Page 30 - link magazine

Swindon Wide
30
the even bigger picture

Make your mark on The People’s Map
In an exclusive article Tristram Cary, managing director of getmapping.com, invites Link readers
to discover how to contribute to a revolutionary new concept in mapping
In 1999 the Millennium Mapping Company
(now Getmapping plc) created the world’s fi rst
complete colour aerial photograph of Britain and
made it available on the internet for everybody
to see and use: www.getmapping.com
This was a revolutionary idea and created a
lot of excitement at the time, especially when
the Queen invested in the company. The pho-
tographic survey was called the Millennium
Map and it is being maintained on a regular
basis - every 3 to 4 years.
The Millennium Map started a fl ood of simi-
lar ventures and now photography is available
for most of the world via websites like Google
Earth and Microsoft’s Virtual Earth. Yet again
an innovation from England has led to a mar-
ket dominated by the USA.
We have now turned our attention to the
next phase of the project - The People’s Map
- which is just being launched.
The People’s Map allows anybody to draw
on top of the Millennium Map aerial photo- The changing face of North Swindon. Above, 1999. Below, the getmapping view in 2005
graphs to create conventional maps. You can alike - can help to keep the map up to date. register as an editor (which takes only a few
draw lines to represent roads, rivers and rail- This means that the People’s Map has the minutes), and then start creating a map of your
ways; or you can draw shapes to represent potential to be more accurate and relevant than local area? Over the coming months Swindon
things like buildings or tennis courts or ponds. other more conventional maps. In return for the Link will be keeping you up to date on prog-
You can also add points of interest to give de- support of its users, the People’s Map will be ress, so watch this space - and get mapping for
tails of places like churches, schools, shops, free for all private non-commercial users, and yourself and your community
pubs and parks. the costs of the People’s Map for professional
Within an hour of adding new information the users will be much less than for conventional Get into the spirit
People’s Map is updated to refl ect the chang- maps. of The People’s Map
es. At fi rst the changes are shown with a purple This article is a world exclusive. It’s the fi rst
background as ‘unvalidated data.’ The People’s public announcement of the People’s Map (al- By Roger Ogle, Swindon Link publisher
Map team will verify the changes to ensure that though the map has been available as a trial Tristram Cary contacted us after hearing of
they are correct and once this has been done site for about a year). The plan is that Swindon the West and North Swindon maps which we
the alteration becomes part of the validated Link and People’s Map will work closely togeth- publish, the latter being more up to date than
People’s Map. er over the coming years to develop the project any other paper or electronic version available
The benefi t of the People’s Map is that all its and make it a success. We want to excite Link when it fi rst comes out.
users - members of the public and businesses readers in the People’s Map and get them ac- Swindon is a blank space on The People’s
tively involved as users and contributors. Map and we’d like to invite readers to trans-
You will see that Swindon is still ‘virgin terri- pose our maps onto the aerial photographs
Drawing attention to tory’ in the People’s Map. Have a look at Lon- at www.peoplesmap.com in the manner de-
Swindon art don or Brighton to see what can be achieved. scribed above.
The People’s Map site has a discussion forum
Let me know if you’re planning to participate
As part of the Big Draw 2008, artwork created and a blog, so feel free to take part. at: [email protected] and together
by students will be used to liven up two notice So why not log on to www.peoplesmap.com, we can publicise this important project.
boards outside Swindon Museum & Art Gal-
lery in Old Town.
During the Drawing Attention event, BA
students from Swindon College will work on
drawings linked to the gallery’s modern art
collection.
The Big Draw project of the Campaign for
Drawing aims to prove that drawing is an impor-
tant tool for thought, creativity and enjoyment
and is for everyone: not just artists.
At North Swindon Library, Flux will be run-
ning a drop-in and draw day on Saturday 11
October, 10am to 3pm. Go along, pick up a
pencil and see where it takes you.
Adults can polish their life drawing skills
with some of the best life models in Britain at
Modelled Me UK in the Eastcott Studio, Old
Town which will be open on Sunday 5 October,
9.45am to 4pm. All levels of skill welcome; the
cost is £25; bring your own art materials. Call
07769 694994.
www.campaignfordrawing.org
www.fl uxswindon.org.uk

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