| I asked a colleague from work today if he had any | | | | thing in America, but the craze is spreading to other |
| news about new Internet phenomena that would be | | | | countries too. is a site that shows you all of the |
| cool to check out. He told me about the concept of | | | | trains in Dublin, Ireland, their destination, and where |
| social software. Social software is where someone | | | | they are on their route (in approximate real-time). |
| takes an existing computer program and combines it | | | | is a site link that takes you to a map where you can |
| with another idea to make it more personalized for | | | | click on hundreds of traffic cameras around Toronto, |
| people. A perfect example of this comes in the form | | | | Canada to actually see real photos of current traffic |
| of a new craze taking over the world: Google Map | | | | conditions in a specific area. is a cool site to see and |
| mash-ups. is already a cool site that has taken a | | | | download professional photos taken in different |
| personalized approach to many different ways of | | | | locations around the world. I had a quick look at the |
| helping people. For example, I typed in 'Pizza | | | | game called where you are asked to find certain |
| restaurants' into the finder with the name of the | | | | images around our whole planet. It doesn't look |
| town my father lives in near Atlanta, Georgia, USA | | | | easy!The list of links related to this single new form |
| and it showed me exactly where all the pizzas were, | | | | of social software on is very impressive. I'm |
| the names of the restaurants, and contact details (if | | | | interested in finding out about other forms of |
| I wished to place an order over the phone). Pretty | | | | combined software that could help humanity in a |
| cool. This is only the tip of the iceberg. Other people | | | | social context. My friend mentioned that he'd read an |
| around the world have taken the Google Map | | | | article about a proposed travel site that would rate |
| software and combined it with their personal | | | | the relevance of user's comments in relation to your |
| interests to create a whole array of exciting maps | | | | own personal statistics. For example, if your are a 20 |
| filled with photos and information. The ultimate site to | | | | year old male, a 60 year old woman's remarks about |
| check some out is me give you an idea of what | | | | a hotel will be rated as of less importance compared |
| people are doing out there on the Internet to make | | | | with another person who falls into a similar social |
| the world a more informed place. I'm planning on | | | | category to yourself.This is an interesting and exciting |
| going to live in Japan pretty soon. Well at I could find | | | | craze. I can see clearly how these specific idea-based |
| a map of the Kansai region (where I will probably | | | | maps will be able to help humanity in so many ways. |
| live) which showed me exactly where all the | | | | However, all things in life are balanced so we do have |
| vegetarian restaurants are, the type of cultural food | | | | to draw a line sometimes. Another friend at work |
| each was (E.g.: Sri Lankan), a photo of the | | | | told me a story about an angry mob that stood |
| establishment, as well as all the relevant | | | | waiting outside a house that an Internet sex |
| information-including reviews. You can tell I'm a | | | | offenders' site informed them of a predator in their |
| connoisseur, or at least I attempt to be one. Let's go | | | | local neighborhood. The thing is the site hadn't been |
| elsewhere.The site has map categories like current | | | | updated when the ex-convict had moved from the |
| events, transportation, weather, wireless and mobile, | | | | house, so an innocent person had their house |
| housing and real estate, business, stats and | | | | picketed for something that was totally unrelated to |
| demographics, employment, recreation and fitness, | | | | them. On the positive side of the coin, I do think that |
| events and sport, travel and tourism, and even maps | | | | the possible future innovations even in this one area |
| of crime and sex offenders-that's a little weird for | | | | of Internet-mapping could in itself have awesome |
| me, but some people obviously are keen to keep | | | | results for human society.By Jesse S. Somer |
| their families safe at all costs. There is also Google | | | | |
| map games that people have created, and you can | | | | Jesse S. Somer is quite pleased that by simply |
| download tools to create a map of your own.At you | | | | turning on the Internet he can now find a map with |
| can see a map with some pictures of the best pubs | | | | photos of the best sushi restaurants in Kyoto, Japan. |
| in London. Under current events, and you know how | | | | Jesse S. Somer is a creative writer working at |
| 'positive' current events are, at you can see a map | | | | M6.Net: 'The web-hosting company for humans.' |
| with all of the places where avian flu outbreaks have | | | | M6.Net is working hard to help humanity experience |
| occurred. At you can look at a map of the USA and | | | | the power and freedom to develop their own part of |
| click on houses for sale in a city you'd like to go to. | | | | the Internet, to share their information and connect |
| You get the house's address, cost, and many of | | | | with anyone, anywhere, anytime. |
| them have photos as well.There's a lot of this kind of | | | | |