Google and Modern Geography

It is the basic need of man to travel. There was a huge extension in travelling with the growth in population. In every era anybody who was well aware of paths and ways was given more importance because caravan did travel through see, and land under his guidance. A person who is aware of the directions and paths is considered as guide. Man has pondered a lot in making this system easier and convenient. In the beginning, the sun, the moon and the stars were observed to find the direction during travelling. With the passage of time a lot of maps and tools like compass were made. With evolution of science, man devised better tools and instruments in the field of Geography and Cartography. Some geographical and basic information about Geography and Cartography is given here.

Today there are latest and useful navigation system is planted in the modern means of travelling like aeroplanes and cars. With the help of which, information about destination and track of destination can be found easily. There is a wonderful invention of smart phone which not only is used for communication but also has the function of a compass, maps and GPS. In this modern device not only directions, distances information but also real pictures of every place and corner of the earth, are available. Within a few minutes man can find any destination with the help of maps.

Smart phones and some other devices have compass, GPS and navigation system. Usually direction is found with compass but if the device does not have compass hardware, direction can be found with GPS while travelling. GPS does connect to four satellites at a time and tells the altitude and longitude of a place. Besides it geographical information and maps are installed already or they are retrieved via internet from various companies.

Nowadays various companies or departments provide this geographical information without any cost like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Wikimapia etc. In fact all are excellent but Google has dominated this realm also by the softwares like Google earth and Google maps. As the names tell the story that Google Maps is about mapping and the Google Earth is about geography in which snaps of the earth are taken by satellite in the real shape of a globe and provides many geographical information.

Various services of social media such as youtube or others earned their name with the cooperation of common people i.e. lay men gave a great hand in promoting these services and these services became a huge company, similarly common people contributed a lot in the development of the Google Earth and Google Maps. Initially Google made a rough sketch of the earth in which there were the maps of several countries and their cities and roads. Later on Google introduced such services that anyone can take part in providing information e.g. Google Map Maker, Panoramio and Sketch-up. A common internet user can draw any map and mark any place with the help of Google Map Maker; and picture of any place can be uploaded by Panoramio and a 3D map can be designed of any building with the help of Sketch-up. The information gained with the help of Google Map Maker, Sketch Up and Panoramio is checked by Moderators of Google and this information is included in Google Maps and Google Earth if this information is found correct. All over the world people took great part in this proceeding of making maps and uploading pictures. There is a great contribution of the common people and the cartographers in this latest Google Earth and Google Maps. Nowadays most of the places are traced and marked in these softwares. Map Makers from all over the world took part in improving Google Maps/Earth. Pakistani Map Makers also took great part in this field, to get the detail of Pakistani Map Makers follow this link.

Nowadays Google Earth/Maps are so prominent to get geographical information. These softwares are available for all computer operating systems as well as many smart phones. Even navigation system of cars also gets information from Google Earth/Maps. Different machines like computer and mobile provide Google Earth/Maps service due to installed hardwares i.e. if a device has the hardware of compass or GPS, these devices can provide directions otherwise not. Here is a glimpse of some facilities of Google Earth/Maps.

Google Maps is in fact a complete program of Maps with the help of which we can find a place, distance from one place to other, its path and required time and various maps. Devices like smart phone have the facility of GPS, this program gets information from the satellite and tell us about the required place and direction while travelling. If we have already informed Google Maps, it does guide us during travelling place by place, turn right or left etc. Besides it gives update about the traffic of the roads. In Google Maps anyone can save his favorite destinations so that he may get instant information instead of searching required place. It would be kept in mind that in Google Earth/Maps the path, trace of required destination is different from the path made in Google Map Maker. Because whatever we make in Google Map Maker, Google incorporates this information in software and shares it with others but what information is given in Google Earth/Maps, this information is only visible to its own maker or those persons whom the maker allows to share.

Google Earth is wonderful software about Geography and maps. Google Earth has all the facilities of Google Maps and some other facilities. In Google Earth real pictures of the earth have been taken by the satellite and a globe is framed like real earth. In earlier stages we twirl the globe to trace a place, but Google Earth is much advance than that. We can see the place by any angle and mountains are same as original in it. We can find the altitude from sea level of any place and latitude of the place. We can also find the day or night time of a place. The information of streets that are included in Google Earth can be found by Street Viewer like someone is walking himself in these streets. Maps made by Map Maker, uploaded picture of a place by Panoramio and buildings made by Sketch-up can also be seen in Google Erath. Besides it weather, the information about a place provided by international organizations can also be seen in Google Earth. Even solar system, moon and Mars also can be observed by Google Earth.

