4 April 2012

The Northside mapped

| johnboy
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Member for Fraser Andrew Leigh has unleashed his community generated Mapping the Northside project.

At the Belconnen Arts Centre tonight, we launched the online version of the Mapping the Northside exercise, in which people nominated their favourite spots on the north side of Canberra.

The full map is on google and there’s an embed version below.

Anything he missed?


View Mapping the Northside in a larger map

northside map

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pink little birdie9:48 am 05 Apr 12

thatsnotme said :

c_c said :

Stupid questions aside though, this data layer for Google Maps isn’t much of a help. To my knowledge it’s not going to be available on mobile devices. Nor does the data layer Andrew has created linked to other more useful Google services which give user ratings and business details like opening times. All he’s done is taken a list of names and plotted them on a Map you can only find on a proper computer and if you have the address of the map or the KML file installed.

There’s plenty of Apps out there that help you find stuff in unfamiliar surrounds. Best coffee: Bean Hunter. Place to Eat: Around Me. Place to Stay: Trip Advisor.

In the interests of being constructive, I would suggest Mr Leigh and his colleagues to pull their resources (stop this North/South rivalry BS) and develop a proper Canberra POI app!

+1

What really baffles me, is that for a community collaborated effort, there is nothing in any of these entries to describe why they have been included. All we have are a heap of little balloons, with pop-up names. A large number of them simply point to locations that are already labelled on Google Maps anyway!

This was supposed to be something about people naming their favourite places wasn’t it? Would you be satisfied if you asked someone ‘where’s your favourite park’, and they just named a location with absolutely no explanation as to why? Well that’s all we’ve got here.

The map on the wall of the Belconnen arts centre for this project had little tags on it with a short sentence of why it was a good place and the name and age of the person who suggested it.
Community mapping is a good thing for lots of reasons

fabforty said :

I have tried, but I just can’t see any point to this.

I’m not sure of the details on this specific example, but there are some good uses of similar ‘community mapping’ initiatives. Just two examples:
– community generated maps of ‘vacant land’ suitable for community gardens or similar use
– maps of local heritage sites that let local communities know what heritage assets they have, including access to information about those sites.

Given a chunk of the Canberra population is pretty transient, I can see some value in a decent mapping project that lets people share knowledge about hidden gems scattered around the Canberra suburbs or some of the social networks/groups that exist without a high profile. Much like this site does sometimes.

I have tried, but I just can’t see any point to this.

I-filed said :

“people nominated their favourite places on the northside”

OK let’s unpack this a little. Did the community seriously nominate Labor politicians’ offices as “favourite spots” on the northside? [I’d say a snowflake’s chance.] If not, what is the “community map” policy for adding sites that haven’t in fact been nominated? Who gets the say-so? Surely not just “Andrew”.

Is this project ongoing? I assume so. How many “votes” does it take for non-Andrews to get, say, Gary Humphries’ office onto the map of the northside? One, one would hope, if one “vote” was sufficient to get Kate Lundy’s office onto the map.

Is it appropriate for Labor to be running a party-political map resource and masquerading it as “community”? The title should surely be “ACT Labor map of the Northside” …

“in which people nominated their favourite spots on the north side of Canberra”…

I guess People may be 1 or 2 MPs

Watson IGA?
National Arboretum
Office of Senator Kate Lundy
Electorate office of Andrew Leigh MP
Salvation Army Family Store Mitchell
St Matthew’s Primary School
Hall Main Street
Flynn Primary & pre-school
Old School Oval and Trees
Charnwood Primary School

I’d also point out you can rate it and give comments back to Andrew!
http://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=au&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=19&msid=207092363877628418110.0004ba365a73805d174ea&authuser=0

Captain RAAF said :

So those little blue pins, what are they, assaults, muggings or car thefts?

