The folks at viewAt.org have carved out an interesting mission for themselves: letting photographers around the world share their panoramas as interactive Flash creations. Citing the ubiquity of Flash over QuickTime, the site creators have devised a system whereby photogs can upload their panoramas, make them interactive (see instructions), and plot them on the Earth via Google Maps. Site co-creator
Bernard Custard Gascó writes:
This project is totally free for anyone who wishes to upload their
panoramas and has the advantage of offering your uploads in Flash, thanks to a system developed by Denis Chumakov. Besides this, you can promote
your own website integrated on Google Earth.Needless to say, you have complete control over your own work, and
obviously all rights are yours. By means of a simple code number, you can
insert the panoramas on your web page and authorize those which you allow
others to download.
Click around the map on the main page to view panos from all around the world. Very cool work, guys.
Folks interested in surfing the planet should also check out Confluence.org.
Otherwise known as the “Degree Confluence Project”, these folks are trying to collect photos from volunteer explorers, taken at most every spot on the planet where the longitude and latitude lines cross. Sometimes it’s a walk in the park…other places a harrowing trek in the jungle.
[Interesting; I’ll check it out. –Thx, J.]