Thursday, June 18, 2009, Meeting Minutes
Topics: Google Earth and Google Maps
Facilitator: Sheila Campbell
Presenter: Natasha Wyatt, Google
News
New Media Talks
Our next New Media Talk is next Tuesday, June 23. It's an in–person event at FERC. We will be recording this event, if you are not able to attend in person. Please visit webcontent.gov to register.
OSTP Blog
Want to improve how we engage with citizens online? Here's your chance to contribute to the discussion and improve online government. The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has posted a blog entry asking for your comments about cookies, PRA, and MANY other topics.
Post your comments, and vote on comments posted by others!
http://blog.ostp.gov/2009/06/16/enhancing-online-citizen-participation-through-policy/
Google Earth and Google Maps – Presented by Natash Wyatt of Google
Google Earth Enterprise
Back in the day, a single computer took up a whole room – now we can hold computers in our hands. We used to only have maps on paper, but now we can take interactive maps with us anywhere, and find out exactly where we are on a map with GPS.
Google Earth Enterprise allows agencies to build their own custom apps w/customizable geospatial datasets. You can build a globe with your own data, to meet your own needs.
Input your map data to create 2D maps or 3D globes, and deliver via the web.
Alabama has made great use of these tools – they have data on schools, disasters, etc. Learn more about Virtual Alabama –
Watch a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-1I0JTWiIY
Read a case study: http://earth.google.com/enterprise/virtual_alabama.html
Over 500 agencies ( Alabama cities, counties, etc.) are contributing data – there is now a "friendly competition" amongst agencies to innovate and share.
People love maps – but how can we deliver them to the public?
What if the map returns a marker that is not pointing to the right place? Google maps allows you to update address info – because geocoding is not always precise, the marker on the map may not always appear in exactly the right place – but you can submit an update to correct the map marker, and improve the overall accuracy of the map.
The photos that you see on Google Maps could be anywhere from six months to three years old. Data is provided by business partners, and government entities (fed, state, local in US, as well as foreign governments). For example, the City of DC provides data. On Google Maps, the highest quality/resolution data in the world comes from Carmel , CA. High resolution is valued more than newer data.
What about satellite data? Google's "satellite" is owned by GOI and Google partners with them. The first images posted from this satellite were of the Washington Mall on Inauguration Day.
What kind of data is available for older maps? How can people access older maps and historical imagery. You can use the new "time slider", where available, to "travel back in time", and look at maps of the same area over a long period of time. You can also overlay your maps into Google maps.
You can also view maps of the sky/stars, and the oceans.
Are there any cities/areas that have chosen not to participate in Google Street View? There are a very select few places, such as military bases, or some gated communities, where the cameras are not allowed – but basically any place the public can go, you can see a map.
Google Maps API
Google Maps is #1 mapping site, both in the US and the world.
Real-life examples that use maps to connect the online world with the real world include iPhone apps for street-view driving directions, or tracking delivery trucks, or finding bricks–and–mortar stores.
Help solve real-world problems– PG&E (CA electric company) uses it to show where current outages are in your area.
Promote government initiatives – San Francisco uses Google maps to promote solar power initiatives by mapping every place in the city that collects solar energy.
Real–time – show traffic delays so people can adjust their commute and get home on time.
Find local services – connect people from your online presence to off-line, real-life office or service. For example, if you need to renew your vehicle registration, shouldn't you be able to look on the website to find a nearby location to get a “smog test” for your car?
Example – DC Metro maps use Google Maps API technology to let you type in an address to find the Metro stop closest to you.
Example – Denver Regional Transportation system uses Google Maps in conjunction with a proprietary system to help people find the easiest ways to travel around the region.
Question about Ads – Google Maps Enterprise version does allow you to turn off ads. Google logo and copyright must always stay there, though.
Does Earth or Maps require cookies? Earth, don't think so, and Maps, not sure. Will follow up on this.
How to get started? There are lots of tutorials out there, and a “hello world” example in the Google Maps API. It is fairly easy to create maps, there is an active and supportive online community to help.
You can import ArcGIS ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArcGIS ) files into Google Earth Pro, converts into KML (keyhole markup language format. Doesn't save styles. In Maps, doesn't "respect" as many features but can do it, it's more complicated.
Privacy questions – is it intentional that "home" addresses don't always come back accurately on the map (map market doesn't land directly on the right house)? No, it's just that geodata is not always perfect. You can update this, though, if you want the map to correctly show your house. They do blur faces, though, in Street View, to keep people's anonymity.
508 questions – how can we make these mapping applications accessible to people with disabilities? There are some tools, such as being able to navigate Google Maps and Earth with the keyboard, not just the mouse. It is a visual product, though, so there will likely always be some issues.
What about under the sea, using KML data? (Note – KML is a file format used to display geographic data in an Earth browser, such as Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Maps for mobile. You can create KML files to pinpoint locations, add image overlays, and expose rich data in new ways.)
Air traffic routes? Example is real-time KML data to show flight patterns and routes, to see where planes are flying. Can use Google Earth to create an internal app to show this.
Where to contact this developer community? Go to Google Groups.
Maps developers: http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Maps-API
Also a HUGE KML community: http://groups.google.com/group/kml-support
Wrap–Up
Next Forum call is scheduled for July 16, 11 AM ET, 8 PT.
