What's That: Mashups

Over the past few years, large internet and software companies - like Google - have been releasing to the public tools (also know as APIs) to "unlock" web-based applications like Google Maps, or photo feeds from Flickr, for use in a variety of ways. Until recently, these kinds of development tools were proprietary and not available to the public or if they were their use was often restrictive.

Mashups run the gamut from the interesting and useful (see BBC news stories plotted on a map) to the not terribly useful but still interesting ("cyberstalk" a developer at Where's Tim Hibbard?).

Mashups are still in their infancy and in terms of practical application are somewhat limited to GPS, maps, photos, travel and the like. But we don't expect it will stay that way. They do show promise as a means of integrating complementary information and data visually which may have implications for all sorts of organizations, including non-profits and public policy organizations.

While predominantly used in public-facing applications today, they can also be used to help map internal information such as customer data, inventory patterns and incident tracking, when a visual metaphor for understanding data and context may be helpful.

More Fun with Mashups
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Popular Mashups at Programmable Web
BBC News Map
Where's Tim Hibbard?
Map your Next Jog or Walk