Forum Map/Google mashup

[tanjive]

I thought it might be nice if a map was available where forum persons could pin their location to. Would not need to be very exact say city level. Therefore, if you are by chance visiting an area you know who you could PM for information in the locality. I thought it might save people random postings. It would also allow people to see their nearby forum buddies and perhaps increase greater social interaction offline.

You cannot even search for people by the location field in the profile. This might be a small quick fix. Though this might not be that helpful as there are those witty people out there who are round the bend, climbing walls or kissing the floor, sky or whatever else.

Not sure if this is possible technically on the forum itself. Google maps might be an alternative with links to it from the forum sie.

Does anyone think this is doable?

Does anyone think it is a good idea?

[ducasi]

Its certainly do-able. Just a simple matter of programming.

Think it's a good idea too.

Anyone know google maps well enough?

[David Bailey]

Ummm... dunno really, I'm not sure if exposing that much information is necessarily a good thing, privacy-wise. Yes, I know it's available now anyway, but putting it all in one place is a different matter.

I think you should ask people's permission before doing that sort of data-mining exercise, to ensure the information is all voluntary.

[tanjive]

Ummm... dunno really, I'm not sure if exposing that much information is necessarily a good thing, privacy-wise. Yes, I know it's available now anyway, but putting it all in one place is a different matter.

I think you should ask people's permission before doing that sort of data-mining exercise, to ensure the information is all voluntary.

Who's is mining? It is voluntary to add your location to the map. As i deliberately said to add people by city, general region. I did not say "hey everyone put your home address here".

If you wanted to contact your local forumite in order to share lifts to local venues of interest. How else would you find someone except by provedence they happen to put the same town on their profile which is seen in a post? Not everyone posts 24/7 like you do. You can always turn down/not respond to a PM should someone send you one anyway. Any nuisance mailers can be blocked and rightly. I would have thought any benefits outweigh any privacy issue. It is like your profile picture not mandatory. It certainly is helpful though and I wish more people did. Particularly if they are certainly as forthright with their opinions as you.

[Brian Doolan]

Who's is mining? It is voluntary to add your location to the map. As i deliberately said to add people by city, general region. I did not say "hey everyone put your home address here".

Particularly if they are certainly as forthright with their opinions as you.

[Lory]

I like the idea

[StokeBloke]

I'm kind of screwed privacy-wise if you're talking about location Although I do frequently get asked where my forum name came from

[bigdjiver]

Have a sticky (searchable) thread called introductions for anybody willing to be contacted in this way, giving their postal area?

[David Bailey]

Who's is mining? It is voluntary to add your location to the map. As i deliberately said to add people by city, general region. I did not say "hey everyone put your home address here".

Oh right - sorry, I misunderstood how it'd work. I assumed it would be an extraction of data rather than a contribution system. My bad, apologies.

It is like your profile picture not mandatory. It certainly is helpful though and I wish more people did.

Heh, we've had that debate too...

Particularly if they are certainly as forthright with their opinions as you.

Don't understand your point?

[knightengale]

I know a few sites that have done this before. Using google. Don't know how easy it is to set up Add Google Maps to Your Website
Is the google information.

[Paul F]

How about we go even more crazy and create a GoogleEarth file with GPS values of everyones location.

That way you can load up Google Earth, create a display layer called "Forum Bods" and then you can zoom in on someones house

Maybe even give them some sound conservatory extension advice

[Gadget]

Maybe even give them some sound conservatory extension advice

na - I do that for a living.

It would probably be better if the venues were on the map and people could attach themselves to a venue. (/multiple venues)

[DavidY]

I've seen an application which seems to be called VBGoogleMap on another vBulletin forum.

It looks like you add yourself by zooming in the map and clicking on it, or typing in your latitude & longitude if you know it.

Don't think it's very searchable though.

[tanjive]

Heh, we've had that debate too...

Still wondering why your funny, aviable forum mates are not good enough like your facebook friends.

[David Bailey]

Still wondering why your funny, aviable forum mates are not good enough like your facebook friends.

[Ghost]

Have a sticky (searchable) thread called introductions for anybody willing to be contacted in this way, giving their postal area?

It would probably be better if the venues were on the map and people could attach themselves to a venue. (/multiple venues)

Or have a sticky (searchable) thread called introductions for anybody willing to be contacted in this way, giving their venue (/multiple venues)?

I remember when I joined trying to figure our how to search for people who had "Greenwich" listed under "Regular Venues" in their details

"Bad artists copy. Great artists steal" ~ Pablo Picasso

[Ghost]

Roughly how many MJ venues / areas / franchises are there in the UK?

Just wondering if several polls in a similar format to the recent DJ you enjoy threads would work. If it was alphabetical you could scan it quickly. People could re-vote to reflect changes in venues or if they decided they wanted more privacy etc.

If there's literally thousands of venues, then by area might work - pm the person for more information. Still gives a certain degree of privacy. There's a big difference between
"I go to Ceroc Kent"
and
"I go to Bromley"

although neither are currently true

Maybe use
CEROC - Links

[David Bailey]

Roughly how many MJ venues / areas / franchises are there in the UK?

From here, I'd estimate that there are about 200-250 organisations in the UK doing MJ (!), running about 750 venues.

Blimey, that's a lot of venues...

[tanjive]

I think you miss the point. It does not matter how many venues are local or how often you go to the same one. You can go for years to one local venue and still not find a forumite there even if there are loads. Especially if they do not give a picture or a location (which only possibly might) let you know and that you have a reason to look up their profile.

If people were voluntarily on a map you can tell a persons local relative to you. This is useful if say you wanted to arrange a weekender or workshop with a person you might not otherwise be aware of.

DJ - nice facebook picture got the clue now.

[David Bailey]

I'm a bit sceptical, to be honest, but then I never really got this whole "forumite socialising" thing anyway.

DJ - nice facebook picture got the clue now.

Errr, yeah. Or, possibly, not.