14 DAY TRIAL // I like work, it fascinates me. I could look at people working all day, somebody famous whose name I don't quite remember said a while ago. As do I, I could just sit back and look at others doing their jobs and, despite not being in the know, I bet I'd be able and willing to give some advice in the field they're experts in.
The recent addition to Google Maps, as announced in a post on the Google Lat Long Blog by Charles Spirakis, lets you do just that, with the exception of the advice giving, which you won't quite be able to do out loud. He let the world know that the Google Maps "Recent Edits" viewer page has seen daylight and is ours for the using.
It's quite a fascinating process, to look at other people working together, like ants, just to improve their neighborhoods. Bit by bit, marker by marker, they're all putting together a world map as accurate as can be. Highly addictive, Charles named this activity of watching. Although it could be considered a bit voyeuristic, looking at people doing things, it's not that. Well, perhaps for the sick and twisted minds it is, but you never know when you find somebody improving the data on your own street. You just feel like going to the guy or gal and shake his hand / give her a hug.
This also makes you feel, if you're a contributor, that your work is being appreciated just because somebody is there and watches it live, like a teacher looking over his student's shoulder. Ok, I might have exaggerated with that, but a couple of the guys I know that actually improve Google Maps told me that it is "nice" to know there's somebody excited about your work as soon as it hits the web.