Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
well”. The visualisation illustrates the lack of presence in central Africa
and China. (BBC News, 2010). This particular map had no designer/
cartographer input whatsoever, but it was generated automatically from
Facebook
connections data. Butler's visualisation is shown in
Figure 9
.
Figure 9:
“Visualising Friendships”, by Paul Butler.
Source: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-
snc4/hs1382.snc4/163413_479288597199_9445547199_5658562_14158417_n.jpg
A more formal data collection method was used in the MIT Real Time
Rome project, developed at the SENSEable City Lab. It was heralded by
MIT as a product that “promises to usher in a new era of urban mapmak-
ing” … “The goal of Real Time Rome is to use this connectivity to map
the city in real time, which may ultimately lead to a deeper understanding
of how modern cities function” (MIT, 2006). The product had its world-
wide debut at the Venice Biennale in 2006. An image from this exhibition
can be seen in
Figure 10
.
The maps are generated from data collected in real time. It effectively
maps data transmitted about the location of cell phones and other wireless
technologies. These maps with self-generated content were produced
without input from a cartographer, in real-time, from data collected from
thousands of devices located throughout the city of Rome. This is a self-
generated map. It effectively maps the space of Rome. Does it facilitate a
better understanding of the places in Rome?
