During the aftermath of the 2005 destruction of Louisiana and Mississippi by Hurricane Katrina, someone on the list wondered if there were any MMLers directly affected. One thing led to another, and The Great MML Mapping Project was born.
Over 100 MML members have requested to be added to the map, viewable using
Google Earth, a satellite mapping tool freely available from Google. The software allows the user to project overlays and share map points with other users. The only requirements for being added to the map are current membership on the MML, and submission of your name, zip code and the name of your town to
Geoff Gariepy, the keeper of the map.
Update! New Frappr! Map!!
Technology marches on, and now there are TWO MML maps! If you don't have access to Google Earth, visit the MML Map on Frappr!'s website:
http://www.frappr.com/mml Thanks to Ken Mayer for starting up this effort!
Is this safe? Will everyone know where I live?
Participation is strictly voluntary, and members who wish to be removed from the map will have their requests honored. In this way, if you wish to remain anonymous, your right to do so is protected.
An effort is made to the obscure precise locations of MMLers who participate. The keeper of the map himself has placed his own marker approximately 1 mile from his house, in a densely populated urban area. You'll notice that most of the map points center on baseball fields, parks, parking lots, and other public spaces. Even when an MMLer submits a precise address, we politely decline to accurately pinpoint his location.
Please refrain from sharing this data with non-MMLers. If you would like your own map point relocated further from your location, just ask!
How do I use this file?
Simple! Download Google Earth from the address given above, and install it on your computer. Be forewarned, there are significant computing power and Internet connection speed
requirements, and as of this writing, the software is only available for Windows-compatible computers (although a Macintosh version is promised by Google).
Once you have successfully installed the software, download the .KMZ file from this web page, save it to your local hard drive, and then choose
File->Open from the Google Earth application to open the file. The MML Map points will then be superimposed on your screen.
When was this updated?
* Note: Google has revised their software as of January, 2006. You may need to download updated software to use the most current file.
Last update was
10-MAR-2006. Updates are performed whenever somebody requests that they be added to the map, and a note will be sent out on the MML informing everyone they can go download the file.
Download Location
Download the Google Earth file (24k)
Note: If you're using Internet Explorer, make sure to save the file with the extension'.kmz'.
MML Google Map in PDF format (27M)
This PDF version of the map is a poor substitute, but better than nothing if you're not on a system that can run Google Earth. This file has a thumbnail map for each member on the list. Here are a few additional overviews:
