Lab 3: Photosynth

Citizens as Censors





SEE MY PHOTOSYNTH PROJECT HERE.

The photosynth map I created is one of a bench in a backyard in the city of Buena Park. I added a geotag for reference in Bing maps. The synth I created is 91% "synthy." I approached this project as an example of using volunteered geographic information (VGI) to advertise an item for sale. In other words, Photosynth was used as a means to depict an object from different vantage points in a 3-D view and to show its location on the map. The park bench was photographed from 45 different angles to create a 3-D view of the bench in 180 degrees. It was then geotagged in Bing maps, so that potential buyers could stop by to see the bench in person and/or pick it up after purchasing it.

Michael F. Goodchild's article, "Citizens as Censors: the world of volunteered geography," can be integrated into my particular Photosynth map in that I, as the photographer and Photosynth user, have contributed to the wide database of volunteered geographic information on the web. I am a "citizen sensor" in that I provide information that is relevant to me and post it for the public to see; hence, I am an indicator of a specific human interest. I use VGI to sell a commodity. Using a simple digital camera, owning a laptop with good graphics hardware, and having access to the Internet have allowed me to put forth an image's location on the Web through the interface of Bing maps.

The potential pitfalls of volunteered geographic information lie in the accuracy of the location and description of what information is posted online. For example, the location of my photograph could be off by several meters, from 10-100 and so forth. This is an example of the inaccuracy of volunteered geographic information. Unlike traditional mapping agencies that have standards and specifications to manage geographic information, creating personal maps and images on Photosynth is unregulated.

However, VGI shows a lot of promise in that it examines location on earth according to the interests and observations of its users - in other words, through the eyes of the individual photographers and amateur cartographers. The methods by which image capture, geotagging, referencing and digitizing are done are user-friendly through programs such as Google Earth and are thus popular to the general public. Unlike satellite imagery and remote sensing which capture large swaths of the earth from above, VGI is socially engaging. The esoteric world of professional mapping agencies differs greatly from the blogosphere of human spatial relationships. My park bench would have gone unnoticed by a GeoEye swath. However, as a "citizen censor," I have photographed and mapped it online for my benefit and for the gain of potential buyers. VGI represents life on a map at the ground level - the human level.