{"id":6360,"date":"2005-07-26T20:46:27","date_gmt":"2005-07-26T20:46:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.earthwidemoth.com\/blog\/2005\/07\/26\/mapping-contend\/"},"modified":"2005-07-26T20:46:27","modified_gmt":"2005-07-26T20:46:27","slug":"mapping-contend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.earthwidemoth.com\/blog\/2005\/07\/26\/mapping-contend\/","title":{"rendered":"Mapping Contenders: A More Writable Space"},"content":{"rendered":"\u23f3 Approximate reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> mins<\/span><\/span>

Over at The Map
\nRoom<\/a>, Jonathan Crowe posted a
\n
\nfew<\/a>
\nnotes<\/a> about MSN
\nVirtual Earth<\/a> that tipped me on to a few ideas and the
\nVirtual Earth weblog<\/a>
\nwhere MSN is inviting input.  In light of the clamor raised over two
\nnotable features at Virtual Earth–the
\nabsence of Apple headquarters<\/a> and the
\npresence of the World Trade Center<\/a> in Manhattan, Crowe verifies (if there was
\nany doubt) that VE uses "very old imagery."  As I see it, the age
\nof the satellite images concerns me less than their superior resolution. 
\nRight, already
\nbeen over this<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And yet, the release of Virtual Earth comes with a need to understand
\nthe temporal dynamics associated with the images.  Could be that we
\nperceive them as timeless or, equally implausibly, as ever-current–maps of both "here" and "now."  Wave to the camera on high.  Seems likely enough that we’ll see this synoptical, real-time satellite cam soon enough, but in the interlude between now and that bright future moment, I think the horse race between Google and MSN for the best mapping venue is really fascinating.<\/p>\n

One, I expect (yeah, pure spec-ulation), will steer toward the commercial
\nflows–the trafficking of people and goods, roadways and restaurants, hotels and
\ncoffee shops.  This site will be determine its quality and future
\ndevelopments around issues of advertising and appeals to hubs of marketable
\nactivity.  The other (or perhaps yet an<\/i> other) will also integrate
\nsome of this commercial flavor (i.e. need to find the nearest Denny’s?). 
\nBut this one will develop capacities (functionality?) for other kinds of
\ncapital.  How impressive it would be to have one of the map-aspirants
\n(Yeah, Google, you…or MSN, you.) devise our shared world as a space to be
\nwritten–inscribed with the memory-notes and also with links (even blog
\nactivity, for example)?  I’m getting dreamy with this, I know (was cleaning
\nthe bathroom during this thought…chemically inspired–Comet and Tilex), but
\nthink of this: a mapping site that gives us ways of seeing patterns beyond the
\nroadways and coffee shops, something that takes into account the topo-logical
\nhaze in language–either in the
\nZonal
\nMemoria<\/a> notes or in the composing that is done in\/at\/around a point. 
\nThis is rather jumbled, so let me try it another way–listed:<\/p>\n

I want to be able to:<\/p>\n