Google has given a clarion call — ‘Come chaps, map your country.’ On Thursday, it announced its first mapping competition in India — Mapathon 2013.
It starts on February 12 and ends on March 25. The contest is open to anybody who lives in India. The top 1,000 mappers stand a chance to win Android tablets, smartphones, gift vouchers and Google merchandise.
The registrations for the competition have just opened. It invited everyone to get mapping at:
Google Map Maker is an easy-to-use tool. Using Google Map Maker, one can select an area on Google Maps and add new information based on his or her own knowledge or by referencing Google Maps satellite imagery.
One has to save and submit the new input — once the submitted edit has been verified, the new information would be added to Google Maps. Mapping of local hospitals, schools, rivers, temples and even petrol pumps can make a difference to people’s lives.
“What started off as an initiative by a few Google engineers is now used across the world, and today, citizens across India can participate in this great project through Mapathon 2013,” Jayanth Mysore, Product Manager, Google India, said in a note.