The latest rage in the world of web-dev is “mashing” or in laymens terms, taking data from multiple sources and blending it together to form a new view on an old thing. I’d been kicking around ideas of how to incorporate the coolness that is Google Maps with campus related information.
One of the first things that came to mind was WiFi hotspots on campus. With a little help from MapBuilders and the CNS website I was able to create Google Maps Mash of Wildcat Wireless Hotspots. In essences, this simply takes the map and coloring aspect of this PDF document and merges in the data for specific buildings
If another department wanted to use this mash-up on their website all they would need to do would be copy the HTML and Javascript file and apply for a free Google Map Key for their specific directory and place it into the HTML code (see below).- <[!— Please, request sign up for your own GMAP KEY at http://www.google.com/apis/maps/signup.html and replace ‘GMAPKEY’ entry with generated key in the line below. —]>
- <script src=“http://maps.google.com/maps?file=api&v=1&key=GMAPKEY” type=“text/javascript”>
So while is nothing new or super-fantastic it is a new spin on old data. Not to mention, it could give a website that wanted to convey this data the ability to do so with a little more flare than just a PDF document of a campus map.
Check it out today at Campus Wireless!