nearby.org.uk blog

If you use Google Maps API to display data on our website, then beware; new Terms of Service have been introduced. And it doesn’t look good…

Basically its laid out pretty clearly (see section 11.1) that if you use the API to display *your* data, then you grant Google a irrevocable licence to do as it sees fit with your data. 

Sure it says “You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Your Content. ” - first, to soften the blow, but then goes on to say “[to] publicly perform, publicly display and distribute Your Content… ” (click the above link to see the full text) - I dont see how that is any different to saying they can do what they like with your data. 

It gets worse if you have “business listings data”, as 11.1(b) says: “For example, if you create a store locator application, Google may use the business listings information from the store locator to improve the Google Services such as Google Maps and local search.”
- give your data away free to Google why don’t you!  

then as 11.3 says “Authority to Grant Licenses. You confirm and warrant to Google that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the above licenses.” - in many cases I* don’t think I can!

So does that mean if I can’t grant the licence demanded, I can’t use the Maps API? It seems so to me, so its with a heavy heart have had to disable some API based maps and Mashups. At least in the short term. 

* as the one agreeing to the Maps API Terms Of Service. 

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In an announcement yesterday, Gogle anounced a new website.

OMG!

/background - this post is a bit of light relief after the serious business.

In my travels I’ve come accorss many different photo websites, many of which I would like to explore further but dont have the time at the time. So as somewhere to keep note:

Geo Photo Websites

Any I have missed or should checkout? Let me know in comments…

… so its 1am on an idle Wednesday (and you really thinking of heading to bed) when someone on the forum mentions the 1 millionth photo will be going soon, so you think Na, its too early, but out of interest you go and check anyway… And you find in fact its right there about to go in a matter of seconds (going on moderation time) … and then you exclaim,

oh carp, oh carp, oh carp (or words to that effect)

… why do I say that? Well the thing is I know that Geograph runs pretty close to the limit* hosting wise, and this milestone, could, should and probably will, make a big splash, suddenly have mental images of Geograph exploding in a fireball, … not good!

(note, the rest of this post uses a few technical terms, and is rather long, turn away now if that scares you…)

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Geograph has just reached a pretty significant milestone, we how have over 1,000,000 images live on the site, all creative commons licenced for reuse goodness. The image that took us over the tipping point is reproduced below, but it is but one image of a million, so thanks to all the amazing contributors that has made this milestone possible. 

 © Copyright Dr Richard Murray and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Update, In the Press: Offical (login required) (RSS), Paul’s Blog, Boing Boing, Reddit, and Digg. 

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I made this ages ago, but forgot about it. And as I havent said anything on here for a while, I’ll post it now just to fill the void. Its a simple mapplet that allows jumping to the location on Google Maps by Grid reference, as well as displaying the GR of the clicked point. KISS

GB and Ireland Grid References Mapplet

Thanks to Lordelph for the Javascript (but I notice that links to a version hosted here!)

I don’t know if anyone is interested in this stuff, but have been for a long time being trying to make sence of the various ‘geo’ properties operated by Google and quite a bit on how to get indexed and exposure for your content.

Update: There has been some misconception about what this diagram represents - it is only intended to cover getting content in KML/KMZ files on your website listed and indexed in Google Properties. It’s sort of murky in that content you submit to other websites are sort of included to show they end up in various indexes. It does not cover business listings at all which for the most part is sepetate totally. 

GeoIndex Overview Diagram

Links for the purple circles:

1. http://www.nearby.org.uk/gadget-for-kml.php
2. http://code.google.com/apis/kml/documentation/kmlSearch.html
3. http://maps.google.com/ig/submit?synd=mpl&pid=mpl
4. http://earth.google.com/submit.html
5. http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=68480
6. http://earth.google.com/gallery/index.html
7. http://www.panoramio.com/help#about_GE
8. http://bbs.keyhole.com/

probably incomprehensible, but hopefully useful to someone? Questions or feedback welcome.

Update: notable perhaps for its exclusion, is Outreach - Oops, version 2 perhaps?

As we near the Million mark on photos uploaded to Geograph British Isles, the coverage is really building up; and the project has definitly matured from just capturing a photo of every square (but that is still continuing!), to capturing each square in ‘depth’. We display the current coverage on the site as a depth map, but here we present some animations to watch the progress.

There are a number of interesting artefacts in this, if you are quick you can follow people as the hike long distance paths, but you can also see the people making concerted efforts to knock of hectads.

Of course the raw frames are available under Creative Commons, and a bonus prize to who can make an good mashup of these. The animations include both weekly frames, and monthly versions (labelled quick)

(the fire reference)

Small update to the My Maps support in GoKML, announced a few days ago; you can now edit the links contained in the file. Just goto your secret admin page, generated for your link.

People viewing your file in Google Maps will see the update soon, Google Maps caches it for a while.

People viewing in Google Earth however will not, as they downloaded a static file, which brings onto another point, if want them to auto update as well, could create a network link to your Container, using the standard GoKML form, (enter the url your container and choose appriate refresh period).

When using the Google’s My Maps feature you can display multiple maps at once simply by ticking the boxes, however the ‘Link to this Map’ will only ever include 1 map, so you can’t easily send a group of maps to someone.

… So a new script - this time under the gokml.net banner - for creating a ‘container’ KML that simply opens a bunch of maps at once - this KML is openabe in Google Earth, but also you can share the link so others can see your batch of My Maps at once in Google Maps.

Create a KML container for a group of My Maps

As a total aside I notice My Maps, now sport a (Geo)RSS feed