This week we made custom maps using Google Maps. I chose to focus on my month of vacation this past September. While this map is relatively small scale, many user-created maps are vastly complex and can become very disorganized and hard to read. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest pitfalls of neogeography. I believe that is it critical for any map to be easy to follow in order for the creator to be able to convey the information the map was intended to display. Another problem with neogeography is that is grossly subjective. Because all of the content is user-created, there is no way to ensure accuracy and objectiveness. This is a problem because people may come to believe non-truths after seeing these maps and spread misinformation.
But let us turn to the positive aspects of neogeography. It allows users to share spatial information with each other. For example, people love to check in to places on Facebook and Yelp. These check-ins help people to remember where they have been as well as show their friends. One of my favorite parts of negeography is the geotagging of photos. It allows me to looks at restaurants before I go to see if I would like them, or use Street View to see where I'm headed.
Overall, I think neogeography is a great thing, as long as viewers remind themselves to always take custom-made maps with a grain of salt.
Below is my map.
Link to Map
View September 2012 Travels in a larger map
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