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Frequently Asked Questions
MAKING MAPS
How do I make a map?
Log in and click on the "MapMaker" link at the top of any page.
This will take you to the map creator tool. Fill in the blanks in the map set up and then start adding Places to it.
You can choose to have your map open so others can add to it or closed so you control what is seen on it. A closed map is not private. All of the maps can be seen by anyone.
You can add hundreds of places from Platial, Yahoo Local, and Flickr instantly with the slider tool. Give it a whirl.
If you go into the advanced map set up, you can upload a map icon and create categories for your Places.
You can add places one at a time to your own maps or other people's open maps. You can only add Places by bulk uploading a csv file to your own maps.
Once your map is built, you can put it on your own site by clicking on the Publish tool and getting the code snippet you need.
Get inspiration from our members' newest maps.How do I add a Place to a map?
You may only add to maps which belong to you or to maps which are open.
You must be logged in.
using the add a marker tool
- Click on the Add Places tool in the upper left corner of the map.
- If the map belongs to you, you can add Places one at a time or by uploading a csv file of up to 5,000 Places.
- If the map is an open map belonging to another Platial member, you can only add Places to it one at a time.
- You can add a place by address, you can look up a business or other place by name, or you can search for specific kinds of places (coffee shop in San Francisco, for example).
using the bubble
You can add places by using the tool in the upper left corner of the map, or you can use the add Places bubble on the map.
To use the add places bubble, either drag the marker to the exact location you want on the map and give it a title, or put the title and location into the bubble and send it off to find the right spot. In the bubble you can also add a place by address, look up a business or other place by name, or search for specific kinds of places (coffee shop in San Francisco, for example).How do I add an existing Place to a map?
- Find the Place you want to add and click on its title to open the detail.
- Click on the "Maps" tool at the top of the form.
- A list will appear of all of the maps that you have created.
- Click on the check box next to the title of the map(s) you want, then click "save."How do I remove a Place from a map?
- Find the Place you want to add and click on its title to open the detail.
- Click on the "Maps" tool at the top of the form. - A list will appear of all of the maps that you have created.
- Click to uncheck the box next to the title of the map(s) you want the place removed from, then click "save."Why do some maps have the word "open" next to their titles?
When you create a new map you decide, "who can add Places to this map." If you select "Any Platial member," your map will have the word "open" next to its title so that everyone will know that they can add their own Places to it.
If you choose "Only you," then you have created a closed map and no other Platial member will be able to add Places to it.How do I delete a map?
- Log in and go to your map.
- Click on "Settings" above the map.
- Click on "Map Extras" and scroll down.
- Click on "Delete this Map" at the bottom of the map editing panel.
What is a map? Isn't everything on Platial a map?
Every map is made of Places, but not every Place has to belong to a map.
If you want a Place or Post to show up on a map you must add it specifically to the map. Places which do not belong to collections on maps will still show up when people search the site and on your Places page.
PUTTING MAPS ON WEBSITES
What kinds of maps can I put on my own site?
You can put maps on your websites using either the javascript version of our maps, or the flash version, depending on which kind of map your website will allow.
Can I put a map on my wiki?
We have not extensively tested all wiki services, but we do know that you can use MapKit on PBwiki if you enable javascript. PBwiki is a very easy-to-use free wiki service.
Can I post a Mapkit in my forum?
Many forums allow you to put the flash version of the map in posts. To get the flash version of the map, be sure to click on the flash logo after you click on Publish.
Can I customize the look of the map on my site?
You can't do much to customize the look of the map at this time. We had some issues with google api keys and had to enclose the maps in iframes, which means that the look of the maps is locked down. We really want to build in tools for designers to be able to use their own css in maps, but we haven't yet had time to do it.
Can I put someone else's map on my website?
Yes. You can publish any Platial map. Click on Publish above the map and copy the code there.
How do I put MapKit on my site?
Go to Your map and click on the Publish tool. If you are putting it on one of the sites listed there, click on the logo of the site you use. If you want a javascript widget, click on "Your Website." If you want a flash widget, click on the flash logo. Just follow the easy steps and fill in all the blanks to get your MapKit code. Then you can copy and paste the code block into your site or use the easy install tools we have for some of our partners.
How can I remove a map from my site?
All you have to do is delete the code block you added.
MAPKIT
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WordPress.com members
If your map is missing, let us know, we are working on the fix right now!
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What is/was MapKit?
Until recently, we had a special term for maps that were published on other websites. "MapKit" was this special kind of map, essentially a widgetized version of a Platial map. Today we have a unified platform that allows any map to be published on any website. We think it'll be simpler for everyone if all maps are just called Maps.
The Platial directory of Maps includes a few areas to check out:
- First is the general list of all the most recently modified Maps.
- Each Platial member also has a page listing their own Maps, (eg: Tracy's Maps).
