Grasshoppermind

During one of my foray’s into the history of geotagging, I rediscovered this article by David Weinberger (of Cluetrain Manifesto fame). Many of the things that David was talking about back in January 2004 are becoming real. If you’re interested in all things “geo“, it’s well worth reading in full.

The GIS industry is now breaking out of its box. The technology, data representation, economics and security-driven needs for real-time geographic information are coming together. Businesses are becoming location-aware, making existing processes more efficient and enabling new processes and new relationships to emerge.

But something even bigger is happening.

Thanks to the constellation of technology that enables digital networks to be laid over the places of the earth, wherever we are we will be able to hear the human conversation that has occurred about that place – the history that occurred there, the aesthetics to be savored, the commerce transpiring at that very moment, recommendations offered by strangers and friends. The mute places of the earth are being given voice, and the voices are, of course, ours. Meanwhile, the places themselves are becoming digitally alive and are noting our presence, too.