Mapserver Activity 1

Visit and explore for 5-10 minutes each any two of the following mapserver sites:

• Center of International Earth Science Information Network, Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center at http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/mapviewer/index.jsp?cntx=Population.xml
  
• Interactive campus map of the University of Georgia which is linked from http://www.uga.edu/maps/
  
• US Bureau of the Census Tiger Map Browser at http://tiger.census.gov/cgi-bin/mapbrowse-tbl
  
• National Geographic map machine at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps/
• TerraserveUSA.com at http://www.terraserverusa.com/
  
• Try one of the demos from K2 Geospatial Technologies at http://www.k2geospatial.com/geomatique-geospatial/application-java-ajax-mobile
  

For each of the two sites, find answers to the following questions:

1) What is the goal or objective of the site?

2) What is the audience for the site?  What levels of experience with the Web and with maps are required of users?



3) Identify one or two strengths or innovative features of the application.

4) Identify one or two weaknesses of the application.

Further reading:

• Wade Roush, Killer Maps, Technology Review, http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/05/10/issue/feature_maps.asp
• The Economist, Technology Quarterly, The World on Your Desktop, 8 September 2007, 18-20, http://www.economist.com/search/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9719045

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Last revised 2009.11.15.  KEF.