- If you want to search for something specific, you can use the Map Search page.
- We also have the winners from past Platial Map Awards listed by category.
Does a Platial Map work on...MySpace, TypePad, Blogger, WordPress, my website?
Platial's Mapkit can be easily installed on a WordPress blog's side bar from the the WordPress widget gallery. We also have an integrated auto-install for TypePad bloggers' side bars. You can put a Map in a Blogger side bar or page footer. Each of these blogging platforms has its own section in this faq. Map now also works on Vox. You can put it into a post using the embed form. The flash version of a Platial Map can be used on sites like MySpace, Friendster, and other sites that don't allow javascript.
Platial Maps do not work on the following sites:
Yahoo 360
Live Journal
Windows Live Spaces
If you use one of these sites and want to use Platial Maps, send them a feedback email. They may not know that their users want maps on their blogs.Will I see ads on my Map?
Yes, but the ads will not obscure the map or cover up your data. We will serve google ads on relevant Places by tag and geography. Some maps may display a few Sponsored Places, clearly marked as ads in the side bar and indicated by a special marker.
Can I moderate comments added from my blog before they show up on my Map?
Yes, but moderation is going through some bugs right now. We will be completely rebuilding this soon. When you set up your MapKit, you can choose this option in the settings. You can also change the settings at any time. On your homepage, we will let you know when you have places or comments to review.
How do I approve comments and Places added to my MapKit?
In the drop-down menu under "Your" choose "Maps."
You will know that you have pending comments or Places waiting for approval when you see the word "pending" in red under your map title. Click on that to go to the page where you can approve or reject the additions to your map.Got Badges?
Promote your map around your site, or around the web with a Platial Badge Don't forget to edit "YOUR URL HERE". For example, "http://your-url.com/map.html"
WORDPRESS
How do I put a map on my Wordpress blog?
The easiest way is to start from WordPress.
- Go into "Presentation" tab and then click on "Sidebar widgets."
- Drag the platial MapKit widget into your side bar.
- Click on the little button that is one the thing you just dragged. That's the configuration button. The link to Platial's WordPress integration is in there.
- Just fill in the blanks and follow the instructions on screen.
It is not possible yet to put an existing Platial map on a Wordpress blog. You have to start from the WordPress widget gallery. We will work with the WordPress team to make this possible as quickly as we can.Why do I have to register at Platial?
Platial is a lot more than just a widget! You might want to use Platial to manage the Places that get added to your map. You can choose to keep Places and comments from appearing on your map until after you've approved them.
You control the information that gets added to your map from your site. While your're at platial taking care of your business, have a look around. There are a lot of great people and great maps here.Will my map be on Platial?
Yes, and you can choose whether other people can add to your map or not.
My map didn't show up on my WordPress Blog! Help!
Don't panic!
The widget is fresh and new so we're working out the kinks, still. In my testing I've found that sometimes if you put the MapKit widget at the top of the sidebar it works better. If you need extra help, send us a note and we'll get right back to you.MapKit broke my Flickr widget on my WordPress blog!
Bad MapKit, bad! This happens on only a couple WordPress themes and we are trying to fix it as quickly as possible. Sometimes it works to put the MapKit above the Flickr widget, or, if you have more than one side bar, in a different side bar than the Flickr widget.
How do I manage my map?
You will be able to change your publishing settings, add places using our great tools, and approve comments and places which have been added from your blog all from the comfort of your Platial homepage. Look for the shortcut links under the map title.
After I change my publishing settings, do I have to reinstall the map on my blog?
Nope. All your changes will appear on your map on your blog without any extra effort on your part.
TYPEPAD
How do I get a map onto my TypePad side bar?
After you get your map all set up, you click on "add this to your site." or click on the publish link under the map title on your homepage. You'll land on the publishing options page. Click on the Typepad logo and follow the instructions and we'll send your map code over to your blog for you.
How do I put the map on a new TypePad page?
If you have a pro account, you can create a new index page just for your map, and link to it from your main page.
- Start out on your Typepad dashboard
- Click on the "design" tab.
- Next click "Manage Your designs".
- Check the box next to your current design and click "Convert to Advanced".
- Approve the change and then click on "Apply Design"
- Open the main index template and copy the whole html from it.
- Go back to the previous page and click on "create new index template"
- Give the template a name and a file name ending in .htm and then just copy the html from the main index right in there.
- remove the line that has "entry" in it. After you get your MapKit code you'll plug it into that spot.Why do I have to register at Platial?
Platial is a lot more than just a widget! You might want to use Platial to manage the Places that get added to your map. You can choose to keep Places and comments from appearing on your map until after you've approved them.
You control the information that gets added to your map from your site. While your're at platial taking care of your business, have a look around. There are a lot of great people and great maps here.Will my map be on Platial?
