Mappy News, le site "read the news on a map" fait une pause.
Plusieurs explications:
- Google Site est sorti mais n'est pas vraiment un outil adapté à faire un site Internet mais plutôt un wiki/intranet. Le site peut-être public et pourrait être intéressant: je trouve que l'intégration avec les autres produits Google sont encore trop limité. L'inclusion de nouveau module demande encore des manipulations comme des copier-coller de lien...
- Google Page Creator n'évolue pas beaucoup dernièrement. Je rencontre quelques problèmes qui rendent la mise à jour et le développement du site trop fastidieuse, alors que cela pourrait être d'une facilité déconcertante.
- la présence de concurrent assez costaux. (j'en ai présenté certain sur ce blog)
mercredi 12 mars 2008
samedi 2 février 2008
Silobreaker
Mapped up is an interesting application. But Silobreaker is totally different. and much more impressive!
It's acutally "an online search service for news and current events that delivers meaning and relevance beyond traditional search and aggregation engines. Its relational analysis and explanatory graphics provide users with unparalleled contextual insight into the news stories of the day."
The website is quite complex at first, and that's not a good thing. but once you've actually understand what you can find here, I bet you'll be amazed.
I haven't seen it all. Of course, my favourite part is the "hot spots"... the map.
Just have a look by trying out these links:
It's acutally "an online search service for news and current events that delivers meaning and relevance beyond traditional search and aggregation engines. Its relational analysis and explanatory graphics provide users with unparalleled contextual insight into the news stories of the day."
The website is quite complex at first, and that's not a good thing. but once you've actually understand what you can find here, I bet you'll be amazed.
I haven't seen it all. Of course, my favourite part is the "hot spots"... the map.
Just have a look by trying out these links:
Explore Hot Spots:
| Crime : | Bribery/Corruption | Murder/Manslaughter | Cocaine | Gun Crime | Internet Crime |
| Disasters & Accidents : | Natural Disasters | Man Made Disasters | Hurricanes | Flooding |
| Health & Environment : | Epidemics | Global Warming/Climate Change | Water / Food Safety | HIV/AIDS |
| Politics & Social : | Elections | Human Rights Issues | Poverty |
| Threats : | Terrorist Acts | CBRN / WMD |
| Organizations & People : | Al Qaeda | Condoleezza Rice | Red Cross/Crescent |
Mapped Up
Watching the concurrence...
Mappedup.com is "an indespensable tool for the global newsjunkie". Have a look. it's quite interesting. it's based on RSS, and automated algorithm localizing the items.
It's not really only a website(although there is a full screen view, and personalizing tools online), it's actually "an application that tracks a large number of RSS news sources and displays their latest items on a world map, geographically and in real-time." When you want to download it, the application is whether a screen saver or an "active desktop" (something to put as a wallpaper, in the background of windows)
First time i tried, I couldn't actually sign up. this time, it worked.
one thing i don't like is the map, it's not very precise. The good thing is you can add the RSS feeds you want. that's actually something very difficult to do.
MappyNews is focused on "mappable" news. Many things that mappedup maps are not interesting to see on a map. and the automated localisation is not reliable at all.
Mappedup.com is "an indespensable tool for the global newsjunkie". Have a look. it's quite interesting. it's based on RSS, and automated algorithm localizing the items.
It's not really only a website(although there is a full screen view, and personalizing tools online), it's actually "an application that tracks a large number of RSS news sources and displays their latest items on a world map, geographically and in real-time." When you want to download it, the application is whether a screen saver or an "active desktop" (something to put as a wallpaper, in the background of windows)
First time i tried, I couldn't actually sign up. this time, it worked.
one thing i don't like is the map, it's not very precise. The good thing is you can add the RSS feeds you want. that's actually something very difficult to do.
MappyNews is focused on "mappable" news. Many things that mappedup maps are not interesting to see on a map. and the automated localisation is not reliable at all.
dimanche 20 janvier 2008
Known Issues
I couldn't do the update i wanted to do this weekend.
Google Page Creator is not helping me a lot. Couldn't make the Google Reader clip script work on a new page. I know it can work as i made one work on the main page but not such luck on this one.
I could change the map codes using IE.
Then, I don't have the tools to make a new home page using all the space. I need 3 large columns to feet all the content.
Had new ideas but i guess it's postponed. Priority 1: good looking Home page!
Google Page Creator is not helping me a lot. Couldn't make the Google Reader clip script work on a new page. I know it can work as i made one work on the main page but not such luck on this one.
I could change the map codes using IE.
Then, I don't have the tools to make a new home page using all the space. I need 3 large columns to feet all the content.
Had new ideas but i guess it's postponed. Priority 1: good looking Home page!
vendredi 18 janvier 2008
Major decision
An update of the design will come soon.
Although I like the idea of using "Google page creator" to deal with the design and management of the website, the possibilities are just too limited. New rumors on coming up launch of the "Google Sites" were again reported today on Blogoscoped. (I wish that could happen very soon...)
But, I'm gonna work on a different homepage.
I need to take all the space that a page can offer. With Google page creator, the columns are too small. there are lot of space wasted and no way to use it.
Other than that, there are bugs when you include the javascript that are necessary to display a Google Map. (I use the "add HTML" feature, any other way to do that? a gadget? couldn't find)
When you put the java script, it seems to work well, but after a while (it's not necessarily true from the beginning), you can't access the HTML where you put the Javascript. anymore. very annoying.
update: it seems it's a firefox bug.
