Mapping creatively

For a long while, I’ve had this crazy idea about private spaces – theme parks and sports arenas, mostly – utilizing Google’s mapping technology to provide people with rich, interactive experiences whether in the planning stages, at an event or just re-living an experience.

Well today the Official Google Blog revealed cool new features of their Maps & Transit products, namely metro transit information for the New York City metro area. Google Maps Mania has more info, including a video:

All of this is well and good until you start thinking of all the ways it could be so much cooler.

Like mobile access via your iPhone or Android phone.
Or combined with photos and videos pertinent to your location(s).
And to think about how you’d aggregate those kinds of things (I don’t want to say “assets” or “content”) from both individuals and corporations.

My head is going all fuzzy just thinking about these implementations (present AND future) as being the more natural outgrowth of those creepy eyeball-targeted ads in Minority Report. There you were targeted based on what you’d made public; here you target for yourself based on your needs.

Subtle, to be sure, but isn’t the evolution of Facebook’s Beacon typical of the differentiation I’m making here?

Anyhow, I just think it’s a cool day for the data. I say we ought to let it co-mingle and play more often.

Here’s hoping I dream up some fun way to engage fans in ways they’ll *want* to use in the flow of their lives. We should be so lucky and so humble of our successes.

Happy Mappy (unrelated) Tuesday!

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