Yes, and you can choose whether other people can add to your map or not.
I installed MapKit but now it's not showing up. What now?
Send us a note and the good customer service fairy will come to the rescue. Please include your contact info and the url of your site in your feedback email.
How do I manage my map?
You will be able to change your publishing settings, add places using our great tools, and approve comments and places which have been added from your blog all from the comfort of your Platial homepage. Look for the shortcut links under the map title.
After I change my publishing settings, do I have to reinstall the map on my blog?
Nope. All your changes will appear on your map on your blog without any extra effort on your part.
BLOGGER
How do I get a map onto my Blogger side bar?
After you get your map all set up, you click on "add this to your site." or click on the publish link under the map title on your homepage. You'll land on the publishing options page. Click on the Blogger logo, follow the instructions, and we'll send your map code over to your blog for you.
Why do I have to register at Platial?
Platial is a lot more than just a widget! You might want to use Platial to manage the Places that get added to your map. You can choose to keep Places and comments from appearing on your map until after you've approved them.
You control the information that gets added to your map from your site. While your're at platial taking care of your business, have a look around. There are a lot of great people and great maps here.Will my map be on Platial?
Yes, and you can choose whether other people can add to your map or not.
I installed MapKit but now it's not showing up. What now?
Let us know that you need help and we'll come to the rescue. Please include your contact info and the url of your site in your feedback email.
How do I manage my map?
You will be able to change your publishing settings, add places using our great tools, and approve comments and places which have been added from your blog all from the comfort of your Platial homepage. Look for the shortcut links under the map title.
After I change my publishing settings, do I have to reinstall the map on my blog?
Nope. All your changes will appear on your map on your blog without any extra effort on your part.
VOX
How do I put a map on my Vox blog
You can put a flash or a javascript in a Vox post. You just click on the embed link and paste your code in there. If you want to use a javascript map, be sure when you put in the url the map will live on you use the url that is structured like this: "yourvoxusername.vox.com"
Why do I have to register at Platial?
Platial is a lot more than just a widget! You might want to use Platial to manage the Places that get added to your map. You can choose to keep Places and comments from appearing on your map until after you've approved them.
You control the information that gets added to your map from your site. While your're at platial taking care of your business, have a look around. There are a lot of great people and great maps here.Will my map be on Platial?
Yes, and you can choose whether the map will be open to contributions from others or not.
I installed MapKit but now it's not showing up. What now?
Let us know that you need help and we'll come to the rescue. Please include your contact info and the url of your site in your feedback email.
How do I put a map on my MySpace page?
After you create your map, click on the publish button above the map. You will need to choose the flash version of the map, so click on the flash logo.
You have a couple settings to choose before clicking on the Preview Map button. The code you need to copy into your profile is on the preview page. You can change the size attributes however you want.Can people add Places to my map from my MySpace page?
Not yet. The flash version of MapKit, which is the one that works on Friendster, does not yet allow people to add Places from another website. The add Places button will take people to Platial, where they will have to register to be able to add Places. Look for the ability to add Places from MySpace in a coming version of the flash MapKit.
Why do I have to register at Platial?
Platial is a lot more than just a widget! You will use the tool on Platial to add Places to your map and other people might add Places to your map on Platial if you make your map open to others.
While your're at platial taking care of your business, have a look around. There are a lot of great people and great maps here.Will my map be on Platial?
Yes, and you can choose whether Platial members can add to your map or not.
I installed the MapKit but now it's not showing up. What now?
Let us know that you need help and we'll come to the rescue. Please include your contact info and the url of your MySpace home page in your feedback email.
How do I put a map on my Friendster page?
After you get your map all set up, you click on "add this to your site." or click on the publish link under the map title on your homepage. Choose the Friendster logo. Follow the directions and we'll send the map directly into your media box, like magic! It works best if you are logged on to Friendster first.
Can people add Places to my map from my Friendster page?
Not yet. The flash version of MapKit, which is the one that works on Friendster, does not yet allow people to add Places from another website. The add Places button will take people to Platial, where they will have to register to be able to add Places. Look for the ability to add Places from Friendster in a coming version of the flash MapKit.
Why do I have to register at Platial?
Platial is a lot more than just a widget! You will use the tool on Platial to add Places to your map and other people might add Places to your map on Platial if you make your map open to others.
While your're at platial taking care of your business, have a look around. There are a lot of great people and great maps here.Will my map be on Platial?
Yes, and you can choose whether Platial members can add to your map or not.
I installed the MapKit but now it's not showing up. What now?
Let us know that you need help and we'll come to the rescue. Please include your contact info and the url of your Friendster home page in your feedback email.
How do I control what gets added to my map?
On Platial, when you set up your map, you decide whether or not you want to let other Platial members add to the map or not. You can change this setting any time.
