Lab 3

View Fascinating life in Naperville in a larger map

The map I made for this lab is based on my life experience in Naperville, Chicago. I want to show others the most frequent places I used to go to when I lived there, and for those who are planning to stay there, I hope this could help.

Neogeography literally means new geography. It is a set of practices that allow amateurs to create their own maps based on their spatial values without professional geographic knowledge. The Google map for this assignment is a great example of neogeography. Since inexperienced geographer makes neogeography, there are several pitfalls. First, the information may not be comprehensive or efficient enough for the people that use the map, because the information contained in the map is what the creator values the most, instead of what viewers expect. Second, unlike professional GIS, the information of neogeography can be inaccurate or unreliable. Imagine you are using a map that is created by a random passenger! Anyone can make a map by using existing toolsets. There is no satellite or other supporting techniques to backup the accuracy of neogeography, thus people should question neogeography’s reliability.

However, one great thing I find about neogeography is that you have the chance to create a map that satisfies you own needs. For instance, would you want to stare at a map of Los Angeles, which contains almost every detail that you don’t care about, just to find a good restaurant? No. This is why you can create a map that presents all the good restaurants you have been to and this map can efficiently help other people that have the same purpose of using a map.

There are positive and negative consequences of neogeography. The good side is that everyone has the opportunity to create their own desired maps. Data and information can be accessed easily through media and websites. However, bias and inaccuracy are the bad side of neogeography. People need to be careful when making maps or using neogeography.