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Revised: 10/23/08

ASSIGNED in class Monday, October 6

DUE in class Monday, October 20

Exercise Worth: 50 pts

Introduction: Exercise 3 will learn youns about the diversity of maps and map-related information available on the WWW.

Information about evaluating and citing digital maps found or created on the WWW can be found at Geography 222 Library Resources.

Procedure:

Start a WWW browser and navigate to this exercise. You will need to print maps as part of this exercise. You may use the printers in the GIS Lab (207 Science Center) between 7am and 7pm M-F. You can print color maps in b/w if you want. To print in color, you must change the printer from the default laser printer to the small color printer. Ask your instructor if you don't know how to do this. Please don't use the GIS Lab printers to print stuff from other classes, love letters, or porno (all found in the printers in previous semesters).

Maps on the WWW are available in many different forms: you can locate or order 'real' paper maps (as in Exercise 2), or find digital copies of maps, or make maps 'on-demand,' view 'live' maps that are updated constantly, and download and use free mapping software.

TIP on citing web maps with very long urls: Some of the URLs for WWW maps are extremely long, as they contain a bunch of information specifying the map you have requested. A useful way to create a shorter link to such sites entails using a 'link shortening' utility such as those found at TinyURL. Create a shorter link with one of these two sites, and use that URL rather than the long url in your citation of the map.

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WARNING: Many WWW map sites depend on sophisticated WWW technology that can be slow or even break down. Expect delays and sites that are temporarily not working. You may also be using a computer or internet browser that is not compatible with a particular mapping WWW site. Be patient! If a site is not working well, revisit it at a different time or on a different computer. Given such potential problems, you should not attempt to do this exercise at the last minute. Contact the instructor at least a week before the due date if you are having persistent problems. Contact the instructor if you want assistance in completing this exercise!

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1. Map Images: Static Digital Maps on the WWW (10 pts):

In essence the same as paper maps, but in digital file formats such as .gif, .jpg, etc. A file format is a specific way of organizing data in a computer file. Such maps are scanned from printed maps or generated by some kind of mapping software and saved as a image file. Search for, and save or print, two map images of your home. Try to find the largest scale maps possible - showing more detail and less area - and something interesting (not the first boring map that pops up in your search). Some sites to search:

• The U.S. Library of Congress American Memory Project has many historical maps and related images from places in the United States. Search by place name or geographic location or subject.

• The University of Colorado Department of Geography provides links to significant map image collections. Worldwide coverages.

• The David Rumsey Map Collection is one of the largest archives of digital historial maps. The collection focuses on the Americas, but does contain a significant number of historical maps from around the world. The site has several options for viewing the maps, at least one which requires downloading some software (ok if you are using your own comptuer or working in the GIS lab, but don't use this option on any other public campus computer).

• Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps were made from 1867 to 1970 in the US: they provide very detailed (large scale) maps of many urban areas in the US and are useful for historical purposes. If you are lucky enough to have your home in Ohio, try to find the area around your home on an old Sanborn Map (which you can access and view on the WWW). You must be authenticated through the OWU libraries computer system to access these maps. Please ask a librarian or your instructor if you don't know how to do this.

• Oddens' Bookmarks: Search or browse for an appropriate map. Worldwide coverage.

• Many static digital maps on the WWW can be found by using an image search engine. Such searches locate images, rather than text. Both Google and Yahoo offer image searches. Go to either site, click on Images then type in your town and state (or county, or province, or whatever). You may include 'map' if you get too many entries. Try different search words - you should be able to find some decent digital static maps of your home, wherever it is.

  Please don't submit a map from one of the sites listed below, in section 2. Find something different!

• When you find a map, click and hold the right mouse button on the image. A menu list should pop up and one of the options should be Save Image As.... Select this option. If the file name in the dialog box ends in either .jpg or .gif, save the map image somewhere where you can find it. If the file name in the dialog box does not end in either .jpg or .gif, select cancel and click and hold the right mouse button on the image again. Select Open this Image or Open Image in New Window then print the map. An easy alternative to saving the maps you find is to just print the page from the WWW.

