Web 2.0 Innovation Map

January 30, 2006 at 10:21 am · Filed under Announcements, Fourio, Innovation Map, Web 2.0

Introducing the Web 2.0 Innovation Map. We all know Silicon Valley is hot when it comes to web startups. But, what about other areas of the country? Are there any hidden hotbeds of web talent? What other groups were in the northwest along with Fourio? These were some of the questions I was looking to answer. Now, Web 2.0 can be visualized, using what else, but the Google Maps API and Yahoo Geocoding API.

I’ve taken 200 applications, tracked down their addresses, geocoded them, and placed them on the map. With some help from Todd on the design, this map was put together in the last week. It was much more work than I thought it would be to track down the addresses. Without a good (open/free/structured) WHOIS API, most of the address lookups were manual. And don’t get me started on sites not listing a contact address. Fortunately, my geocoder app worked great, so getting lats/longs was fairly painless. Then it was just a matter of exporting the Excel data to a JavaScript array and hooking it up to the map.

On a side note, I’m not here to debate the “Web 2.0″ term. For this application, Web 2.0 is simply defined by the explosion of internet applications that have come out over the last year or so. I’ve used other people’s lists to compile the apps to be mapped.

The map isn’t completely finished (what web application ever is?). I’d like to add descriptions, include company information, and maybe add a little thumbnail of the site. But, I like to release early and see what kind of interest there is before investing too much time. Any feedback is appreciated.

If anybody knows of a good source for WHOIS data, or has a well structured (XML preferably) list of web apps with the name, url, and brief description (along the lines of an API for eHub or TechCrunch), please let me know.

Thanks to Adam Trachtenberg’s eBay Motors & Google Maps mashup for being a great example of how to do a mashup. It’s one of my favorites as far as implementation goes and was a big inspiration for the innovation map.

Update:
I see that TechCrunch has added an OPML file, which is a very big help. The one problem is that it points to the TechCrunch post. If there was something similar that pointed to the actual site’s URL, that would be awesome.

29 Comments »

  1. Adam Trachtenberg said,

    January 30, 2006 @ 9:30 pm

    Glad you like the mashup. It was fun to do. Not surprisingly, coding the JavaScript took far longer than the backend PHP work. :)

  2. Das CIO Weblog said,

    January 31, 2006 @ 12:36 am

    Web 2.0 Innovation Map und Business Plan Archiv

    Ryan Williams, Webentwickler aus Portland (Oregon) und Schreiber des Weblogs Things Considered, hat eine Idee zur Visualisierung der zahlreichen Web 2.0-Projekte in den USA realisiert. “Ich habe über 200 Web 2.0- Anwendungen genommen, die Adressen d…

  3. kendall said,

    January 31, 2006 @ 4:39 am

    looking to add the maps, i need professional help.
    anyone doing this, please email

  4. Taylor said,

    January 31, 2006 @ 6:42 am

    Really love the map Ryan. Good work.

  5. Blog Age said,

    January 31, 2006 @ 12:21 pm

    Web 2.0 auf ‘ner Karte

    Wer schon lange den Eindruck hat, beim Thema Web 2.0 den Überblick zu verlieren, dem hilft jetzt ein neues Mash Up. Wirklich großartig, wenn man mal wieder stöbern will.

  6. vowe dot net said,

    January 31, 2006 @ 12:24 pm

    The Web 2.0 Innovation Map

    Watch the worldwide progress of the Web 2.0 epidemy live. Ryan Williams has geocoded a great new Google Maps mashup called The Web 2.0 Innovation Map: The Web 2.0 Innovation Map grew out of an interest in how Web 2.0 development is distributed geograph…

  7. kartentisch » Web 2.0 Innovation Map said,

    January 31, 2006 @ 4:03 pm

    [...] Insgesamt 200 Applikationen sind momentan auf der Karte mit ihrem Herkunftsort eingetragen (oder zumindest mit dem Ort, in dem die zugehörige Domain registriert ist). Wie sich das für eine Idee 2.0 gehört, ist die Karte ein Mashup, noch dazu einer, der netterweise Google (Maps-API) und Yahoo! (Geocoding-API) zusammenbringt. Wer wissen will, wie die Karte erstellt wurde, kann hier mehr erfahren. [...]

  8. Geekier Geek » Web 2.0 Innovation map - Because the others just aren’t geeky enough — blogging empire! said,

    January 31, 2006 @ 8:56 pm

    [...] A list of Web 2.0 companies (using eHub and other sources) plotted on a map based on WHOIS data and the Yahoo! Geocoder API. I’ll be providing Ryan Williams with the full feed of eHub so he can integrate it. Ryan Williams’ post URL: Web 2.0 Innovation map. [...]

