It's been a tremendous season of activity, thanks to your support! We are making great strides and continuously discovering the limitless potential of the Open Green Map (OGM). Please preview our work in progress at OpenGreenMap.org, and explore the first 2000 sites and 30+ maps that have already been posted. There's lots more features to come before we celebrate the public launch in Spring 2009.
In the summer, we opened OGM to all Green Mapmakers around the world, so their maps could set a high standard for the thousands and thousands of sites we expect to follow. Already OGM is showcasing a vast array of sites, paths and resources charted by our network worldwide, soon to be enhanced by a great diversity of insights, images and impacts that have been added by the public. The first of the Chinese Open Green Maps is taking shape, and Google Map has recently improved street maps of Beijing and other Chinese cities. One we have secured the support to translate OGM's interface, we think it will become a very popular resource!
New features will be added throughout 2009-10 as OGM further expands its user base and magnifies its impact. Using widgets, each map will be accessible from many different websites and blogs. Users will be able to filter their view and discuss, share images and personal impacts related to each green site. In the coming months, OGM will support mobile phones access and data sharing, connecting with calendars, newsfeeds and potentially even offline exhibits or textbooks.
OGM has already been a Finalist in the NetSquared Challenge and in Tele Atlas' Maps in Apps competition, appeared in numerous articles and blogs, and presented in several countries and conferences.
Demand for this remarkable new tool is constantly increasing - and at the same time, OGM is building the demand for our traditional mapmaking resources in China and other places. Our network is expanding faster than ever! In October 2008, we reached the 500th project milestone, and we welcomed new project leaders from our 54th country!
In preparation for the significantly expanded audience generated by OGM, in May 2007, we re-launched GreenMap.org as a multilingual presentation-collaboration-tool center. This past spring, we completed an expansion of our award-winning global iconography, so OGM’s symbol set reflects our updated understandings of social justice, economic integrity and environmental vitality. This past summer, our in-house OGM team of staff and interns at Green Map System expanded to a dozen, and our network of OGM advisors and supporters grows weekly.
Our motto is “Never underestimate the power of a small donation.” Small ($10 and up) contributions helped Green Map System rank in the Top Ten of America’s Giving Challenge in January 2008 – thank you Global Givers! These funds seeded OGM's development, and helped us leverage ober 50% of the project's 2year budget. We are very happy to receive your assistance through this website. Or contact us directly if you wish to help us in other ways.
Thank you again for your continued assistance and encouragement. We hope you are as excited as we are to realize the brighter future of communities worldwide, thanks to the Open Green Map, our suite of adaptable resources, and the spirit of Green Mapmakers everywhere!
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