• If you saved the map (a .gif or .jpg file) then search for the menu command which allows you to import or place or insert a graphic file into your word processor document. Place the digital map you saved in the word processor document. If you printed the map, clip and attach to the page with your description of the map.

• What's Due: Type 1 page describing the maps, why you chose them, and cite them correctly (see Geography 222 Library Resources Page).

2. WWW Map Generators (10 pts):

Map Generators reside on a computer server. They allow users to request a custom map (in essence, a map image) through a WWW interface. Among the earliest and most popular of such mapping and GIS tools are those that can locate an address or plot directions between several locations.

Generate and print one map of the area around your home from each site below, making sure that the scale (area covered by map) is about the same from map to map. International students: try to locate your non-US home first on these sites. You may also substitute different sites for any of those below if you find a site not on the list below which locates your home. If that fails, search for your US home.

• Map Quest

• Expedia.com

• Maps on Us

• Yahoo! Local

• Google Maps

• MSN Maps

  
  

• Print copies of the maps you generate on the six sites. You may be able to right mouse button click on and save these images, but probably not (some are in odd file formats). At minimum, print the maps, trim off the crap around them, and include with your exercise. Make sure you note which map is from which site by citing them properly.

• What's Due: Type 1 to 2 pages: Compare and contrast the six maps of the same place: do they look the same? How do they differ? Do some seem more accurate or detailed than others? Do the features included vary? Why might this be? Any notable differences between the sites which may affect which site you use? Which of the sites do you prefer and why?

• Google the company that generates the data for most (or all) of these mapping sites: NAVTEQ. Write up a bit on what you find.

• Finally: find an mapping site that offers address location or directions outside of North America. Note what you find and briefly describe.

3. WWW-based GIS (20 pts):

The DALIS Project is Delaware County's very own award winning source of detailed county level geographic data and maps and the software to view and analyze the data. The DALIS site is an example of a "real" online GIS with GIS analysis functions (something the map generators, reviewed in the previous section, lack).

• Click on Dalis Web IMS (half down the list of links on the left), then click General and an honest-to-goodness GIS application should open up in a new window. This is about as fancy as it gets when it comes to on-line GIS.

• Click on the Thematic maps button (on the lower left) and some pop-up menus will appear. Under Parcel select Land Use. Grab the magnifier tool from the menu, and drag a box over the city of delaware. Click a few more times to zoom in until you see the different land uses of individual property parcels. You can move around the map by selecting the hand tool. Move around until you have the OWU campus and surrounding areas on the map. Click on the legend tool (a L in a circle) to see the legend for the map.

• For more information about a particular parcel, select the identify tool (an i in a circle).

• Under Parcel select Appraised Value then Year Built then Living Area. Look at the legend for each.

• What's Due: Type 1/2 page: Print two of the four maps that you find to be the most interesting. Cite the map properly, and write 1/2 page on how you might use this information.

Return to the main Dalis Interactive Map Server page and select General again. Lets spy on a Delaware County property owner.

• On the upper right side of the page under Search click on By Name. A window should pop up. Type in the last name of a county property owner. Try OWU faculty and staff you know. The Search Results window (upper right) will show you if you found a property owner in the county. Click Zoom To to zoom to the property. Use the identify tool to get details about the property. Print the resulting map.

• Generate a buffer around the property you located: click on Buffer in the upper right part of the page. Enter a distance to buffer - say 100 or 500 feet. Submit. Print the resulting map.

• Click the Appraisal Info button to see more property details. The options are along the left side of the page. Click on Image and Payments and a few other options. Print one page of information about the property owner you find.

• What's Due: Type 1/2 page: Include your three maps in this exercise. Please cite all this information correctly. Discuss, in 1/2 page, how you might use this information, and why the Buffer feature might be useful.

