Why Google Maps Hacks?

The term hacking has a bad reputation in the press, where it is used to refer to someone who breaks into systems or wreaks havoc with computers as their weapon. Among people who write code, though, the term hack refers to a "quick-and-dirty" solution to a problem, or a clever way to get something done. And the term hacker is taken very much as a compliment, referring to someone as being creative, having the technical chops to get things done. The Hacks series is an attempt to reclaim the word, document the good ways people are hacking, and pass the hacker ethic of creative participation on to the uninitiated. Seeing how others approach systems and problems is often the quickest way to learn about a new technology.

Maps are a strange combination of the extremely simple and the extremely complex. Most people are familiar with paper maps, but are only starting to explore the possibilities of electronic maps. With the advent of Google Maps, incredible opportunities have opened up that go well beyond the usual expectations of paper maps. Google Maps Hacks will show you these opportunities and how to take advantage of them.