Digital mapping and our view of the World
Until fairly recently, maps were only available in print format. They were usually compiled by the
military or space agencies, and required some degree of skill to read them accurately. They were
cumbersome to carry around and unfold, and impossible to consult while driving.
Since 2005, digital mapping has facilitated the introduction of services from companies such as
Google, for instance maps.google.com, a web mapping application which provides locations, a route
finder, and business finder.
Soon came the facility to view maps alongside data sources to create a user-friendly Geographic
Information System (GIS). Google Maps API allowed websites to embed static or dynamic maps on
their web pages. In that same year, Google Earth, earth.google.com, was introduced, followed by
Google Street View.
The average man on the street
Today, there are many digital mapping services, and some are better than others. Just how useful
they are depends on what you want them for. As the typical ‘man on the street’, services such as
Google, Yahoo or Bing map are probably sufficient, providing enough detail but without being overly
complex.
Professional use
Continuing technological advances have enabled digital mapping to become more and more
detailed, intricate, and therefore useful. The introduction of such technology as 3D models, the use
of aerial photographs, the inclusion of data about the terrain, such as height, flooding, transport,
and areas of interest, all provide professionals with much more relevant and customisable
information.
How digital mapping is changing the way we see the World.
The availability and advances in digital mapping have geographers of us all, and we don?t need
special skills to understand what we are looking at. We can take a virtual tour of most places,
‘walking’ along a street, feeling like part of the landscape. We can use the technology to check the
area near a property we are considering buying, find out more about a potential holiday location,
see where our overseas relatives live, or just satisfy our curiosity about the world around us.
We can be enticed to stray off course to explore, or visit places that we’d never thought of before
seeing them up close online. With today’s more powerful smart phones, we can travel the world
with an easily accessible map in our pocket. If we get lost, it does not really matter ? we can soon get
back on track.
It isn’t just geographical information we can see. Data is available combined with maps, enabling us
to look around and check for nearby businesses, such as restaurants and cinemas. We can read
reviews, see sales information, receive money off vouchers, and see product information.
Digital mapping allows professionals with very specific needs to access customised data, layered on
maps and printed out if desired, something they have not been able to do until recently, and this can
revolutionise their work.