You can always remove any Place from the maps you started.How do I approve Places and comments coming in from the MapKit on my own site?
Hover over the word "Your" in the top navigation bar. Scroll down and click on MapKits. This page will tell you whether you have comments and Places to approve or not.
How do I add a Place?
using the add a marker tool
- Click on the Add Places tool in the upper left corner of the map.
- If the map belongs to you, you can add Places one at a time or by uploading a csv file of up to 5,000 Places.
- If the map is an open map belonging to another Platial member, you can only add Places to it one at a time.
- You can add a place by address, you can look up a business or other place by name, or you can search for specific kinds of places (coffee shop in San Francisco, for example).
using the bubble
You can add places by using the tool in the upper left corner of the map, or you can use the add Places bubble on the map.
To use the add places bubble, either drag the marker to the exact location you want on the map and give it a title, or put the title and location into the bubble and send it off to find the right spot. In the bubble you can also add a place by address, look up a business or other place by name, or search for specific kinds of places (coffee shop in San Francisco, for example).
How do I add an existing Place to a map?
- Find the Place you want to add and click on its title to open the detail.
- Click on the "Maps" tool at the top of the form.
- A list will appear of all of the maps that you have created.
- Click on the check box next to the title of the map(s) you want, then click "save."I just added a Place and I can't find it again.
The most surefire way to find a place that you just added is to go to your homepage. Your recent Places and Posts will be here waiting for you to share!
You can find all of your Places and Posts by clicking on "see more" on your homepage or by going to your Places from the hover menu under the "Your Homepage" link.Can I add Places by latitude and longitude?
Of course. All you have to do is enter the latitude and longitude in decimal degrees, separated by a comma, like so: 45.525, -122.681.
What are the Places added by "Geobot"?
Geobot is a catch-all user who collects Places you find searching Verizon, Yahoo! Local and various pre-added Places. This is often unverified and sometimes commercial data.
How do I change the title of a Place?
Click on the title of the place you want to edit in the side bar of your map and then click on the edit tool at the top of the information tray. You will now be able to change the title of your Place.
How do I send someone to a Platial Place or link to it from my website?
You can link either to the Place open in the map you are looking at, or to just that Place alone, without the map.
If you want to send a link to that Place open in the map, just open the Place and then copy the url from your browser's address bar.
If you want to link only to that Place, click on the "Permalink" tool to make the url of the Place alone appear in your browser's address bar. Just copy that url to link to it from your website. You can also send an email with the Post's url in it by clicking on the "email" icon.Can I move a marker if I made a mistake?
Not yet. If you have made a mistake, you can delete a Place and start over.
How do I delete a Place?
- Click on the title of the Place to make the details about it appear.
- You will see the delete button in the tool bar.
- Click on delete and then choose yes in the alert box.
How do I add Places from a csv file?
You have to be logged in to do it and you can only bulk upload to your own maps. First, click on the Add a Marker tool above the map on the left.
Upload your csv file by searching on your computer for it.
You can download an example csv file to use as a template. You might want to read the next section about creating your csv file, too.
When your csv file is done processing, we'll email you the url of a page where you can go and check out your new Places. You have to approve your upload to make the new stuff visible to the rest of the world. You can see how the Posts look by clicking on them in the side bar, just like a regular map. You can click on the accept button on the approval page or in the bulk section of your homepage. If you don't like how the Posts look, you can delete the file and start over.
IMPORTANT: You have ten days to approve your upload, after which the unapproved file is deleted automatically.How do I format my csv file for the bulk uploader?
Here's a handy dandy template file to download. You will need a separate csv file for each map that you want to create. You can only upload files of 2mb or less and are limited to 5,000 Places per file. One easy way to create a csv file is to make an excel document which you will save in csv format.
Your excel document must use the following column headers:
title, address, city, state, postalcode, country, url, description, via, tags, image, lat, long
Don't panic! Not all of these categories need to be filled in! You only need to include columns for the categories you are using. The more information you give, the more interesting your Posts will be.
Here are some examples of what your excel file header row might look like.
The bare minimum needed is a title and an address or lat/long.
Here is an explanation of all of the different categories for your file:
title
This is the name of your Place.
address
Only Places which can be recognized by the geocoder can be uploaded automatically. We cannot accept many foreign addresses, PO boxes, or rural routes. Basically, anything that works to add a Place individually on the site also works with the bulk upload tool.