Nah, your mouse would be putting off smoke before you’d even finished adding all the ones for Bega Court otherwise.

gooterz said :

What about:
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=-35.2547088&lon=149.0577416&z=10&l=0&m=b&tag=44605
Non biased and doesnt waste an MP’s time trying to further divide north and south canberra!

As much as I think the original mapping effort is a bit lame, at least it’s not infested with the ads that this one is.

“people nominated their favourite places on the northside”

OK let’s unpack this a little. Did the community seriously nominate Labor politicians’ offices as “favourite spots” on the northside? [I’d say a snowflake’s chance.] If not, what is the “community map” policy for adding sites that haven’t in fact been nominated? Who gets the say-so? Surely not just “Andrew”.

Is this project ongoing? I assume so. How many “votes” does it take for non-Andrews to get, say, Gary Humphries’ office onto the map of the northside? One, one would hope, if one “vote” was sufficient to get Kate Lundy’s office onto the map.

Is it appropriate for Labor to be running a party-political map resource and masquerading it as “community”? The title should surely be “ACT Labor map of the Northside” …

Captain RAAF9:25 pm 04 Apr 12

So those little blue pins, what are they, assaults, muggings or car thefts?

… Lanyon, where the Ned Kelly paintings should be housed. Canberra Museum and Gallery, that “stole” them!
… Tent Embassy car parking spots x 7

+1 Gooterz!

How about:

… Parkwood, site of 80,000 brutalised chickens …

… The spot where the ACT Assembly planned to build its Xanadu palace …

… the dedicated car parking spaces outside the LA where the Greens park their cars every day …

… one or three of the pro-pokie ACT Labor run clubs that snotted the pokie reforms

I-filed said :

pink little birdie said :

konazz said :

Why is an MP doing this and not a community group or ACT Govnt?

It was run by the Belconnen Arts Centre… I think he just launched it

Oh – all the people at the Belconnen Arts Centre are called “Andrew” then?
Anyone care to add the Mitchell toxic plume site? Or the spot where that GDE bridge fell down?

Cameron Offices
http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/234702-3×2-340×227.jpg
Old canberra hospital
http://www.xtimeline.com/__UserPic_Large/66845/evt100629171000165.jpg
Various Murders
Belconnen stabbings
http://the-riotact.com/stabbing-in-belconnen/41987
Airport hanger collapse
90% of the food place closures are on the north side!
People live on the lakes because the lack of decent accommodation!

What about:
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=-35.2547088&lon=149.0577416&z=10&l=0&m=b&tag=44605
Non biased and doesnt waste an MP’s time trying to further divide north and south canberra!

pink little birdie said :

konazz said :

Why is an MP doing this and not a community group or ACT Govnt?

It was run by the Belconnen Arts Centre… I think he just launched it

Oh – all the people at the Belconnen Arts Centre are called “Andrew” then?
Anyone care to add the Mitchell toxic plume site? Or the spot where that GDE bridge fell down?

c_c said :

Stupid questions aside though, this data layer for Google Maps isn’t much of a help. To my knowledge it’s not going to be available on mobile devices. Nor does the data layer Andrew has created linked to other more useful Google services which give user ratings and business details like opening times. All he’s done is taken a list of names and plotted them on a Map you can only find on a proper computer and if you have the address of the map or the KML file installed.

There’s plenty of Apps out there that help you find stuff in unfamiliar surrounds. Best coffee: Bean Hunter. Place to Eat: Around Me. Place to Stay: Trip Advisor.

In the interests of being constructive, I would suggest Mr Leigh and his colleagues to pull their resources (stop this North/South rivalry BS) and develop a proper Canberra POI app!

+1

What really baffles me, is that for a community collaborated effort, there is nothing in any of these entries to describe why they have been included. All we have are a heap of little balloons, with pop-up names. A large number of them simply point to locations that are already labelled on Google Maps anyway!

This was supposed to be something about people naming their favourite places wasn’t it? Would you be satisfied if you asked someone ‘where’s your favourite park’, and they just named a location with absolutely no explanation as to why? Well that’s all we’ve got here.

c_c said :

pajs said :

And your contribution to improving the lives of Canberrans would be what, exactly?

