Mapping together

In an interesting example of Web 2.0 and wiki approach to mapping, the NYT reports that Tom Tom (maker of GPS maps) is enabling users to correct mistakes to outdated GPS maps through MapShare and revise maps directly from their car GPS screens. 

It’s a neat example of people helping others informally and collectively with no immediate payback, other than the collectively improved GPS maps. Unfortunately, in this effort, users won’t know of the good deeds done by others, so it is not easy to capitalize on such ‘kindness of strangers’ to change people’s conception of social trust.  [The Blanche DuBoises of the world will get a better map, but won't know of the hundreds or thousands of kind acts that yielded this.]