Non-Delaware County residents in the US: You may want to search the WWW and find out if your home county has a GIS site similar to Delaware's DALIS site. Usually such sites are associated with the county tax assessor. Find your home county's official WWW page (this should not be a commercial site, but the official county web page), and look for a property information link. If you find one, search for information about a property owner (your parents? friends? relatives?).

FINALLY: Read up on the legal issues surrounding public access to property information reviewed by Deb Peoples on the Geography 222 Library Resources Page under the heading Public Records. Please ponder the consequences of making the kind of very specific property data available on the WWW. Discuss potential good and bad consequences of such data being so easily available. Remember, the law requires certain specific information to be made public. Just saying "I don't think it is a good idea" is not enough: explain why is it not a good idea (or why is it a good idea?).

• What's Due: Type 1 page: of your intelligent thoughts about public access to property information on the web.

4. WWW Real-time Maps and Images (5 pts):

Real time maps and images differ from map generators and browsers in that they consist of continuously updated images or maps usually focused on a particular topic or site. These are, in essence, "live maps."

• Real-time maps of world earthquakes are provided by the U.S. Geologic Survey and Seismic Monitor. Explore both sites.

• Real time maps of road conditions in
  • Huston Texas

  • Puget Sound Traffic Conditions

  • Find one more: try Smartraveler.com

• Real time map of International Alerts - some specific events (traffic accidents, plane crashes, etc.) other's ongoing crises (epidemics, food shortages, etc.).

• Real time on-line video images are more common, and usually entail connecting a video camera to the WWW. Go look at Jay Walk Cam and see if you see anyone you recognize. Visit the site called EarthCams which contains links to live images from places around the world.

• What's Due: Type 1 page: Discuss what you found at the sites you viewed. Save at least one map or image. Why are such sites of value? Would "real time" updates on sites such as Google Maps or MapQuest ever be possible? Why or why not?

5. Free Mapping & GIS Software (5 pts):

Because of the functional limitations of web-based mapping and expense of desktop GIS applications such as ArcGIS, several vendors are providing free downloadable GIS software, with links to data on the internet. Google Earth was among the first of these free mapping applications, most of which are considered to be Virtual Globes.

• Google Earth: is installed on computers in the GIS lab for your enjoyment, or you can download it onto your own computer (here). Don't download it on other public OWU computers without asking someone in charge of the lab.

• Zoom to your home (try doing this without using address or place name for now - this can be inaccurate). Get as close to your actual home as possible. The detail of the air imagery on Google Earth varies from place to place, so some of you may get great detail and others not so great detail. Ask your instructor for help if you are having trouble with this.

• Click the pushpin icon ("Add Placemark"): a window will pop up and your located home will flash. Add a descriptive title, including your name, in the name box, such as The childhood home of Millicent Fleevis. Hit OK to save the placemark.

• Right mouse click on your newly created placemark and select Save as... and save the file (in KMZ format) somewhere where you can find it. Email the file to your kindly instructor: jbkrygier@owu.edu. He will import all the placemarks into Google Earth for a fabulous tour of homes in an upcoming lecture. (to import a KMZ file just select Open from the File menu in Google Earth.)

• For general information on Virtual Globes, and other free virtual globes, see the Wikipedia entry on Virtual Globes.

• What's Due: Type 1 page: Discuss your brief experience with Google Earth. Let me know if you have used Google Earth or other similar Virtual Globes. What do you think of them? Are they useful or just momentarily interesting toys?

6. Purchaseable Mapping and GIS software

• You can purchase GIS software, from low-function upgrades to Google Earth for $20 to ArcGIS, which can cost thousands of dollars for high functioning software.

• One (of many) lists of GIS software is maintained by the University of Florida on their GIS Software and Resources page.

• What's Due: Nothing for this part: just FYI.

Exercise 3: Sum:

Please format your exercise so that it reflects the different sections above. Include headers (eg., "1. Map Images: Static Digital Maps on the WWW:") before each set of maps and answers. Turn in the 6 or so pages of typed answers to the questions, in addition to prints of maps you find.

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