Mapedia: History Maps

Hi, my name is Chris Thomas, I have been working on website, Mapedia, that combines a Wiki Map with History, Culture and Science as its focus. The idea is to build a Wiki map, that focusses on the culture and history of locations, rather than on where you can get your car repaired, buy a latte or whatnot. Think of these as special interest maps....

We have recently launched, and we now have two maps on-line. One of which is on Prehistory. Other History centric maps are planned, such as on the Roman period, Anglo Saxon, and so on. Mapedia's URL is...

Mapedia categorises information based on Topics, Types and Options. Topics are broad Categories that group together items of interest. So, our Prehistory map is in the Topic History & Heritage. We only have one Topic for now, but in time we will add others to suit our set of maps and their themes.

The History & Heritage Topic currently contains three Types (maps), Prehistory, Architecture and Monuments and Memorials. Each of these maps contains thousands of locations that fit within that type/theme. 

The real power of Mapedia though lies in its Options. These are a kind of Filter that allow users to focus their search results to their exact interest. So for Prehistory we have Options such as Iron Age, Bronze Age, Barrows, tombs, hill forts and so on. In Architecture though the Options are along the lines of Art Deco, Gothic Revival, Commercial Buildings, Grade II listing and so on. So for each Type you can combine these Options in as many ways as you like to produce a unique set of results on your map. For instance, for Prehistory you could select...

History & Heritage : Prehistory : ( Iron Age + Settlements + Crannog ) 

or

History & Heritage : Prehistory : ( Stone Age + Burial + Barrow )

Currently much of our data is sourced from Wikipedia. This gives each map a baseline from which we can evolve it. As Mapedia is a WIKI you can create an account, and then edit these Wikipedia locations, changing their Options to correct them. we know that some of our data is not quite perfect. This is where you can step in. Mapedia is a WIKI, and even our Wikipedia sourced articles are WIKI based as well. So any inaccuracies can be addressed.

You can also create NEW locations, by dragging the Type icon onto the map, and then edit that new site to reflect what you know about it. Adding images, Articles, Comments and so on. So we are looking not only for users of the site, but also for contributors. We aim to evolve Mapedia into the leading source of location based history, putting history into its landscape context.

Mapedia is not a completed project, it is a beginning, a seed. We want to build our maps, their locations and their accuracy, but that relies on you. If there are changes needed to make our UI work better, we want to hear from you about it. Mapedia will be a collaboration and we need our users to contribute so that the resource grows in scope and accuracy.

Here is some more info on how to use Mapedia's UI..... 

Searching 

To get going on it, simply select the Pick Location Type icon at the top left of the UI, select Prehistory and then click on the orange Search button to get some results back. The markers on the map can be clicked on, and if they represent a group of locations, you can hover over the group to see what is within, and double click that group to zoom in on it, so its members become visible. If you click on a single marker you can see info on it in the left hand pane. 

Changing Location 

From there you can adjust the searches location using the type in Location box, or by dragging the blue C icon on the map. Dragging the green R icon adjusts the radius of the search, and you can also use the Max Distance slider to do this as well. As you drag the C icon around the map, the results are updated in real time. This allows you to move the focus of the Search around and explore the landscape. This works even better once you have ticked some Options. 

Options 

For Prehistory we have Location and Facilities & Orgs Option Groups. Options are filters that can be changed to limit the locations that you can see. For Prehistory you can choose the larger periods, Stone Age, Bronze Age and so on. You can also filter your locations by their sub-type, like Settlements or Burials. In Facilities and Orgs we list which organisations are associated with these sites. You'll note that Wikipedia is associated for most of our current sites (as they are sourced from there, live!). 

All of these Wikipedia based locations Options were gleaned from Wikipedia. However, if you create an account with us, you can.... 

* Create new locations, using drag and drop. Just select a Type, grab the icon, drag and drop it onto the correct location on the map. A dialogue will appear asking for its details. Fill in the Options at its bottom to make it really descriptive. 

* Edit existing and new locations, by changing their Title and Options, using the same UI. Just drag the edit icon onto the marker on the map, OR open a markers Article by clicking on it, and then just click the edit button.

* Add new material to the location, allowing you to contribute informational articles, photographs, comments, reviews and so on. 

So, if you do find any locations that you know the Options are wrong on, or which could be improved with adjustments to its Options, adding more accuracy, then please do create an account and have a go at editing these locations. Alternatively, if you think the Options themselves need editing, or additon, just get in touch with us and we will consider your requests.

Please give the map a try, we think it is the perfect way to discover buildings around your location, or indeed anywhere worldwide. Its a work in progress, so of course we would love to hear any feedback you guys have.

Cheers

Chris Thomas