Wednesday, December 26, 2012

2012 Top 10 Google Maps Mania Posts

During 2012 Google Maps Mania was visited over 2 million times. Today I had a little look at which were the most visited posts on Google Maps Mania this year.

The most popular post of the year featured a review of TwitterHeatmap's maps showing where in the U.S. people most Tweeted the words 'f##k you'. The biggest surprise for me was that four of the most popular posts featured maps of fictional worlds (both from fiction and from computer games). 

Here are the 5 most visited posts on Google Maps Mania this year (6-10 coming tomorrow):

No. 1: Where Do the Rudest Americans Live?


TwitterHeatmap has created a number of animated heat maps displaying the density of Tweets sent by Americans that include the phrases 'good morning' and 'f##k you'.

No. 2: Maps of SOPA & PIPA Supporting Senators


Spatial Situation created two maps to show congressional support (and opposition) for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Action Act (PIPA).

The Map of Congressional Support for PIPA shows which senators are known to support and which senators oppose PIPA. The Map of Congressional Support for SOPA shows known congressional supporters and opponents of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

No. 3: Skyrim Appears on Google Maps


The Skyrim Map is a Google Map of the fictional world in the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim video game.

No. 4: Middle Earth on Google Maps


This post actually featured four different Google Maps of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth:

Middle Earth Map
La Tierra Media
Lord of the Rings - Middle Earth
Interactive Map of Middle Earth   

No. 5: Tour the White House with Street View


The Blue Room

This year Google Maps released Street View imagery for the White House. So now in Google Maps you can take a virtual interactive tour of the official residence of the President of the United States. The Google Maps Mania post includes links to each room on the State Floor and the Ground Floor.