World Map of the Mind

September 9, 2003 1:47 AM

World Map of the Mindis an an experimental, collaborative world map: users click to choose whether a pixel is land or water. IP logging will eventually allow us to see the world from different points of view. In the meantime, watch how it has progressed. (Via kuro5hin).
posted by TheophileEscargot (14 comments total)

The map doesn't appear to be working at the moment, as some people are mentioning on the site.
posted by Blue Stone at 2:03 AM on September 9, 2003

Hmmm... worked for me in Opera and IE half an hour ago, but now the pixel edit form seems to be borked. I think there are Mozilla issues too...
posted by TheophileEscargot at 2:09 AM on September 9, 2003

Is it supposed to look like a map of the earth? Because it does.
posted by dgaicun at 2:09 AM on September 9, 2003

The map problem is a cookie issue.

Allow the cookies - get the map.
posted by Blue Stone at 2:29 AM on September 9, 2003

It's a beautiful idea. Can anyone remember the site that was attempting a similar thing with fonts?

Predictions:
- Things will really start looking up once the continents are "filled in", and decisions can focus on the shape of coastlines.
- South-east asia, northern europe (Sweden, Norway), and the top end of Canada are going to be contentious issues. Too many little islands, bays, peninsulas, fjords. The resolution of the map isn't good enough.
- People are going to forget about Madagascar ;)

Problems:
The scale is kind of wrong, although I guess it does reflect a "typical" looking map. Why's the Pacific so narrow? Where's Antarctica going to go?
posted by Jimbob at 3:16 AM on September 9, 2003

New Zealand is going to get short shrift, the way this is working out - we appear to be the pixels on either edge.

Clearly invading Australia is the only option.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:20 AM on September 9, 2003

Screw that! I can't speak for anyone else but I'm going to attempt to push the map more towards Middle-Earth than the real world.
posted by Ryvar at 3:20 AM on September 9, 2003

Oi, leave Australia alone! We're already pushed so close to India that I can smell the curry. But yeah, the lack of New Zealand is indicative of the "missing pacific", speen.
posted by Jimbob at 3:32 AM on September 9, 2003

that's neat... wish it allowed for a higher resolution, though. I added to part of what I think should end up resembling Greenland. It's neat to see the progression and watch the choice patterns the people pick.. its almost all focused in 2 main areas, everybody left the borders alone at fear of screwing it due to map constraints i think. cool, original idea.

this reminds me of the days of XFRisk somehow :)
posted by shadow45 at 4:42 AM on September 9, 2003

Apparently only those who use Microsoft technology can have an impact on the world, or even see it. Sinister.
posted by alms at 7:35 AM on September 9, 2003

Jimbob: The collaborative font project is here.

Also, the more Smaller Picture, with objects like "television" is here. Also, there's a minimalist map of the world.
posted by O9scar at 8:53 AM on September 9, 2003

Or a Map of the Human Heart ...
posted by feelinglistless at 10:11 AM on September 9, 2003

I decided to do my own version of the map in the same 32 x 69 pixel format. If the proportions are kept correct it should look something like this. I think the problem with the one forming there is that people are trying to smoosh everything so they can fit in the top parts of the globe. Also all the blue and green bits that keep popping up in the middle of the masses suggests that a small group of renegades are trying to design Middle-Earth instead.
posted by dgaicun at 1:03 PM on September 10, 2003

That's cool. I would like to move 50 armies to Yakutsk please!
posted by briank at 1:29 PM on September 10, 2003