When we zoom in a place in Google Earth, there would appear different signs of different kinds. Then we can click the desired information tag about which we need information. It gives so much information about a specific point that it is very hard to see the map, when these signs of different kinds appear. That’s why we do not select all the layers of information during Google Earth installation. Later on different layers can be selected or removed according to our need.

People of all disciplines are using Google Earth/Maps in modern times but especially travelers, tourists and students of geography are using it mainly. Some persons are very fond of maps and geography; Google Earth is a blessing for such eager people. Now it is time when people do not tell the path of required place but they trace the place in Google Earth and send this file via email to the stranger for guidance. When the stranger opens this file in Google Earth or gives code in Google Maps, he finds the place conveniently and this file or code makes him reach this particular place. Every corner of the world has been traced and nowadays the earth is searched or traced with the eye of Google.

Historical information about Geography and Cartography

Man has been researching the directions, determining and identification of paths and researching construction of the earth since man has started traveling. It can’t be denied that man is busy in devising better navigation system since beginning. The study of the earth, its construction, structure and study of its inhabitants is called geography while mapping of the earth is called cartography. With the passage of time many units and tools were framed for geography and cartography. Modern cartography is, to great extent, conjoined with geography; cartography provides the basics of many geographical matters. Modern man has found primitive maps which proves that cartography is an ancient branch of knowledge.

Eratosthenes (276-194 B.C) a Greek mathematician and geographer did first research about the earth. He devised some rules about mapping and gave information with the help of different methods about measurement of the earth. These rules are still being used in modern times. Definitely this process was being continued by the others. Then the Abbasid caliph Haroon Ul Raheed’s son Mamoon Ul Rasheed got preceded the job of cartography. But in 1017, a brilliant Muslim scientist Al-Biruni did more exact measurement than his predecessors. His assumed radius of the earth was 6335 Km. Modern research has proved that he was right with the difference of 36 km.

First compass for the direction was invented in China between the 2nd century B.C. and 1st century A.D. Western Europe started using the compass between 1187 and 1202, and in Persia in 1232.

The man used to determine directions and paths with the help of stars in the past but now he has a latest and modern geographical navigation system. Every place is marked on the earth now with the help of longitude and latitude. In modern system, satellites are being used to identify places. The most famous satellite system is GPS (Global Positioning System) with the help of which we can get information about any specific place, its altitude to sea level, the speed and direction during traveling. By combining information got from GPS with mapping, there is a complete system having directions and mapping information. In 1973 American defense department made GPS system but it properly worked in 1995 and it is being refined day by day. Europe Union, China, Russia and India are also trying to make their own such GPS system.

Many other companies besides NASA are now providing free information about geography and mapping, the most famous is Google. Google has made two programs (Google Earth and Google Maps) for a common man. The foundation of Google Earth was not laid by the Google; it was first laid by a company “Keyhole” funded by CIA and the initial name was Earth Viewer. In October 2004 Google purchased Keyhole company along with another mapping company. Afterwards in February 2005 Google started Map service. In June 2005 Google made some amendments in the software Earth Viewer and launched a new software Google Earth.

Suggestion for Choosing Blog Service

Here is some discussion about different blogging services and some suggestions, where you should make blog.

Different Blogging Services to create Urdu Blog

•    Free Service
•    Personal Domain Name and Hosting
•    Personal Domain Name and Blogspot.com

To Make Urdu Blog on Free Service

Some companies provide free service to create Blog, like Google’s (blogspot.com). Blogger and Blogspot are the names of a single service. Most probably www.blogspot.com site stands first for free blog service and www.wordpress.com of WordPress organization comes second. Besides these two there are many other sites that provide free service for blogging but these two are the most prominent. Because of some facilities Blogspot is comparatively better than WordPress, and the most convenient way of creating one’s own blog.

