Wikimapia is a tool that allows users to freely annotate maps in either satellite or streetmap view. The beta release (www.wikimapia.org/beta/) became available some three months ago. Its main features are
1. Two main interactive layers – Wikimapia map and Wikimapia satellite (outlines on satellite map).
2. Adding information to the map:
-places (with real bounaries)
-roads, railroads, ferry ways
-rivers
-terrain patches (water, land, ets) to correct map
3. Places now can be added without information: some users may not know the information about places but easily could prepare map for others who know the information.
4. Improved category (changes in category filter and category input in place information)
5. Documentation at (wikimapia.org/wiki/) is going go be filled soon (with users’ help).
Not everything is finished, work is proceeding on usability, design and icons. Localization and languages menu will also be updated.
The potential is great, but will Wikimapia become as popular for mapping as Wikipedia is for general type information?
Only time can tell. Meanwhile, check it out here and add some information about your own part of the world.
IMHO, wikimapia isn’t really P2P:
– data provided by people are becoming proprietary
– it uses Google Map (also proprietary)
– it isn’t possible to use the data for other purposes
– it is a central system
People seeking a real P2P mapping service should use http://openstreetmap.org (cc-by-sa)