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April Fool's Day is my favorite holiday after Halloween. Get inspired for your own pranks by reading up on those perpetrated in the past on the Hoaxes Map.
This is an open map. If you've done a good prank or know of one, be sure to add it to the map. You can get this map as a flash widget from Widgetbox or publish the full-featured javascript version for your blog or site by grabbing the code from the top title bar of the map on Platial.
On Saturday, at 8 PM people all over the world will turn off all of their lights for one hour. Some of the participants have added themselves to the Earth Hour map on their MySpace page.
Go here, and try to find this geographic likeness of a smashed audio cassette.
"Let's say you are lost in a town you have never been in before and you have to get to a friend's house and there are no street signs — the directions will work no matter what."
For example, consider the vertex marked in yellow. No matter where in the graph you start, if you trace out the path "blue-red-red, blue-red-red, blue-red-red", you will end up at the yellow vertex. Similarly, if you trace out the path "blue-blue-red, blue-blue-red, blue-blue-red", you will always end up at the vertex marked in green, no matter where you started.
via: msnbc
Platial Extends its #1 Social Mapping Service to Mobile
PORTLAND, OR--(March 18, 2008) - Platial Inc. announced today the first extension of its social mapping services to mobile with partner, Lightpole. Platial, which acquired Frappr in October, is the leader in social mapping with more than 26MM unique users per month in its network and 150MM user-generated location-based information points including photos, videos, reviews, stories, and people.
This week Platial users will be able to take their maps to go with Lightpole's new local aggregator for mobile. All Platial maps will now have a Lightpole icon which allows people to send their data to any java enabled phone. Most of Platial's location-based content will be available with the download of Lightpole's application meaning that even non-Platial members can access Platial content.
"We wanted to find the right partner for the roll-out of our mobile services -- who was excited to extend location awareness to the core Platial service. With Platial in peoples pockets it can be more valuable than ever before. Mobile access to Platial content is critical for our users who are always on the go." says Jason Wilson, Platial co-founder and Product Director.
"Platial has made a strong commitment to mobile applications which leverage our existing infrastructure of local data collection technology and vast database of user-generated local content. The combination of web and mobile is critical for our users and anyone seeking local discovery. We're excited about this first step for our users." added Di-Ann Eisnor, Platial Co-founder and CEO.
To try Platial on Lightpole please visit any map (you can start here platial.com/maps) or send feedback to feedback@platial.com.
How many places are there that are worth caring about? How many places are there that *are not* worth caring about?
When you get to spend a week (or several) focused just on the content to be found on Platial, you realize how much depth is there. Last year, Baostar won our Mapper of The Year award because he inspired us to see mapmaking in a new way. He took neogeography and created a new way to share the world around him. He illustrated a new genre called Mapumentary and it defined Platial in 2006. While mapumentarists continue to inspire us, this year we realized Platial was defined by something different, more collaborative, more active, more urgent---Movement Mapping.
This year we found that most of our winners have offered a very generous resource to their community or the world at large. They are largely movement makers using online and social tools to do important work and spread critical messages, making it easier for people to make life-changing decisions. There are guides to buying local food, guides to avoiding waste,
guides to downshifting, local citizen journalism, and global justice issues.
Our map of the year, Gentilly, was created by a group of Berkeley students who, through citizen journalism, are overseeing reconstruction efforts in New Orleans post Katrina. Mapper of the year was very difficult. There are so many people creating important geographic works and who have taken a very deep investment in their projects. Palo Alto History has won that award. Palo Alto History, whose roots in mapping come from a desire to educate, has turned into the best Local History resource we've seen.
Platial is a better service to every single visitor with these folks mapping here. They are using community mapping in ways that have never before been possible.
We're thrilled to be a part of all these new movements that are literally reshaping our new world, a single world united through action instead of boundary. That's why we started Platial. Being part of these movements and a resource for community action is what w hoped we could do. We see maps as an important and pervasive tool. Thank you to all the movement makers who are using social maps and using Platial. Some of our favorites are Frappr's downshifting, Platial's Glean the planet, and New England Grown but below you'll find there are a lot more winners out there.
Please tell us if you see other movement maps or if you start one because we are going to be updating the Activists Atlas soon.
Thanks, and congratulations to all of our winners.
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