Secrets of the City

Any thought of integrating ahttp://earth.google.com/” target=”_blank”>Google Earth feed?

Um, Rex? Should I be reading anything into the fact that I’m not on the map?

Oops, had a typo in my zip code mapping. You should be now.

TP: I’m not sure I understand the question.

I suppose you would have to run the zip codes the a geocode program, but here is an example.

Thought that’s what you mean… I don’t plan to force people to download Google Earth and navigate outside the browser.

Understood, but it’s still pretty cool!

That is awesome. Now I know who to ignore (suburbanites).

that’s pretty cool. and good to know that there are at least three other bloggers in the neighborhood i’m moving in to.

Northeast in the haayyoouuse!

Thank god it is at the zip code level only. If the teaming masses knew where the Shogun Manor was located, I would have to double my security detail.

-shogunmoon

I find it odd that we have two people in Duluth, four people in St. Louis Park, but almost no one south of 45th St.

yea, those suburbanites, they’re just a bunch of inhuman corporate types driving big suvs to their kids soccer games. no originality. killing mother earth. shopping at the big box stores. all the same. whereas moe is so original and cool, urban hipster who doesn’t follow the crowds. hes’ a real original on the cutting edge of the digital world. driving a hybrid and shopping organic. protesting golbalization. he’s no pawn of mass marketing.

Rex, I’m only a block and a half north of 45th St.

Now all we need are webcam links in our profiles and we’ll be all set.

Pete, are you in Robinsdale now?

Ooops, looks like 55422 is Crystal.

Yep, that’s pretty much the way it is. Except I’ll also add that I also like to try to add somewhat lame attempts at humor to mnspeak, while the people like you act like assholes.

I’m on 10th, but had neglected to put a zip code in my profile.

I am ashamed.

As a suburbanite.. I chuckled moe. I’m all about the somewhat lame attempts at humor.

And do I register as a Maple Grovian, or as a downtowner… where I blog at work? Oh, the tough questions of our times…

Goof: Wes of Pandas and the rockin’ Wes B and the Librarians doesn’t live here anymore.

Really? Well, I’m not sure what to do about that. I don’t want to delete accounts, so I guess they should update their zip codes if they still use the site.

Go Maple Grove, DeRusha. Alex Stenback works in Arden Hills, but his little marker is waaaay out in Plymouth.

Apparently he blogs from home, cuz he’s using a Plymouth zip.

Right, that’s what I was saying.

I blog from my computer, it is portable.

Rex, can you whip up an “ego rss feed” option, so that we know if our names have been invoked around here.

Rex,

Last summer when you included me in the aggregator I was around blog 100. Just out of curiosity, do you what number I am?

I am thinking that some day it will be cool to be in the “MNspeak Top 250″. The Minneapolis blog version of the Forbes 500.

Can you say who the first 10 were?

Alex: yep, custom rss feeds are next on the list.

Headhunter: Sorry, I don’t think I understand the question. What were the first 10 blogs in the aggregator? I’m not really sure, because the first 100 were pretty random, and it wouldn’t necessarily be a good indicator of quality.

I blog from everywhere.
Taylor’s right. I don’t live in MPLS anymore, but I’ve been moving so damned much that I haven’t updated this account to my correct zip.
Plus, I thought I would lose all my street cred if people thought I wasn’t a MPLS blogger anymore…
Thanks Taylor for totally f*cking my street cred. I’m gonna go graffitti something.
Did I spell graffitti correctly?

Is there a way of getting more than one blog listed on the Geographic Aggregator. I have both Lloydletta and Dump Bachmann listed on the MNSpeak aggregator.

Northern Minnesotans are lonely. There are only two of us! And what’s with the person in Iowa?

dletta: Sorry, no, not right now. One site per person, just cuz that’s the way I’ve got the database architected.

ontodamn: My favorite is if you zoom out far enough, you’ll see Tom out in Hawaii (who really does live there).

From what I see so far it looks really cool… and I bet it will be even cooler when I’m not using dialup!

’bout time.

It’s all about “Location Intellegence” now days ya know.

SHOW ME THE KMZ FILE!

That’s what I’m talkin’ bout’ Rolfe! KMZ FTW!

Interesting concept. Zips arent always the best way to locate someone though. I know my zip doesnt point to where I actually live. Least…I dont think it does?

Sure, I’m not gonna make people put their addresses in though. Obvs.

They seem to be pretty close approximations, usually within 5 miles of accuracy.

No no. I agree. Actual addresses wouldnt be a good way. Would it be possible to have registered users mark themselves on the map where they are from?

Sure, but would that be any different than putting in an address?

I guess that would be totally up to the person marking where they are from. If they chose to put their exact address rather than the area they live, then so be it.

What about Zip+4. It’s not that hard to find yours if you don’t know it and that narrows it down to about a block.

http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

You can find your Zip+4 at this link.

In the interface business, we call that “marginalizing your customers.” Not only would I never bother to go find my +4 for a website, there aren’t any readily-available lat/long mappings (which is ultimately what Google Maps uses) for +4 codes.

Really guys, I think it’s as specific as it should be. I don’t think people want to enter any more personal data.

How are bloggers going to realize thier ultimate goal of being stalked Super Star Fashion if we don’t know what street they live on. Right now all the paparazzi are queuing up at the postal stations waiting for Rock Star Bloggers to appear.

Come on you only blog to be famous on the Information Super Highway anyhow. Right? It’s all ego?

It’s an interesting question. I have always been surprised what a large and disparate geographic area that my zip, 55405, covers. I can’t remember exactly it’s shape, but as I recall it’s sort of a big snake wrapping from North Minneapolis all the way around to Eat Street.

So, in this case, I don’t think that the zip is a very good indicator of where you’re coming from.

Hmm, what deems one aggregation-worthy?

Oh, I’ll add almost any blog, as long as it’s not too personal. The best “too personal” indicator is baby pictures.

Cuz everyone knows I fucking hate babies.

I posted cat photos yesterday to my moblog and thought, “shit, if Rex sees this I’ll get kicked off the aggregator” figuring that cat photos are just a notch up from baby photos.

Looking at pictures of other people’s cats is a guilty pleasure of mine.