Going forward, Google has made its Map Maker tool a little more social with the addition of Google+ support, allowing you to share any map edits you have made or reviews you have written with people in your Google+ Circles, who can then comment on the post to make the editing process a bit more collaborative.
Thus, any maps you share will be noticeable to all your followers. Google has already created a series of steps needed for sharing your maps through the Google+ social network, but it really is pretty easy and works about the same as sharing anything else would.
For those who are not much familiar about Map Maker, it basically lets you add locations and details to roads, businesses, landmarks and other spots, which basically means people can now share from Map Maker — which is a crowdsourcing initiative that lets users improve and enrich Google Maps — via their Google+ circles.
“By sharing your map edits and reviews with people connected to you on Google+ who may be regional experts or know about a particular area, you can both enjoy a shared interest and improve Google Maps,” Google said.
Besides, this could be great if you are planning on going somewhere and are trying to build a customized map of the area that includes extra details like tourism spots and the like. The Map Maker tool allows users to practice digital cartography by editing existing maps with places and roads, and you can also review edits made by other users. The new sharing feature is live now.
In order to enjoy this nifty feature, all you need to do is navigate to the Map Maker content you would like to share, such as a specific edit or a neighborhood, hit the “Share” button and select who you want to share it with (choosing from your Google+ circles or individual people, or by email).
In addition, when sharing Map Maker content on Google+, you can select specific people or circles then ask them to review your edits and request more input and details from locals. Those you have shared with will see a link to the map location or feature, as well as a description of what you did. Friends can then comment on your post to collaborate on the map-making action.
Google Map Maker empowers you to update geographic information in Google Maps and Google Earth. You can add things like local restaurants, parking lots, missing roads, hiking trails, waterways, and bike lanes. Other users can then review and provide feedback on your changes. Once approved, they will appear online for the Internet to see.
Nevertheless, this is not for everyone, using Google Map Maker is a niche that probably only appeals to certain individuals, but the concept of allowing map sharing is one that could ultimately prove useful.