In+ersec+ion for Spatial People

We mentioned the project two times earlier this year, and now GeoNode 1.0 has just been released.

From their about page: "GeoNode is an open source platform that facilitates the creation, sharing, and collaborative use of geospatial data. The project aims to surpass existing spatial data infrastructure solutions by integrating robust social and cartographic tools.

At its core, the GeoNode is based on open source components GeoServer, GeoNetwork, Django, and GeoExt that provide a platform for sophisticated web browser spatial visualization and analysis. Atop this stack, the project has built a map composer and viewer, tools for analysis, and reporting tools.

To promote collaboration, the GeoNode is designed on Web 2.0 principles [...]"

There's a demo if you want to experiment what it's all about.

Slashdot just started a discussion named Facebook Patents Location Social Networking.

Their summary: "Facebook just received a patent with broad claims that would seem to cover much of what Google (GOOG) Latitude, Foursquare, Gowalla, and others try to do in letting users share their locations with others.Patent number 7,809,805, called Systems and methods for automatically locating web-based social network members, covers people manually entering a status, sending that and their location from a wireless device, and sharing both the status and location with others. Facebook's corporate value just took a big jump — and a number of other companies might have to either challenge the patent's validity or consider licensing deals."

ikiMap (www.ikimap.com) is a free web service which allows its users to create and share their maps.

The objective is to combine the concept of a social network together with the use of cartography and maps.

Users can create their own maps (by uploading files in KML, GPX…formats or directly by drawing on the map), vote for other users maps, add comments, create groups of friends, theme channels and more! Users can actually label the map as private and grant access to it only to certain people.

ikiMap is a free service, and it's based on freeware:

* OpenLayers (http://openlayers.com/)
* MapServer (http://mapserver.org/
* PostGIS (http://postgis.refractions.net/)

There are more info about ikiMap on:

• Blog: http://ikimap.blogspot.com/
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/ikimap
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ikiMap/200361580929
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ikimap