Lab 3: Neogeography

Neogeography is a new and interesting way to look at maps. It is a dynamic map that is user-centric, allowing its users to make personal marks by sharing locations, interests, history, and much more. Neogeography allows users to share information as well as show their interpretation of space and how move through it. It can be used in many positive ways, like sharing a good route to walk through a city, showing your friends and family restaurants you like, and helping people visualize a vacation that you took (or plan to take in the future). Although there are many positive aspects and a lot of potential with neogeography, there are also some negative aspects as well.
The lack of privacy is one of the main consequences of neogeography. By allowing the public to know where you are and/or like to go, you are give up your right to privacy. An example of this is the map that showed who gave money against prop 8 and their addresses. Although this information is interesting and can be used in positive way, there is a lot of potential for negative use. If people are emotionally against something and can access all of the personal information of the people who are for it (or vice versa), it is a recipe for disaster. Neogeography though, is not inherently evil and it is up to its users to viewers to use it in positive ways.


View My Trip to South America in a larger map

This map is my trip to South America that I took in 2008. I started my trip in Peru then went to Northern Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and ended my trip in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This map shows the cities I visited and how I got from place to place. The map is big and in many areas it is necessary to zoom in to see the details. Every city has a photo, the polygon is located near the city of Cusco, Peru, and the video is of the tourist attraction Machu Picchu, which also near Cusco, Peru.

Lab 2: USGS Topographic Maps

1. Beverly Hills Quadrangle.

2. The names of the adjacent quadrangles are: Canoga Park, Van Nuys, Burbank, Topanga, Hollywood, Venice, and Inglewood.

3. The quadrangle was first created in 1966.

4. The map is produced by the horizontal datums of The North American Datum of 1927 and North American datum of 1983 and the vertical datum of National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.

5. 1 : 24,000

6.

a) 5 cm / x = 1 / 24,000

x = 5 cm(24,000)

x = 120,000 cm

120,000 cm (1 m /100 cm)

= 1,200 meters

b) 5 in/x = 1/24,000

x = 5 in(24,000)

x = 120,000 in

120,000 in(1 ft/12 in)(1 mile/5,280 ft)

= 1.89 miles

c) x/ 1 mile = 1/24,000
24,000 x = 1 mile
x = 1 mile  /24,000
1 mile / 24,000 *(63,360 inches/1 mile)
= 2.64 inches

d) x/3 km = 1/24,000

x = 3 km/ 24,000

x = 0.000125 km

0,000125 km(100,000 cm / 1 km)

= 12.5 cm

7. The contour interval is 20 feet.

8.

a) Public Affairs Building: 
Coordinates: 34°04' 28" N / 118°26' 21.1" W 
Decimal Degree: (34°, - 118°)
b) Top of Santa Monica Pier: 
Coordinates: 34°00'30" N / 118°30'00.5" W
Decimal Degree: (34°, -118°)

c) Upper Franklin Canyon Reservoir
Coordinates: 34°07'13" N / 118°24'36.9" W
Decimal Degree: (34°,-118°)

9.

a) Greystone Mansion: 580 feet / 176.78 meters

b) Woodlawn Cemetery: 140 feet /  42.67 meters

c) Crestwood Hill Park: 660 feet / 202.17 meters

10. UTM Zone 11.

11. 361500 m Easting, 3763000 m Northing

12. 1000 m x 1000 m = 1,000,000 meters squared
13.

14. Positive 14 degrees.

15. The water is flowing south.
16.