Mapping Hacks

While we were working on Mapping Hacks I had the opportunity to chat with MapQuest
about what developers would like to be able to create their own applications. None
of us were thinking ‘Mash ups’ at the time, just maps for people’s pages. The challenge seemed to be how they would be able to offer an API to developers without sabotaging their existing customer base: the ‘Innovator’s dilema’ problem.

Well they have been working on this, and will be making announcements at this
week’s Emerging Technology show hosted by O’Reilly. I can’t share all the details with you right now, but I can say that the company will have some mashup-related news coming out on Tuesday at the show. I can also say that MapQuest mashups will definitely include some features not currently available in free mapping APIs.

On Tuesday evening, I’ll be moderating a Birds of a Feather session on mashups that was put together by MapQuest, where we’ll discuss the past and future of mashups, among other topics. The session is The State of the Mashup: An Interactive Dialog About Advances in Free Mapping APIs . The BOF is to be a discussion with developers on mapping API’s in general, and not just a MapQuest fest, it will be an opportunity for mashup developers to meet some of the MapQuest folks, who will be at the show en masse. If you’ll be at the show, I hope you can join me!

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