Some examples of correct addresses:
56 Waterhouse St
1201 15th Ave
653 Houston St
Some examples of addresses which will not work:
East Campus Building (no building names)
56-60 West 23rd St (no multiple-number addresses--just choose one)
RR 4 (no rural routes)
Kenmore Square (you must be more precise--no squares or places)
city
state
postalcode
country
Combinations which work:
address + city + state + postalcode
address + city + state
address + city + postalcode
address + postalcode
city+state
postalcode
lat
long
You may leave the address field blank if you know the latitude and longitude of the Place. Latitude and longitude must be entered in decimal degrees.
url
This is the url of the Place's website if it has one. If the Place does not have a website, leave this blank.
description
You can write anything you want for your description. It can be anything from a one-line remark to a long, involved, personal story, to a restaurant review. You can use most kinds of html in your descriptions. You can add your videos from youtube or vimeo in the descriptions. If you do try some fancy stuff, it is a good idea to create a test place to try out your code on the site before going ahead with the bulk upload.
via
This is where you put the url of your own website, or the website where the information for the place came from. This url will show up on the Place detail next to the word, "Via."
tags
When tagging a Place, think of these simple questions:
Who would go there? tags: kids, parents, hipsters, locals
Is it in a specific neighborhood? tags: greenpoint, pearl, Davis Square
What can you get there? tags: nonfiction, donuts, jewelry, yarn
What is it? tags: indie bookstore, cafe, bike shop, coolest record store in town
What do you do there? tags: read, browse, eat, get yarn, study, hang out
What is special about it? tags: local art, nice bathroom, free wifi
image
You may only upload one picture per entry.
For now the only way to add an image in bulk upload is by using an image url. In order to do this, you will have to have your images online somewhere, either in a photo album or on your website.
Just follow these steps:
- Find the image online that you want to use.
- Place your pointer over the image.
- Right click if you use a PC or control + click if you use a mac.
- Look for "copy image location," or "copy image address." Click on that.
- Now you have the image url. You can paste it into the image section of your file.Why didn't all of my places from my csv file work?
There are a few reasons a Place might not land on the map. There might be a typo in the address, or it may be that our geocoders just couldn't find it. We'll send you a csv file containing all of the Places that didn't make it onto the site so that you can have a look at the errors and make corrections. This file is also downloadable from the bulk uploads section of your homepage for 30 days.
How does the slider work?
To use the slider, you have to choose it in your map set up. You can add or remove it at any time by editing your map details.
You enter a keyword to tell the slider what tags to search for and the slider goes out and fetches Places from Platial, Yahoo! Local, and Flickr (more sources coming soon). Each source has its own color marker on the map. Slide the bar under the map over to the right to get some places from Platial. Slide it more to see what Yahoo! Local has. Go all the way to the end to see pictures from Flickr.
What kind of keywords can I use?
Whatever floats your boat, my friend!
Experiment. Have fun. You can change the keyword as often as you want.Where do the slider Places come from?
The first wave of Places come from Platial's great stock of user-contributed Places. Next come business listings from Yahoo! Local, and lastly we pull in pictures from Flickr.
Will the slider work on the map I have on my blog?
Yes. It will work exactly the same way it works on Platial.
How do I add pictures?
While looking at any Post you can click "Add images."
You will be prompted to choose where your pictures are going to come from, then you just follow the instructions.
When you add a picture, it will appear on the Post detail page. When you have finished adding your pictures, just click on the word "close" in the dark blue box.
You can add images from 3 sources: your computer, the web and Flickr.com.
* Your Computer: Add .jpeg, .gif or .png files from your computer by uploading files of 500k or less. Hit the "browse" button and choose pictures directly from your own hard drive.
* The Web: You can add images from other web sites by copying and pasting the image url after clicking on "The Web."
* Flickr: Search Flickr for public images by entering a tag or keyword into the search box. Click on the thumbnails of the images you wish to add to this Place and they will appear in the Place detail below.How do I add images from the web? What's an image url?
You can use pictures from your online photo albums or from other websites using image urls.
- Find the image that you want to use.
- Place your pointer over the image.
- PC users: Right click. Look for "copy image location," or "copy image address."
- Mac users: control + click. Look for "copy image location," or "copy image address."
- Click on that. This will give you a link which you can paste into the box which appears after selecting "the web" from the add images tool.Is it ok to use other people's pictures from Flickr?
Platial users can search only within Creative Commons licensed images in our Flickr.com image search. This insures that the images posted on Platial are being distributed with the approval of the authors of the images.
You can learn more about Flickr's Creative Commons licensing and Creative Commons licensing in general.When I look for the same tag on Flickr I get more results, why?
you will not see every image from Flickr tagged with the keyword you have searched for because some Flickr users have chosen not to share their work.
Platial users can search only within Creative Commons licensed images in our Flickr.com image search. This insures that the images posted on Platial are being distributed with the approval of the authors of the images.How do I delete a picture?
You can delete pictures from the Places you have added.
- Click on the title of the place in the map side bar to bring up the details.
- Click on the edit tool.
- Each image will have a delete link under it. Click to remove the image.
How can I put videos in the descriptions of my Posts and Maps?
