Lab 3: Neogeography

Assignment: A commentary (two paragraph minimum) about the pitfalls, potential and consequences of neogeography.


     As the Economist ebulliently describes, neogeography gives an individual the ability to use GIS from his or her own personal computer. With so many people using GIS software, there are endless opportunities for technological improvement. Used properly, advancements in neogeography will transform how people use technology to understand the world around them. 

     There is a potential for improvement in how geographic information is shared through applications that implement neogeography. Any individual can create his or her own map with its own attributes and share it with the public. This practice has spawned web applications such as SCVNGR. In addition, anyone can correct that map and add their own information and bias to the map. As time goes on, the map is edited to be more comprehensive and useful for a large group of people.

     Despite the advantages this new technology provides, there are pitfalls that any map user must know and understand. One can use the example of the AT&T lawsuit against Verizon's "There's a Map for That" advertisements. AT&T claims that the map used in the advertisement is misleading. A viewer may believe that AT&T only offers service in limited areas and none in most of the US. Actually, AT&T has stated that it offers service in most of the continental US. What the map showed was 3G network coverage and ignored 2G network coverage. An individual must be careful to identify bias in maps developed through neogeography.

     Neogeography offers a number of beneficial and harmful consequences to map users. Any individual with a internet-enabled computer has access to a wealth of information with this new technology. Anyone can also edit an old map or create a new map. Data can be more accurate and would reflect the needs of most of the population. However, there is no way to evaluate accuracy or authority. Consequently, many of these maps may then have biased or incorrect data. An individual must be able to evaluate the accuracy of these maps and compare several versions to avoid incorrect or biased data.




Link to the Map