I don’t mind the idea of community mapping projects, especially when they help people find their feet in new places.

Rather curious how often a criticism of a Labor loyalist on RA results in a very immediate, very pointed personal attack in return. If only Labor’s policy back-end was as efficient and useful with words.

Stupid questions aside though, this data layer for Google Maps isn’t much of a help. To my knowledge it’s not going to be available on mobile devices. Nor does the data layer Andrew has created linked to other more useful Google services which give user ratings and business details like opening times. All he’s done is taken a list of names and plotted them on a Map you can only find on a proper computer and if you have the address of the map or the KML file installed.

There’s plenty of Apps out there that help you find stuff in unfamiliar surrounds. Best coffee: Bean Hunter. Place to Eat: Around Me. Place to Stay: Trip Advisor.

In the interests of being constructive, I would suggest Mr Leigh and his colleagues to pull their resources (stop this North/South rivalry BS) and develop a proper Canberra POI app!

I’ve no ALP connection & don’t vote for them, for what that’s worth. I just find the constant, grinding negativity on this site, including across a lot of your posts, both irritating and so much less useful than this site could be.

Why not simply not put up the negative crap in your first post and stick with just posting your positive alternative suggestion?

pajs said :

And your contribution to improving the lives of Canberrans would be what, exactly?

I don’t mind the idea of community mapping projects, especially when they help people find their feet in new places.

Rather curious how often a criticism of a Labor loyalist on RA results in a very immediate, very pointed personal attack in return. If only Labor’s policy back-end was as efficient and useful with words.

Stupid questions aside though, this data layer for Google Maps isn’t much of a help. To my knowledge it’s not going to be available on mobile devices. Nor does the data layer Andrew has created linked to other more useful Google services which give user ratings and business details like opening times. All he’s done is taken a list of names and plotted them on a Map you can only find on a proper computer and if you have the address of the map or the KML file installed.

There’s plenty of Apps out there that help you find stuff in unfamiliar surrounds. Best coffee: Bean Hunter. Place to Eat: Around Me. Place to Stay: Trip Advisor.

In the interests of being constructive, I would suggest Mr Leigh and his colleagues to pull their resources (stop this North/South rivalry BS) and develop a proper Canberra POI app!

c_c said :

So he created a data layer for Google Maps/Earth. Wow.

Honest question, does he do anything other than make up silly reasons to put out media releases and stand behind the PM at photo-ops nodding continuously like a dodo?

Even his own website struggles to list any achievements. It says he’s done this, he’s written an op-ed about electric cars, listed local sporting champions and given a speech about allied healthcare.

Now I know being a Labor stooge from a Canberra seat makes it hard for him, particularly as no one is in the chamber when he talks. But I swear he’s going out of his way to do nothing.

And your contribution to improving the lives of Canberrans would be what, exactly?

I don’t mind the idea of community mapping projects, especially when they help people find their feet in new places.

pink little birdie1:52 pm 04 Apr 12

konazz said :

Why is an MP doing this and not a community group or ACT Govnt?

It was run by the Belconnen Arts Centre… I think he just launched it

So he created a data layer for Google Maps/Earth. Wow.

Honest question, does he do anything other than make up silly reasons to put out media releases and stand behind the PM at photo-ops nodding continuously like a dodo?

Even his own website struggles to list any achievements. It says he’s done this, he’s written an op-ed about electric cars, listed local sporting champions and given a speech about allied healthcare.

Now I know being a Labor stooge from a Canberra seat makes it hard for him, particularly as no one is in the chamber when he talks. But I swear he’s going out of his way to do nothing.

So glad i’m paying Andrew $$$ – so we can nominate our favourite places. Why is an MP doing this and not a community group or ACT Govnt?

This ‘achievement’ will take a solid 2-3 pages in Andrews glossy 4 page newsletter!

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