If you have your videos on a server somewhere, you can use embed tags to put your videos right into your Posts. An embed tag looks like this
If you do not have a server where you keep your videos, you will have to upload your videos from your camera or telephone onto your favorite video sharing site before you can put them on Platial. There are a lot of services out there and many of them are free. Some of the most popular options are discussed in this article.
You can also find other people's videos to add to your maps on video sharing sites. Do not use copyrighted material.
Most sites serve up the html for their own video player on the same page where the video plays. Look for the word EMBED. Just select that code, copy it, paste it into the description box of your Post, and the video will show up.
Two of the most commonly-used free services you can use for putting your videos on Posts are YouTube and Vimeo. You will need to register with those sites to use them.
Here are a couple Posts with videos, to give you some ideas:
Cedar Street park
Tsvi & Lola ov Gallery 683How do you embed a webcam image?
There are a few maps out there using webcam images. My favorite of these is I Wish I Was in Hawaii by Us3rname. This same person has also got a couple beach cam maps started, like this one of Florida.
So, how does Us3rname do it?
- Take your mouse pointer and hover over the webcam image.
- Right click if you use a PC or apple click if you use a mac.
- Choose "copy image location."
- Go to your Place description and type in
That's it!
Ask permission first. Usually if you have a good map project, you will get permission. Some webcam owners do not take very kindly to having their images used elsewhere. It costs them bandwidth. If you don't get permission first, you might end up losing your picture. Remember also to be polite and link back to the camera's home site.
You can only use old-fashioned webcams. Anything using java to stream or do fancy camera maneuvering is not going to work. If you get a glimpse of a little steaming coffee cup logo you know not to bother trying.
How can my band put some of our songs on our tour map?
If you have some music on your own music server, you can just embed your songs right on Place descriptions or even in the map description, using the followiung code:
What should I put as my home base?
Normally, people enter the name of the city where they currently live as home base.
What if I don't want anyone to know where I'm from? Can I hid my home base?
You can leave the home base box blank so that nothing will show on your home page.
How do I change my user icon?
- Click on "Your Account" in the drop down menu under "Your Homepage."
- The first thing you will see under your current user icon is "upload a new buddy icon."
- Use the "browse" button to choose an image from your computer.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "Update."What are buddies?
You can mark other Platial members as buddies as a way to easily find them again. These can be people you already know, people whose Places you find interesting, people who live in a city you're going to visit, or people who grew up in your neighborhood.How do I send another Platial member a message?
You can get to another person's profile page by clicking on his or her username or by typing the username into the url like in this example: http://www.platial.com/kevans
If that person allows contact emails from Platial and you are logged in, you will see a "contact" link next to the person's user icon. This will open up a message box. The person you write to will never be shown your email address. The message contains a link to a page on Platial to use for writing back to you.What if I don't have a website or want to link to more than one website?
If you don't have a website or blog, you can just leave that box empty.
You can't link to more than website at this time. We'll be rolling out some improvements to the user homepage soon which will allow you to say more about yourself.I think I found a bug on your site.
Let's squash it! Send us a bug report. If you can, please tell us the url of the page where the bug happened, which browser you use, and what you were doing just before the bug scurried it's hairy-legged self out of the woodwork. We immensely appreciate that you care enough to take the time to report bugs you find.
Why didn't all of my places from my csv file work?
There are a few reasons a Place might not land on the map. There might be a typo in the address, or it may be that our geocoders just couldn't find it. We'll send you a csv file containing all of the Places that didn't make it onto the site so that you can have a look at the errors and make corrections. This file is also downloadable from the bulk uploads section of your homepage for 30 days.
My map didn't show up on my WordPress Blog! Help!
Don't panic! The widget is fresh and new so we're working out the kinks, still. In my testing I've found that sometimes if you put the MapKit widget at the top of the sidebar it works better.
You cannot put an existing map onto a WordPress blog at this time. You have to start from the WordPress widget gallery. We'll work with the team at WordPress to get this remedied as quickly as we can.MapKit broke my Flickr widget on my WordPress blog!
Bad MapKit, bad! This happens on only a couple WordPress themes and we are trying to fix it. Sometimes it works to put the MapKit above the Flickr widget, or, if you have more than one side bar, in a different side bar than the Flickr widget.
Why doesn't my country seem to have any map for it? (countries without street maps)
Platial relies on map data from third parties like Google, who are adding worldwide coverage all the time. Whatever they have, we have, and they're working hard to represent the world. Many parts of the world have satellite images, but not street maps. For these spots, switch to satellite using the tool on the top right of the map. Some parts of the world have maps but no high resolution satellite images. For these Places switch to a map view.
If you search for cities in the "where" search box, they will usually show up.
You might contact some of the other Platial members who have already tagged your part of the world to ask them for advice, too. Just click on the name of the person who added the Place, and then click on "contact" on their profile page to send that person an email.I have a not very frequently asked question. Who can help me?
