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October 1, 2006
Wikimapia Does Google Earth!
Exciting news! A few months ago one of the most talked about (and most used) Google mapping applications was released under the name Wikimapia. Wikimapia is a tool which lets anyone mark something in the Google Maps satellite/aerial photos with a rectangle and then write about it and/or provide links to Wikipedia. Just like Wikipedia, it lets anyone edit the commentaries / descriptions. The interface is intuitive and clean. As soon as I first saw it, I sent an E-mail suggesting they create a Google Earth network link to show the same information. Well, Matt Jones just wrote to tell me they now have Wikimapia for Google Earth (see his blog entry). Try out the Wikimapia KML network link 
and you will be able to zoom in and see Wikimapia areas in Google Earth for your current view. The more you zoom in, the more you see. You can click on the placemarks to get a link to the Wikimapia descriptions. I'm so glad they finally decided to support GE as well!
This is just the beginning of the possibilities. I've been thinking about new ways Wikimapia could be extended with Google Earth. For example, creating polygons with the rectangles and filling it with varying colors at a low transparency would make it look even better. There's also some possibilities created with the new GE API (just announced recently by Google) which would allow more interesting integration between Wikimapia and GE. Thanks to Matt for letting me know about it, and the Wikimapia people for implementing GE support!
[UPDATE 10/3: Here is an example I did a while back while thinking of ideas for Wikimapia in Google Earth. I've used colored transparent polygons instead of outlines, and included pictures in the descriptions.]
Posted by FrankTaylor at October 1, 2006 7:39 PM
Comments
Posted by: Matt at October 1, 2006 8:25 PM
Absolutely great story dude. Wikimapia has a great concept, thought very much farther than just collecting non reviewed placemarks from all of the community. This project should become part of earth.google.com!
Posted by: KoflAIR at October 3, 2006 2:20 AM
I am a citizen of Bagnan, Haora, West Bengal, India. Like Some of places my locality also is still very hazy. We cannot locate the places or areas. When we will be able to see our locality clearly like other parts of world.
Posted by: SWATI CHAKRABORTY at February 5, 2007 11:15 PM
wikimapia or google earth is great idea to locate our self on web.
Posted by: neeta at April 5, 2007 7:11 AM
this site helps people to interact and give them a view of their homes from thousand miles away frm their homes by making the use of the satellite.
Posted by: sansmrti rawat at June 2, 2007 1:27 AM
it is thrilling to see earth in wikimapia
Posted by: ravurihanumantharao at July 19, 2007 11:18 AM
This Wikimapia is really very interesting as it helps us to see the whole world with the help of satellite. I am really fan of Wikimapia. I can see my home area which is in LUCKNOW and currently i am working in BANGALORE.
Posted by: Mamta Chaudhary at December 11, 2007 1:49 AM
Dear friends,
I am working on satellite image processing.
I would like to know which satellite images the wekimapia is using and what is the highest resolution?
Thank you.
Posted by: kumar at April 13, 2008 12:57 AM
I WANNA KNOW HOW TO USE WIKIMAPIA AND SEARCH THE LOCATION
I AM LIVING IN VALSAD
Posted by: VIRAL NAIK at June 5, 2008 5:14 AM
I WANNA KNOW HOW TO USE WIKIMAPIA AND SEARCH THE LOCATION I AM LIVING IN BALANGIR
THANK YOU
Posted by: DILIP KUMAR BHOI at June 18, 2008 12:28 PM
I really thrill to see earth in this site. iam working with icici bank, iam from vizag. Thank u.
Posted by: yarish kumar at June 19, 2008 2:45 AM
my sons live in aus.i am very happy to see his house and working places throgh satelite wikimapia. thank you.
Posted by: j. s. mann at August 3, 2008 5:02 AM
many person draw wrong unwanted & unjustified outline on the wikimapia original map.they are advertise their own house.also they use ugly local language i see it the ashoknagar in india westbengal 24pgs.(n).so i requested to authority of wikimapia please stop it.
Posted by: G K Majumdar at August 31, 2008 11:26 AM
It is not possible to open Wikimapia from october 28 th. What are the problems?
Posted by: jamaicajoe at October 29, 2008 5:05 AM
The earth @ my fingertips........................
Posted by: Ketan at June 15, 2009 1:43 PM
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Thanks for the link Frank! I do want to make sure credit is given where credit is due: I don't have anything to do with the Wikimapia project. I am just a fan of Wikimapia that was provided some good information. Alexandre does, however, read my blog, so any praise will be read by him. :)
Thanks again!