Discussion: Web Mapping

It is pretty awesome to get to see the actual (older, existing versions) maps going to be used for the upcoming WOC. Once upon a time the host country would say, "Well, here we are, we're going to host the WOC in 2 years, and we recommend you take visits to and train on these several hundred maps that might be relevant." So teams would dutifully go over to the welcoming host country and travel around manically, training 12 or 13 times a day in a usually futile attempt to see all the "relevant" maps. And then the day before the actual WOC races would start, the organizers would say "Shazaam!" and deposit everyone out on a model map in an area totally unlike anything they'd ever seen before. It was mysterious and exciting wondering what the terrain was going to be like, but it also made for tremendous wastes of time and expense for those teams able to make the advance trips over for training. Even though releasing the competition areas and maps in advance removes the mystery and diminishes somewhat the anticipation and excitement, it seems on the whole to be much fairer and a positive step.

This has led me to do some thinking, and the result is that I have hit upon the "Next New Thing" for the internet, which is Web Mapping. It's not so unusual to talk to another orienteer about mapping, and find out they are very interested in mapping, and keen on doing a map themselves one day when they have some time--perhaps when the kids are older, or after they've retired, or something like that. Years will go by, and then more years, and then decades, and after all that, what is the usual result? Nothing! They won't have drawn a single contour, not a solitary cultivated area, nor any thickets of thorns, or even one boulder! Why is this? What most folks find is that mapping is so boring that even watching paint dry seems like a more promising way to spend the day. And then there are all those biting bugs to contend with, and the contours never seem to want to do what they are told and fold themselves into the right shapes and places.

Now, with web mapping, you don't have to go through all that. Instead, you can get your mapping thrills the humane way, vicariously, by checking on The Happy Jack Map, http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Stadium/7418/ha..., (you can also find your way there by going to the 1000 Day web site, and looking for the link lower down on the home page) as I bring it along. Because of the heavy anticipated web traffic, much of the time the site will probably be unavailable. And that will be exciting and frustrating, all at once, wondering what everyone else is getting to see that you are not! And then, maybe late one afternoon while you’re supposed to be doing work, you dare to surf over for just a moment, to see if you can catch the site during a lull in the traffic. And, like wow, you do! And it’s sooooo exciting! There are 2 or 3 new contours since you got in a few weeks back, and a tiny bit of marsh is just starting to appear as well! It will truly be a day maker.

I must admit when it’s all said and done that the Happy Jack Map won’t be all that good. It will probably only about the 6th or 7th best map in the world and almost surely there will be a few missing dots of stony ground somewhere, or a contour that doesn’t bend quite as it ought to. It’s just not that high a priority but I’ll do what I can, so otherwise the map ought to be OK. It’s actually a pretty neat area though. Some of it is physically quite rugged, both in terms of some big slopes, some thicker sections of forest, and some very tough undervegetation. There is quite a lot of variety in the terrain for just one map. And the plan is to have enough of it ready by next year so as to be able to offer 2 or 3 smaller maps for individual days of the 1000 Day.

Happy web mapping!

Mikell,first of all, let me say that is amazing,to see that you can put together,so many words,so coherently in phrases and have no "shaded" areas and in the same time, with a humorous accent,that atracts you, to read more and this is noticable, in all the articles, you have made public.But probably everyone know's it by now.
Second, I don't see anyone who is considering mapping seriously,would be bored by the real thing versus the web,regardless, of the "atrocities" they might encounter doing it.I belive that remuneration is the major obstacle, (as you already know) in many "wanabee" mappers way, of becoming one.
Nonetheless, great job in making this available for whoever might be interested.
Nice to see, that you are not a complete stranger,to this site.

It would be an interesting idea to extend the web mapping to not only let people look at the map on the Web, but let them add to the map as well, sort of a common mapping project. I've often thought about mapping some nice areas, but haven't even started because it's just soooo much work. But if others would also update the map then you would be goaded into doing a little yourself every now and again and then it would soon be done !

Obviously the quality would be a little shaky given lots of different mappers, but it would be a start..

This is cool! I look forward to following the progress.

However, I wonder if we are going about this all backwards. The golfers design the whole course and then build it. Why don't we design the map first. We can make sure it has all the best features and interesting terrain. Then we can let the USOF member clubs bid to build it to our spec. ;-)