Maps and the Meaning of the Cloud
ISBN 978-85-88783-11-9
Authors
1Peterson, M.
1UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA Email: mpeterson@unomaha.edu
Abstract
In its long history, cartography has always been on the forefront of adapting to new tools. The computer, first introduced 60 years ago, has represented perhaps the greatest change in how maps are made. The further combination of computers and communication technology changed how maps are distributed – and how they are used. Maps became more interactive and animated. The cloud, the nexus of computers and communication technology, is the most recent symbol of this change. While often simply defined as using the processing and storage capacity of data centers, the cloud is interpreted here as representing a workspace for the continued development of maps as both a form of analysis and communication. Exam-ned is the development and formation of the cloud, the distribution of multiscale pan-able (MSP) maps, and other related areas of cloud cartography.
Keywords
Cloud computing; Maps and the Internet; Cartographic Education