Abstract
On average, mashups tagged with the keyword "mapping" account for about 40% of the total mashups currently developed. One major cause for this phenomenon are the widely-available, free, online mapping services provided by mainstream IT firms. For example, Google has developed easy-to-use map application programming interfaces (APIs) and estimates over 150 million visitors to its map services as of May 2009. However, this unprecedented development of Web 2.0 functionality has been subject to existing acceptable use policies accompanying the services and service APIs. This paper reviews and analyzes the existing Terms of Use or Terms of Service from a number of private online mapping service providers, and presents observations on the potential social, organizational, and technical implications of the current acceptable use policies in developing map mashups and related applications. It argues that existing acceptable use policies may not support a healthy mashup ecosystem.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 111-122 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Geomatica |
| Volume | 64 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 Dec 1 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Earth-Surface Processes