Send us a note and the good customer service fairy will get right back to you.
Put your Placeroll in your blog side bar
- Hover over the word "Your" in the top left of the page.
- Click on "Placeroll".
- Just copy the code that's waiting for you there and paste it into your blog side bar or wherever you want it.Where can I use html and what tags are allowed?
You can use some html in map descriptions and in the description box of your Posts. You cannot use html in comments, but if you add a link to a comment, it will automatically link to the site you are trying to send people to.
Tables do not work. Style tags do not work. The following tags are not allowed:
applet
base
basefont
bgsound
blink
body
frame
frameset
head
html
ilayer
iframe
layer
link
meta
style
title
scriptCan my maps and Posts be kept private or are they visible to everyone on Platial?
All of the Places, Posts, and maps on Platial are public at this time. Every Platial member can see all Places, Posts, and maps. Platial members may add any Place on the site to their own maps.
You take your Places off of any maps to which they have been added.How do I search just in my home town, or in another part of the world?
To see the most popular Places for a city, just enter a city name at home or around the world in the Nearby search box at the top of the page. You can even enter an address here and find things near where you live!
Refine your search by adding a word to the What box like kids, donuts or art.Can Platial support foreign characters?
Yes. You can post in any language and search in foreign languages too. The only spot where we don't allow any special characters is in tags.
Adding Places using foreign addresses works much of the time, but not always.What are tags?
A tag is used like a simple category or keyword.
With tags you can categorize your places any way you want and others can search based on tags as well. You can tag someone else's Place with your own keyword to help you find it again later or just because you think that some important keyword or phrase is missing.
A group of people who want to share information can choose a code-word tag to help them easily find each other's Places.What does "flag" mean?
Click on "flag" if you find something on the site which is offensive or inaccurate. We will review the flagged Post and decide what course of action to take, if any.
What browsers are supported?
Platial's favorite browser is Firefox. We highly recommend downloading a free copy of Firefox for the best Platial experience possible.
Our officially supported browsers are: IE 6.0+ (download: Windows) and Firefox 0.8+ (download: Windows Mac Linux).
Platial also works on Safari, Netscape, Mozilla, and Opera.
Platial uses Javascript liberally throughout its interface. Without a modern browser, your use of the site may be significantly limited. Platial also makes use of Google Maps, which may place additional browser requirements on you. If your browser doesn't work, you may wish to try a different one, you can also drop us a line if you are having trouble.What is your blog about?
The Platial blog is called Platial News and Neogeography It gives information about the site and our new features and releases. We talk about trends on the site and show off maps; and Posts; we love. We discuss anything we find interesting about locative technologies, neogeography, cartography, or psychogeography.
How do you Pronounce the website's name, and what does it mean?
The word Platial is a cross between "Place" and "spatial." It rhymes with "spatial."
Make your MapKit fill the full width of your side bar
WORDPRESS, TYPEPAD, BLOGGER
After you have installed your mapkit, log in to Platial and go to your Maps page.
- Click on the "Publish" link under your map title.
- In the MapKit settings, choose the size option "100%."
- click on the "Preview Map" button.
- DO NOT try to reinstall the widget code. The changes are made automatically.
Now the widget will expand to fill the side bar automatically.
OTHER SITES
When you get your widget code, choose the size option "100%." The map will expand to fill the div you put it in. If the div is narrow, the map will display in the side bar style automatically.Organize your maps into separate tabs.
Platial User Pauric O'Callaghan built a great set of tabbed maps for Makezine shortly after we launched the alpha version of MapKit. We love it!
Pauric wrote a great little Instructable, to show you how to it, too. Check it out.Try the Minimapper Flock extension.
Tony Farndon built a fantastic Minimapper Flock Etension. If any Flock users have been using this lately, we'd love to know how it's working for you. Drop us a line.
After installing Minimapper, turn it on:
You'll see this appear at the top of your window:
I'd recommend putting the little icon into your flock toolbar for quick on/off access:
When you find an address anywhere online and you'd like to save it for a little while, just highlight the address and drag it to the minimapper box that says, "Drop Address or Link".
and you'll see this:
(the title is generated from the page title you are dragging from, so it could be off.)
click on that title, and the map will zoom in to street level.
When you are ready to do something with that address, right click or control click the title to see the contextual menu.
The Platial options include:
See what Platial members may be saying about the Place (and if it doesn't exist yet, will invite you to be the first)
Add it to your own list of saved Places (this works smoothest if you let Platial keep you logged in)
Minimapper is a great tool that acts like a 'staging area' for Places that you may want use. It's also a fun, slim, easy tool built into a similar browser.Use the Platial Channel in Loki's Toolbar
Go to the Loki Channel Gallery and scroll down to find the Platial Install
Mostly a laptop tool, the Loki toolbar can locate you based on wifi id, then, with the Platial channel installed, can hook you up with relevant Places.