Although I like the idea of using "Google page creator" to deal with the design and management of the website, the possibilities are just too limited. New rumors on coming up launch of the "Google Sites" were again reported today on Blogoscoped. (I wish that could happen very soon...)
But, I'm gonna work on a different homepage.
I need to take all the space that a page can offer. With Google page creator, the columns are too small. there are lot of space wasted and no way to use it.
Other than that, there are bugs when you include the javascript that are necessary to display a Google Map. (I use the "add HTML" feature, any other way to do that? a gadget? couldn't find)
When you put the java script, it seems to work well, but after a while (it's not necessarily true from the beginning), you can't access the HTML where you put the Javascript. anymore. very annoying.
update: it seems it's a firefox bug.
mercredi 16 janvier 2008
What can make MappyNews attractive
Yes, the website is not totally ready to be actively looking for users. But to be sure I'm heading towards the good direction, I have to think about what I'm trying to do.
Building the website is an interesting process and I wanna gather here my vision of what can make the attraction of the soon-to-be website.
- A new way to get/visualize news.
Mapping the news is something obviously very interseting. It's been done before but I've never found a reliable/stable website in the long term. More reflexion on this later.
the attraction of this feature is anyway not contestable.
- An alert tool (the breaking news part of the website)
I don't think it's the main purpose of the website. I'm just going to use some tools that garantee fast updates of the website, as well as a way to get free update by sms (for example).
Google Maps is quickly updated via "My Maps"
Google News link in the Gmaps bubble provide up-to-date info.
Google reader share items provide more specific source to the website.
Twitter is also very fast and easy to use.
So that could interest some users.
- Specific information.
That's not done yet, but I want different maps covering different kind of information. That would make the point of mapping stronger.
I already have materials for a "Green MappyNews", a mapping of news related to environment.
- A clean design
information website are often clustered. A map is a good way to rank the world information.
- A community
the tools allow collaboration. Even Google Page Creator will (certainly) soon be updated to offer new feature from the wiki world (Jotspot acquired by Google).
This is the attraction which i believe will be the hardest to build. It will take time. First, the website will have to be enough reliable (regular updates) and interesting to attract visitors. Then visitors will eventually be users (user generated content)
NB: I'm not starting a business. This is just a personnal project for the time being. The business approach is just experimental.
Ps: Scoble writes about is new job and why he hasn't start his own business. I can relate to a lot in his explanations. Interesting.
[update] changed "green map" to Green MappyNews, following the comment below.
Building the website is an interesting process and I wanna gather here my vision of what can make the attraction of the soon-to-be website.
- A new way to get/visualize news.
Mapping the news is something obviously very interseting. It's been done before but I've never found a reliable/stable website in the long term. More reflexion on this later.
the attraction of this feature is anyway not contestable.
- An alert tool (the breaking news part of the website)
I don't think it's the main purpose of the website. I'm just going to use some tools that garantee fast updates of the website, as well as a way to get free update by sms (for example).
Google Maps is quickly updated via "My Maps"
Google News link in the Gmaps bubble provide up-to-date info.
Google reader share items provide more specific source to the website.
Twitter is also very fast and easy to use.
So that could interest some users.
- Specific information.
That's not done yet, but I want different maps covering different kind of information. That would make the point of mapping stronger.
I already have materials for a "Green MappyNews", a mapping of news related to environment.
- A clean design
information website are often clustered. A map is a good way to rank the world information.
- A community
the tools allow collaboration. Even Google Page Creator will (certainly) soon be updated to offer new feature from the wiki world (Jotspot acquired by Google).
This is the attraction which i believe will be the hardest to build. It will take time. First, the website will have to be enough reliable (regular updates) and interesting to attract visitors. Then visitors will eventually be users (user generated content)
NB: I'm not starting a business. This is just a personnal project for the time being. The business approach is just experimental.
Ps: Scoble writes about is new job and why he hasn't start his own business. I can relate to a lot in his explanations. Interesting.
[update] changed "green map" to Green MappyNews, following the comment below.
lundi 14 janvier 2008
Karachi blast.
I saw this news tonight and I put it on MappyNews.
I first put it on Karachi.
Then i've tried to look for the Landhi district
Typing Landhi in Google Maps when zooming on Karachi returns many place mark in one neighborhood. But that's not very convincing, is it?
Other stuff to map:
- Then, there are other things in the story that we could map
- How about the place where Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was at that time.
- Or the other bomb:
I first put it on Karachi.
Then i've tried to look for the Landhi district
"The bomb was planted on a motorbike and exploded outside a textile factory in the Landhi district of Karachi," senior police official Mohammed Javed told AFP.
Typing Landhi in Google Maps when zooming on Karachi returns many place mark in one neighborhood. But that's not very convincing, is it?
Other stuff to map:
- Then, there are other things in the story that we could map
"Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, flew in to the city minutes before the bomb went off, although officials said he and Musharraf were far away from the blast and there was no suggestion either man was targeted."...the airport.
- How about the place where Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was at that time.
- Or the other bomb:
Separately, a bomb exploded in an open area of the southwestern industrial town of Hub, which borders Karachi, but caused no damage or casualties, local police official Mahdi Bugti told AFP.- The hospital:
Seemi Jamali, who runs the main Jinnah hospital's casualty department, said there were two teenage boys among the dead, while another doctor confirmed that there were 50 people injured....too bad. I can't take the time to do that now.
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