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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Thing 32: Google Maps and Mashups

I don't know if it's because I haven't been keeping up to date with the thing or what, but I was really frustrated by the time I was done making my Google Map. I watched the video on how to use Google maps - but most of that information I was already aware of. I've gotten frustrated with Google maps before so usually when I want directions I use Mapquest, but I did use Google maps when I was looking for a new apartment to see what the neighborhoods looked like.

Even though I knew that you could zoom in on Satellite images, when the video showed me how quick and easy it was to find a major airport "You can even see the planes parked at the gates" it seemed wrong. There's some information that probably shouldn't be on the internet. Major airports especially - national security issue, anyone?

Anyway, I went to make a map of my own. It was hard. I kept getting confused between how to zoom and how to move the map north and south. The computer also kept trying to change which roads I was using. This was a map I was creating and there was a reason I was taking certain streets. Some of the times it switched the routes, it tried to go the wrong way down one-way streets. I didn't find it very intuitive.