ZoomAtlas Launches Wiki-mapping Site; Connects Individuals with People, Places
from Past
"Interactive maps meet social networking" to create a geo-social networking
site for consumers, says founder Mark Sherman
BOSTON, Nov. 16/PRNewswire/ -- ZoomAtlas announced today the launch of its
free, photo-realistic wiki-mapping site, www.zoomatlas.com. The site combines
the technology of interactive maps with the social networking of Facebook for
users to post notes, stories and insights to reconnect its users with friends,
family and places from their past.
The ZoomAtlas geo-social networking site is the largest, most detailed,
lifelike map of the United States that blends satellite imagery with
capabilities for users to personally update properties. Through
site-customization tools users can update map details including roads,
railroads, waterways, sidewalks and property lines to miniscule landscaping
details like grass, flowers and bricks on residences, restaurants, schools,
parks, workplaces and more. Beyond updating location-specific aesthetics and
details from the past, the map enables users to post information and notes for
family and friends at important locations in their collective lives.
"Facebook is a great tool to find and connect with people using the site, but
what about those who aren't on Facebook, or what about connecting with the
places, not just the people, from your past?" asks Mark Sherman, founder and
CEO of ZoomAtlas. "Our beta testing found users want more than to simply
connect with people, they also want to share their experiences,
recommendations and expertise about the places they know the best. ZoomAtlas
creates a geo-social networking experience that takes social networking to the
next level through an interactive map that is friendlier, social and more
informative - interactive map meets Facebook as a place for people to
reconnect with their past by mapping their lives."
Users' ability to find old friends and family is dependent on the quantity and
details of the information they post to the site.
"ZoomAtlas makes all notes and details logged available to the top search
engines so that any search for any combination of the information entered is
likely to result in a successful hit to reconnect - even when an individual
being sought is not a user of the site," said Sherman.
Individuals are encouraged to post as much detail as possible about a place or
memory to increase their chances of reconnecting with people from the past.
They can also map their lives using the LifePath feature which creates a
visual timeline of the places they have been and lived. The timeline can then
be posted on Facebook to share with friends.
Anyone can use all site features anonymously, including searching, editing
articles, and uploading pictures. Users may even use the detailed editing
tools to edit map features. To post notes, individuals must create a profile
or link to their Facebook profile.
The ZoomAtlas database currently contains 140 million places in the U.S. Users
can search for any business or residence by address or business name, as well
as search for a street, block, railroad track, neighborhood, city, town, zip
code, county, state, airport, park, mall, sports complex, cemetery, house of
worship, school, hospital, military installation, or geographic feature. The
database will continue to expand over time as users add places and map their
lives.
About ZoomAtlas
ZoomAtlas, founded by Mark Sherman in 2009, is a free, photo-realistic map
that enables individuals to reconnect with friends, family and places from
their past while leaving tips, stories and recommendations. Sherman is
responsible for the strategic and technical direction of the company. In his
25 years of technology experience, Sherman has designed applications ranging
from computer graphics systems to trading systems for financial firms. In
1996, he co-founded Microsurf, Inc., a comprehensive network of consumer Web
sites focused on relocation and other home services, which later was sold to
Monster Worldwide. The technical advisory board is headed by Ward Cunningham,
the Chief Technology Officer of AboutUs.org. Cunningham is well known for his
contributions to the developing practice of object-oriented programming; the
variation called Extreme Programming, and is the creator of the world's first
wiki.
SOURCE ZoomAtlas
Kristen Stippich, Airfoil Public Relations for ZoomAtlas, +1-248-304-1419,
stippich@airfoilpr.com
