Google Maps

Our society is ever growing, and is ever expanding technologically.  It is important then, that all parts of our world are kept up to date with technology so that older less efficient practices can be removed.  To do this all citizens need to have access, be literate in the necessary skills, and be fluent enough.  This just means that they need to first be physically able to use the technology.  If you are reading this, you probably have access to a computer.  It also means that you are probably literate enough with a computer, meaning you can find this and understand what I am saying.  Finally everyone will need to be fluent, meaning they are adaptable, and can follow the changes in technology.  There are many different levels for these traits, but a base in all of these is important.

Specifically however, I want to discuss an issue that many of us don't think about: the mapping of the area around us.  For me, I have always lived in a relatively large town (at least a few thousand people), meaning that when maps started to go digital they were recorded early on.  Google maps is a program which displays maps on the internet with the advent of smart phones it is now possible to carry around an entire map of the world in your pocket.  This means no more large unsightly maps on long trips, not sure if the things you're looking for is on it or not.  At least that is what we would like to think.  In a lot of the less populated and less technologically advanced regions, the area may not be officially labeled in mapping programs.  In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the region in mostly wooded with towns every few miles.  Not all of these towns can be seen on the maps.  Fortunately it is possible to get directions to most of them still.  For example, a small community called Alberta, just south of Baraga is not labeled on Google Maps, although when asked to give directions, the program goes straight to the center of the village.

Cases like this are trivial, all that would need to happen is for someone to go into the map and write the name in there.  However a more serious issue exists.  Some shipping companies use digital maps.  When a person from Alberta, MI tried to order a package, the address was rejected.  This could potentially alienate users.  Similar to what Blackmon states in her piece "(Cyber) Conspiracy Theories", it is difficult for people to come into a technological community when their group is not well represented.  If someone new to the internet tried to order a package, they would probably decide it was not worth the hassle when their town wasn't available.  It is important that people who do gain access to the internet have the level of representation they need to complete their goal.  If they wanted to order something online, and now they cannot, they have no reason to use the internet anymore.

It is also important to realize that a large portion of the population are probably, as Palfrey and Gasser would say, are "digital immigrants" or "digital settlers", meaning they probably didn't grow up with technology.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of the population below 18 is lower than the average in Michigan and the U.S., and the percentage of the population above 65 is higher.  Palfrey and Gasser state that most "natives" are born after 1980, or in 2010 when the census was taken, were 30 years old.  When looking at Houghton County also, you need to realize that the population is not evenly distributed.  Most of the younger population is going to be within a couple miles of Houghton, where Michigan Tech is.  Meaning the rest of the county has a much higher average age.  Unfortunately, these are the regions that are more likely to be missing from a map.

What is interesting, is that some other companies that have produced a collection of maps, such as Microsoft, have some of the towns missing from Google Maps labeled.  If all the information was combined, then a universal collection of maps could be made that could hopefully include everyone. Then parcel carriers could use that to make sure that everyone who could order a package through them could have it delivered directly to them.

Obviously getting all of the upper peninsula connected to the internet requires more than for them to be on the list of valid addresses for shipping companies, but if that is there, it will give the residents a reason to want to use the internet.  One of the most important things regarding the use of the internet, is having access to it and the resources it provides.  Right now a large portion of the region, even if physically connected, does not have those resources.  In which case it does not matter if they know how order products to their home.

Works Cited

Blackmon, Samantha. "(Cyber) Conspiracy Theories." Labor, Writing Technologies, and the Shaping of Composition in the Academy (2007): n. pag. Print.

"Bing Maps - Driving Directions, Traffic and Road Conditions." Bing Maps - Driving Directions, Traffic and Road Conditions. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.bing.com/maps/>.

"Google Maps." Google Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://maps.google.ca/maps?ct=reset>.

"Houghton County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau." Houghton County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26/26061.html>.

Palfrey, and Gasser. "Born Digital." (n.d.): n. pag. Web.