MapChat 2

MapChat 2, a wonderful spatial mapping web-based application has been publicly released. This tool enables spatial discussions to enhance the production of local knowledge and public discourse. A demo version is set up for users, so go ahead and give it a spin. There are many features in this release, documented below.

• Threaded chat/discussion.
• The ability to attach arbitrary spatial footprints to chat messages.
• Continual discussion over specific spatial footprints.

The tremendous value of this application comes from its power to enable discussions not only about place, but also in place. The discussions can begin about a specific feature on the map (attached to existing spatial footprint), or about a feature that is not currently present (a new spatial footprint of significance to a user). These discussions can then lead to an agglomeration of spatial footprints of features on the ground that no one has collected data for yet, like play areas for children, or hiking trails, or anything else.

Congratulations to the MapChat team for this accomplishment.

Related posts:

1. What is geoprocessing?