@mikel
Very good points. I agree that transparency can ultimately make a difference, but before that happens everybody needs to have access, which is nowadays still not guaranteed. I imagine such transparency can also cause social conflict and maybe even competition or rivalry. Is there also a risk of manipulation of cards. If so, how easy can that be indentified? Nevertheless and very helpful to address problems. I like the quote in a recent Economist article by Mr. Newman: “We make visible and real something that is usually invisible and abstract”. http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13725877

The accessibility of online mapping tools on the whole is empowering for people who previously could not communicate through this tools. Maps are historically a tool of military action and control. Now anyone can use this powerful medium.

But when does openness about geography introduce unnecessary political risk? Or on the flip side, when does secrecy play at a game that the dis-empowered are likely to lose. I don’t think there’s a hard and fast rule .. by and large openness should be the default policy, with consideration always reserved for problems of mapping.

“concern that indiscriminate online mapping could feed tensions over land ownership and resource use and control”

The key word is “indiscriminate”. If all stakeholders have equal access to the tools, and can equally share their point of view on ownership, then this can only help clarify the bounds of the conflict, and gives a real, tangible artifact for discussion.

The issue was raised in Gaza .. I couldn’t see a legitimate reason not to map.

http://brainoff.com/weblog/2009/01/12/1389

There was controversy recently in Oaxaca, a conflict of interest in a ppgis project and military funding. The concern is over control of data. What if everyone had access to the information created in this project?
http://www.zcommunications.org/zmag/viewArticle/21044

One case I’ve discussed that clearly spoke against open mapping were refugee routes out of Burma. Open publicity of these routes would but refugees at terrible risk.

-Mikel