Getting Started with Google’s My Maps

Getting Started with Google’s My Maps

Google's My Maps is yet another cool tool offered by the always evolving Internet giant. Google My Maps lets you create Web-based Google Map mashups and save or share them with friends or the world. Mashup, by the way, is techno-jargon for a Web site or service that combines content from multiple sources.

I checked out Google My Maps and found it impressively easy to use.
It let me throw together a walking tour of Boston complete with pictures and video in under 20 minutes.

Google's My Maps was released today and is a tool aimed at non-techies empowering them to create Google Maps mashups. Until today, customizing Google maps has been the exclusive domain of experienced software developers. Here is a link to PC World's news story about Google's My Maps announcement.

You can browse maps that have already been created, or you can dive in and create your own like I did. Check out Google's example of a map it created to demonstrate the power of My Maps. One is called America's Highway: Oral Histories of Route 66 and here is another map titled 2004 Presidential Election that illustrates how My Maps can do more than provide guided tours.

Building a basic Google My Map is easy ... more



Make Google Maps your maps

Create personalized, annotated, customized maps using Google Maps

Creating a Map
Finding Your Maps
Deleting Your Maps
Adding and Editing Placemarks
Adding and Editing Lines
Adding and Editing Shapes
Saving Search Results
Adding Rich Text or HTML Descriptions
Adding Photos
Adding Videos
Sharing Maps
Public and Unlisted Maps
Viewing Your Maps in Google Earth

Your maps can contain the following:

Placemarks
Lines
Shapes
Once you have created a map, you can:

Add descriptive text, including rich text and HTML
Embed photos and videos in your map
Share your maps with others
Open it in Google Earth
To create or edit maps, you must be signed into your Google Account. You do not need to be signed in to view a map ... more - Google My Maps



Google offers personalized map tool


-
-