Many companies are on Twitter, but how are they using this social media tool? Glenn Letham of GISuser discusses how organizations, for example ESRI, use Twitter to keep their readers informed of industry and company news as well as a communication tool to their customers. Letham encourages other GIS/Geo Technology companies to use Twitter as a medium for customer relations and technical assistance. Follow us on Twitter!

Harvard launched AfricaMap. The map is based on the Harvard University Geospatial Infrastructure (HUG) platform and was developed by the Center for Geographic Analysis.  AfricaMap, a OpenLayers-based app, aims to expand existing initiatives for globally sharing spatial data and technology. 

Google Maps created a fun quiz where you get to test your geographic puzzle solving skills. To play the quiz, you have to rearrange letters in a map, using visual clues in the form of a Panoramio photograph, to spell a world capital or U.S. state capital.

The USGS National Geospatial Program Office launched a new version of The National Map website. Revisions include The National Geospatial Program and The National Map web site.

Discussions about the auto industry bailout have been percolating the blogosphere. How would this affect auto industry workers? CNN created an interactive map showing the number of auto industry jobs in each state.

Popularity: 24% [?]

All Points Blog shared the results of last month’s poll on the “single factor besides pure functionality that influences people’s selection of a geospatial software application.” Out of the eight options, which included data format support, speed, and extensibility, the ease of use/interface received a staggering 62%. To participate in the next poll, vote here in the lower right hand corner of the page. The question: How important is it that a job candidate be familiar with more than one GIS product/platform?

The Catholicgauze reflects on past Geography Awareness Weeks and discusses the trends of three geography surveys from the years 1988, 2002 and 2006. Overall, the past surveys show little or no change since the first study in 1988. The findings indicate that Americans are lacking in geographic literacy. Those that did well on the surveys include people who took and completed a geography course, recent immigrants, frequent travelers and those that keep up with world events.

Mark Doherty of Integraph presented a detailed overview of where the technology of GIS has been, where it is now, and where it is going at the Rocket City Geospatial Conference in Huntsville, AL. He shared four trends ‘converging to create a potentially unique opportunity’ in regards to the new era of computing. The four include SOA and standards, cloud computing, orchestration and thin clients/rich internet applications.

MyGeo Position, an application to help geo-code a single address, was deemed as ‘very accurate’ by Keir Clarke over at Google Maps Mania. The site offers a number of useful facilities for geo-coding a position, including finetuning using a drag and drop marker, geoposition as a float or in degrees, and an iGoogle gadget for quick geocoding from a personal landing page. MyGeoPosition is available in English, German, Dutch and Bulgarian.

O’Reilly’s Where2.0 2009 Call for Participation is now open. Submit your proposal here before December 2^nd.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Every year during the third week of November begins the Geography Awareness Week. Beginning in 1987 by presidential proclamation, Geography Awareness Week celebrates the importance of geography education in the United States. This week allows for geographers to share their ideas and show off what they have been working on.

A Seemingly perfectly fit to honor Geography Awareness Week, I thought it would be a good idea to show some of the data mapping functions in GeoCommons that will illustrate where there have been a lot of forest fires in the U.S., and in particular, California.

The map below illustrates data points of active fire detection areas throughout the U.S. from last week. I also magnified the Santa Barbara area of California where fires have caused a devastating amount of damage:

To view the map: http://maker.geocommons.com/maps/1507?page=1

To view data: http://finder.geocommons.com/overlays/7043

To view map of magnified region: http://maker.geocommons.com/maps/1506?page=1

To view data: http://finder.geocommons.com/overlays/6999

By using the above map citizens can find out where there have been areas that have been affected by forest fires. The forest fire data is updated weekly in Finder!

Subsequently to the map above, below are two maps that illustrate evacuation centers in and fundraiser sites for forest fire damage relief in southern California:

(Click for map and data)

(Click for map and data)

The above maps thus featured some of the capabilities of Finder! and Maker!, and use geography as a medium to raise community awareness about forest fires, evacuation centers, and fundraiser sites in the U.S.

Please visit GeoCommons and enjoy making your own contributions to Geography Awareness Week.

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Much has been made during the 2008 Presidential Campaign about the errors John McCain has made about geography. He made a reference to Czechoslovakia still existing and also said that the countries of Iraq and Pakistan border one another.

These are major world geography errors that McCain has been heavily criticized about, but he has been good about not making geographical errors about his own country. These errors belong to Barack Obama, the other candidate for President. Obama has on several occasions during the 08 Campaign made errors about geography throughout the U.S. including calling a city/state he was visiting by the wrong name. He has done this on three different occasions in Sunrise, FL, Sioux Falls, SD, and the state of Wyoming. He also was recorded saying that there were 57 states in the USA, that Kentucky was closer to Arkansas than Illinois, and referred to Brownsville, Texas as Brownville, Texas. The map below shows the locations of where Obama has made Geographical Gaffes. The map can be found on Maker! at this link: Obama’s Geographical Gaffes, USA, 2008 Campaign.

These mistakes were probable mere slips of the tongues or occurred from being tired while campaigning. Not much should be made from the errors in my opinion, but since my work deals with geography I must say I’m a bit saddened.

Popularity: 14% [?]