To Make Urdu Blog on Personal Domain Name and Hosting

Address of website i.e. domain name and hosting are same as the address of a house. Domain name is “address” and hosting is “house”. When someone is willing to go one’s house, he gets address first of all, and this address leads man to the required house. Similarly, when someone writes Domain name in the web browser, this Domain name leads him to that particular house (hosting). Hosting is the main place which has the matter of the website.
In this method you buy the domain of your own name like I have bought mbilalm.com then you have to purchase webhosting. It is same as to make other websites. After getting domain name and hosting you install WordPress, then blog is ready. WordPress organization provides you “wordpress CMS” free of cost to create blog on your personal hosting.

CMS stands for “Content management system”. This CMS is the most renowned CMS as far as blogging is concerned. You can call it web software that is installed on website. And after some slight changes your website is ready. Keep in mind WordPress provides facility of creating your own blog on www.wordpress.com and provides CMS to make blog on personal domain and hosting. Name of this CMS is WORDPRESS. Keep in mind ‘Wordpress CMS’ and ‘Wordpress.com’ are two different things. Often people do not be able to distinguish the difference between these two because of resembling name.

To Make Blog with Personal Domain and Hosting on Blogspot.com

In this method, only Domain name is to purchase and Hosting of Google’s Blogspot is used. Let suppose if I have to use the hosting of Blogspot for my own domain (mbilalm.com), then I have to do some changes in the control panel of my domain name e.g. I have to give the name of hosting server of Blogspot in A-records and CNAME. Similarly I have to include Custom Domain in the settings after creating Blog on Blogspot. In fact through this process Domain is connected to Hosting and Hosting is connected to Domain. After this Blog is controlled via Blogspot, while Blog opens with personal domain i.e. domain name appears in the browser but blogspot is running on the back end.

My Suggestion for choosing Blog Service

•    If you are not a technical person and don’t have technical information about websites, then you should prefer Blogspot to create blog and find a suitable Urdu template and upload it.

•    If you have a little information about websites, then purchase your own personal domain and use hosting of Blogspot.

•    If you have enough information about website, then buy the domain name and hosting and create your own blog.

•    If you are not well informed with technical information about website but have interest in personal domain, then spend money and ask a web designer to set your blog up. After it, take care of your blog yourself. If you are not willing to take care of your blog yourself, then hire a web designer’s services for this purpose of maintenance of your sit. You can place your order of creating personal blog to companies or web designers, they can make your blog but you have to write your articles of your blog yourself. A web designer will only co-operate you in technical process of issuance of article on the blog.

How to create Urdu Blog

Now-a-days blogging is famous all around the world. Blog is like the personal diary that is written for internet. Blog is basically the other name of website in which people write down their thoughts, experiences, and information. If you would like to make the world listen your voice, then blogging is the best option.

It is easy to start/create a blog and also very easy to create blog in Urdu language (URDU Blog). It does not want skill and training, in simple words you can say that it is a child’s play now-a-days. You can even make of your own blog by free services. The other way is personal domain name and hosting by spending some money. If you already have a website, then you can make blog on it; or on the sub domain of that site. Here are some steps of how to make Urdu blog, given below.

STEPS FOR URDU BLOG:

•    Make the computer able to write Urdu.
•    Choose the blogging service and to set the blog up.
•    Set the theme/template to show Urdu clear.

Make the computer able to write Urdu

Pak Urdu Installer is used to read and write Urdu clearly in the computers of windows operating system. All the information, about how to install Pak Urdu Installer and how to write Urdu by using Pak Urdu Installer, you can find in this link. The information, besides windows i.e. other operating systems like mobile or tablet, you can find in this link.

Choose the blogging service and to set the blog up

To create the Urdu blog we have to select blogging service first. Many companies provide free facility of blog making e.g. Google’s Blogspot. There are many other companies that provide such facility like Word press etc. Blog can be generated on your own website by spending some amount, on the personal domain and hosting instead of free blogging service. You can find the detail of Blogging service and Blog setup in this link.

Set the theme/template to show Urdu clear

Theme and template are the chips of the same block. Because WordPress users call it theme and Blogspot users call it template. When the blog is setup, then an appropriate Urdu theme/template is selected so that Urdu might be seen clearly. Theme/template can be said the design of the blog. As there is design of website as it is we have design of blog. In fact blog is one of the types of website.