What is this thing, anyway?
The idea behind the Second Life (R) GeoWiki is pretty straightforward: there are quite a few maps of Second Life (R), most working with Linden Lab's map API, that are used to track significant items inworld. However, these maps are widespread and the data are often hard to read.
My postulate is that it would be useful to use a single, interactive map to display aggregated information. This can be an analytical tool for SL researchers, as the visualization of aggregated data in a new way always has the potential to create new insights.
The implementation of a GeoWiki as the map engine is a strategic choice. There are a large number of "interactive" mapping applications available. However, the worldKit GeoWiki offers several advantages.
First and foremost, it is a free, open-source application. It is also a server-side web application, which means that users do not need to download any special software (aside from a Flash plug-in for their browser).
In addition, unlike many mapping programs that are tied to maps of earthly regions, the GeoWiki application allows for the use of any .JPG-formatted image file as the map. This is particularly useful, of course, for maps of a virtual world.
Lastly, the application allows for any user to add annotations. This ability is crucial in an online community mapping application, but is still not a common feature in the current body of software.
And it's a critical GeoWiki because the hope is that academic users in particular will be interested in both using and contributing to the data and its visualization.
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