to basic maps derived (e.g. by
automated linear-feature detection) from public domain - e.g. NASA -
data) gives good scope for high quality; it would only take a single
local with gps and a camera to make a big difference.

	Eddy.