Vision building for a Map of Community Networks

1. Goals

Seen from an individual CN perspective

Become visible as part of the global CN environment

Share key information / story (pop up window) about the CN and the way it works

Create an access point (through the map) to an individual CN profile page

Seen through the CN environment lense

Visualisation of the extent of the CN movement around the world

Identify countries/regions/localities which are 'hotspots' for CNs, and where the 'blanks' are…

Identify where there are active meso orgs that CNs can go to for support

Layer of different technologies used

The spread of CNs over time (assuming time was a variable included in the mapping mechanism

Options

So far we have tried to identify different tech options used or under development. The idea of the following section is to share pros/cons that we see for all involved technologies to create a common baseline for follow up discussions

Build on Cocomap by Article19

Source: Cocomap

Pros:

Open Source

Cons:

Adapt Libertura map for CRs to CNs and create/maintain a Wordpress Plugin

Source: Liberatura Map

Pros:

Similar approach for community radios that could be drawn on

Open Source

Cons:

Requires a maintenance strategy

MapSVG and Wordpress

Source: MapSVG

Pros:

Geo-located database in CSV format can be imported/exported from MapSVG allowing for independent editing of a data source on Github or similar.

Very quick development time as MapSVG has many features well-suited to a CN map.

Using an SVG map allows for speedy loading, lower data consumption, and local/offline use potentially. It also offers a potential layer of imprecision allowing CNs to be identified in a country without having to offer the precise geo-location.

Cons:

Not Open Source

Operating in WordPress is not ideal if the the goal is to have all CNs update their own information on the map. The CSV database import/export option combined with Github could mitigate this somewhat.

Discourse with Location Plugin

Source: Discourse and Location Plugin

Pros:

Open Source

Cons:

Adapt Guifinet or Ninux maps to CNs more generally

Source: Guifinet Ninux

Pros:

Open Source

Cons:

Collaboration