Lab 3

Top 10 Places to Skydive in the United States 

View Top 10 Places to Skydive in the United States in a larger map 

This map displays the top ten places to go skydiving in the United States according to the website americasbestonline.com.  I created this map using Google Maps.  It also includes a picture or video for each skydive location and the contact information for the business.  The pictures and videos I embedded into my map from various websites.  This map represents one opinion of the top skydiving locations in the United States.  

Neogeography is a recent process that allows people to create maps.  People can share location information using the Internet and make it available for friends and family to see, or even as a public map available to anyone online.  Mapping toolkits such as Google Maps makes it possible for people to do this.    

An advantage to neogeography is that it allows people to view maps that others have created to gain information, for example, viewing a map of a place one is vacationing allows the map to be used like a review of some one else's vacation.  This provides information about things they maybe should or shouldn't do, based on the experience of others.  This can be very helpful in planning a vacation.  Another example of an advantage to neogeography is that someone could view the map I created and choose a skydiving location based on relative location to them, its ranking and the pictures/videos. 

However, there are some pitfalls to neogeography.  Although the process is advantageous in that it allows people to share their maps and location experiences, at the same time this is reason for some concern.  Anyone could create a map, and even use invalid information.  Therefore not all neogeography maps can be reliable.  Unlike GIS, in neogeography one does not have to be a professional or have background in map making to create a map.  This raises questions about legitimacy of the maps created, similar to legitimacy concerns of websites such as Wikipedia where anyone can post information.  People could view maps created via neogeography and receive misinformation or a biased opinion.   

Links to websites where I found pictures and videos:

http://www.skydivelostprairie.com/Arnone-On-Strut.jpg

http://media.tcpalm.com/media/img/photos/2008/10/14/RSPORTS_IRC_Harry_Park-3555_t607.JPG

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/21/fd/e0/view-under-canopy.jpg

http://www.sandiegoskydiving.com/images/gallery/skydive-san-diego-parachute.jpg

http://www.funfix.com/Gallery/Images/lg_Skydive-Space-Center-01172012.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2484/3649088668_dda6e53c57_z.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KyEIB5ZHV0Y

http://www.southernutahadventures.com/photos/skydive2.jpg

http://s3-media1.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/iR-hVzsw_AfMtrgRvHjcrw/l.jpg

http://www.portofshelton.com/sanderson/images/jumpcenter.jpg