  9. Hans on Experience said,

    February 1, 2006 @ 5:41 am

    200 Web 2.0 apps on a Google Map: the web 2.0 Innovation map

    Look at this Google Map to find out 200 web 2.0 applications and where they were developped. You can read more how this map was built. The only dutch app on the list is Fleck.com

  10. Somewhat Frank said,

    February 2, 2006 @ 9:00 pm

    Web 2.0 Mapped

    I recently found a Web 2.0 Innovations Map which is a Google Maps mashup that plots Web 2.0 innovative companies. The map was produced by Ryan Williams of Fourio as it: …grew out of an interest in how Web

  11. URENIO Portal: Innovation, Environments of Innovation, Intelligent Cities and Regions » Blog Archive » Web 2.0 Innovation Map said,

    February 3, 2006 @ 3:23 am

    [...] Ryan’s post on Innovation Map [...]

  12. Miles Burke said,

    February 3, 2006 @ 7:48 pm

    Well done. I wonder how many companies outside of the USA would be considered web2.0? I only know of a handful, including here in Australia.

  13. Ken said,

    February 5, 2006 @ 2:16 pm

    Ryan

    Looks great. This would be great for geo caches I think?

    Kenh

  14. » Localiser les entreprises Web 2.0 JF Ruiz : La révolution web 2.0 en live ! said,

    February 6, 2006 @ 3:34 pm

    [...] Ryan Williams ? fait un boulot sympa avec son mashup Web 2.0 Innovation Map. Au del? de l’aspect géolocalisation la ressource est excellente pour faire le tour de la planète web 2.0. [...]

  15. Michael Tanne said,

    February 6, 2006 @ 11:07 pm

    Ryan,

    Very cool map. Regardless of what people want to call Web 2.0, it’s really interesting to see where the innovation is happening. Definitely more global than just Bay Area.

    Good luck with it.
    Michael

  16. Romain said,

    February 9, 2006 @ 7:17 am

    Didn’t you forget Netvibes ? It’s located in Paris, France

  17. Small Business Trends said,

    February 9, 2006 @ 9:00 am

    Welcome to Carnival of Entrepreneurship

    Welcome to the Second Edition of Carnival of Entrepreneurship. Like other blog Carnivals, it is a weekly round-up of intriguing blog posts. Carnivals offer you, the reader, a way to discover new blogs and what people are thinking about.
    Carnival of …

  18. hector said,

    February 9, 2006 @ 9:47 am

    Only two web 2.0 in Spain?
    Post in my blog:
    here

    regards
    fron Barcelona Spain

    hector

  19. Small Business Trends » Welcome to Carnival of Entrepreneurship Edition Two said,

    February 10, 2006 @ 4:49 am

    [...] Ryan Williams of Web Things Considered (and a principal in Web development firm Fourio) writes about the Web 2.0 Innovation Map he developed. Using the Google Maps and Yahoo geocoding tools, he put together a map showing the location of 200 companies with Web 2.0 software applications or sites. It’s well done, and fascinating to navigate through. Try it out, and see what Web 2.0 businesses are located in your area. [...]

  20. rra said,

    February 12, 2006 @ 12:04 am

    Great map- useful & kool.
    Bet you’ll get lots of mail on Web2 apps “you should add”, my vote on that thread is http://www.pubsub.com

  21. goodcompany said,

    February 14, 2006 @ 2:59 am

    Where the hell is Copenhagen, Denmark? Birth city of Rails if I’m not mistaken. Is this a “Web Innovation” map or a “Web Site HQ” map?

  22. goodcompany said,

    February 14, 2006 @ 3:02 am

    er…but nice map, sorry ;-)

  23. Ryan said,

    February 14, 2006 @ 7:08 am

    Thanks goodcompany. To answer your concern, yes it is more of a Web Site HQ map as opposed to an event based map (birth of technologies being an event). I’ll try to make that more clear.

  24. Web 2.0 Innovation Map — qwerky Archive said,

    February 17, 2006 @ 5:33 am

    [...] — Ryan Williams, Web Things Considered [...]

  25. Graham Lauren said,

    March 15, 2006 @ 4:41 pm

    Ryan, the Web 2.0 Innovation Map is superb. Quick question: will you be adding a feed directly to its home page? I’d love to subscribe to this as it grows.

  26. elsua: The Knowledge Management Blog said,

    May 29, 2006 @ 3:42 am

    Tracking Your Favourite Web 2.0 Applications with the Web 2.0 Innovation Map…

    By now you probably know that one of the main themes or topics that I get to discuss over here in this weblog is around the world of social software and how it is changing the Knowledge Management world within……

  27. Clay Cook said,

    December 10, 2006 @ 8:02 pm

    What about Minti (www.minti.com)
    Located in Perth - Western Australia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth%2C_Western_Australia)

  28. Media, Politics, and Truth in a Digital World » Blog Archive » Online and Overseas said,

    October 5, 2007 @ 5:53 am

    [...] Here’s an interesting piece on Web 2.0 around the world (and another). And another. [...]

  29. Brandon Apartments said,

    January 19, 2009 @ 8:38 am

    Great Map… good concept… how about coming up with a criteria for being Web 2.0 and a submission tool for new sites to be added? There would be a huge resource…

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