Lab 3

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     Neogeography is about people using and creating their own maps, on their own terms and by combining elements of an existing toolset. Neogeography is about sharing location information with friends and visitors, helping shape context, and conveying understanding through knowledge of place (A. Turner, 2006).

     Neogeography has huge potential for three reasons. Firstly, neogeography develops along with Internet. As the database becoming more and more accessible, neogeography booms. In the past decades, GIS have almost replaced paper maps. People are optimistic about the future in computer and Internet, so it can be foreseen that neogeography will continue developing with a surprising rate. Secondly, compared to GIS, neogeography has two huge advantages: it is flexible and user-centric. People decide what information that they want to present and block out other information, so neogeography is flexible. People can create their geographic knowledge to create their own maps, so neogeography is user-centric. Thirdly, because neogeography is about people creating their own maps, everyone can participate in creating maps. Everyone contributes information to the database. Sometimes amateur map makers have more accurate data than professional map makers do. Therefore neogeography includes far more information than maps which were created by a small group of people.
     Although neogeography has many advantages, people should also be careful of the pitfall of neogeography. It is undeniable that neogeography contains more accessible information, but nobody knows whether the information is correct. As a result, people need to figure out what information is usable.
      Given that neogeography is double-edged, the consequence of neogeography is predictable. People will have access to more information, but at the same time, they will also be confused, because accuracy of data is uncertain.