(Ok ok, you should know, it doesn't work on a mac)Tag Your Maps
Even though we don't have a designated tag field for maps, you can increase the chances that your map will come up in search by adding a string of relevant tags to the end of your map description.
I usually hit return a couple times, throw in some dashes or asterisks, then lay on the tag words at the end of my description. It really helps out the search robots.What is RSS and how do I use it?
RSS is a really simple way to keep track of the many maps you care about and the people you think are posting interesting Places. It also lets you see monitor all your open maps in one place, so that you can see when someone adds to one of them without having to visit each map page.
To use the feeds, look for the RSS symbol on any Platial member's Places page or on any map page.
Depending on the type of feed reader you use, you can either drag the icon into your reader, or right click the icon (control click if you use a mac) to copy the "link location" and paste that in. (More on feed readers below.)
From that moment on, the reader will simply keep track of anything new from that user or that map. Most feed readers let you group multiple feeds into folders, so you can group all your own open maps into one folder, and all your Platial buddies in another.
Here is a list of aggregators organized by type and operating system. It includes both online and desktop versions. Jason likes the new Google reader and Bloxor. Tracy thinks that Bloglines is friendliest for newbies.autobiogeography
n. Mapped autobiography.
The first thing most people map when they first find Platial is where they live or where they were born. From there, we see countless maps of "Where I have traveled" or "Where I have lived." Some people take autobiogeography in other, more interesting directions, mapping the songs of their lives and the stories that go with them or mapping their romantic disappointments.beta
adj. Test version, test site.
Platial is a public beta site. We are still working out our kinks, but we have opened the site to the public. User feedback is especially valuable to a beta site. Part of the fun of using a beta site is knowing that your feedback is being used to create the final product.flag
v.t. Mark a Post as offensive or inaccurate. To flag a Post is to alert the Platial staff that the Post should be reviewed.
Flickr
n. Flickr is a photo sharing site where the images are organized by tag or keyword. Thousands of people around the world use it to publish their pictures. Many of these people allow others to use their images freely under a creative commons license. These are what will appear when you use the Flickr image tool on Platial.
geocoder
n. A tool which generates a geographical code (in our case a latitude and longitude point) from a street address or Place name. Platial uses several different geocoders to locate Places by address. If you'd like to play around with a geocoder, try out geocoder.us.
geocode n. A geographical code generated by a geocoder.
geocode v.t. To use a geocoder to generate a geographical code for attaching data to maps. ex "I geocoded all of my Flickr pictures."iframe
n. Inline frame. <iframe> is an HTML tag. Platial maps can be published on any website using iframes. When you put an iframe from Platial on your site, you are essentially creating a window on your site onto an element on Platial. The map is on Platial, but it can be seen on your own site. For more information about iframes, read this html reference.
image URL
n. Online image locations. Images on websites have their own locations and can be linked to by copying their image URLs.
location
n. The spot on the map where one or several Places may reside. For example, an office building is in one location, but each business in the building is its own Place.
neogeography
n. Personal geography. Platial user and blogger Placekraft wrote a very nice article about neogeogrophy. He's got a nice blog and a lot of interesting projects. Check him out.
permalink
n. url at which you will be able to find the Place you are looking at. Because Platial relies heavily on ajax for smooth and fast navigation, the url in the browser's address bar will not always bring you back to what you are looking at. The solution to this is the permalink. Click on the word Permalink and the URL of the Place will appear in the browser address bar.
Place
n. An entity worth marking at a given location. There may be any number of Places at the same location. For example, in a college dormitory, each student's room would be a Place. The cafeteria would be anothe Place. The study lounge would be its own Place. Most of the time, we agree about what is a Place, but not always. A Place has a name and a location.
Place blog
n. The Place blog includes all of the Posts that have been written about one Place.
platialite
n. Platial users are officially called "members," but unofficially the staff refers to members and themselves as platialites.
platialize
v.t. To immortalize on Platial. ex "This Pirate Supply Store is amazing! It needs to be platialized."
Post
n. Like blog posts, Posts on Places have open content. They may contain links, videos, pictures, stories, information, reviews or anything any Platial member cares to add. Other Platial members can add tags, pictures, and comments to any Post.
Post detail
n. When you click on a place in either the side bar or a Place blog, the Post detail appears over the map. It also appears if you click on a marker on the map. The Post detail includes the entire Post including comments.
side bar
n. The map side bar shows the names of the Places that are on the map. Hover on the names in the side bar to see where they are on the map.
How do I manage my map?
You will be able to change your publishing settings, add places using our great tools, and approve comments and places which have been added from your blog all from the comfort of your Platial homepage. Look for the shortcut links under the map title.