We spent a couple hours today, like everyone else who uses the Google Maps API, trying to understand if this morning’s rollout of KML support and MyMaps was an opportunity or a crisis.

Pundits say the sky is falling.  Others who actually have something at stake (like other people’s money) are saying it’s almost a non-event.  The sky is in its place, but when the The Big G shakes things up in your vicinity, there are going to be some consequences.

So, yes, we use Google Maps on our site, and location-based information is a major part of what we offer on Spotstory.  But honestly, the map, though neat, is not the whole ball of wax.  (In fact, once the novelty of getting a map to display wore off, it became a smaller part of the Spotstory concept, if not in screen real estate.)  The site contains neutral point of view information, personal observations, tagging, photo sharing, comments, social networking, syndication, and more.

But, enough of the brave face.  What’s the real impact of Google Maps’ new features on Spotstory?

First, the good news.  The KML support is a good thing: Google released a better search engine for us today.  Now, we just have to understand how to best take advantage of this for our users.

Then there is MyMaps.  Aron and I often come back to a particular point when discussing Spotstory: if we have great content, a lot of problems are just going to solve themselves.  Today was another one of those discussions.

With MyMaps, Google becomes another place to create and store content.   Will that content end up being extremely useful, MySpacey, or just plain spam?  We’ll see.  Do we wish we didn’t have to add Google to the long list of others competing for that content?  Yes!

Our challenge is the same as it has always been: to attract folks and give them a great community and environment to create Spots (and Tours and Visits.)  Google is keeping us honest.  We have to do things that innovate and add value or we’ll, deservedly, wither and die.

Google Maps is an important piece of many web offerings.  If Google is going to continue to evolve Maps–and why wouldn’t they?–they will undoubtedly overtake and make redundant some of the things others have built on their platform.  It’s our job to stay ahead of them, or find ways to serve audiences too small for them, etc.

So, there is some good, and there is some bad.  Certainly, we’re not hoping for more surprises like today’s, but the truth is that for a tiny company like us (and all companies, I’m sure) there is always something unexpected, negative, unhelpful, or anxiety-inducing to work through!  You work through it.

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Look at our way-cool custom markers! Drop shadows and everything!

We are more than just a little excited.

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I’ve been lax about rolling out the remainder of my eight passions which I started going on about here. Why such a slackard? Mostly, I wasn’t sure I could come up with seven more items about which I could claim to be truly passionate.

A story in the news the other day however set me straight. Here’s the story:

HONOLULU — Isolated from most of the world, Midway Atoll could open to visitors next year on a limited basis.

[…]

Midway, located 1,250 miles northwest of Honolulu, is at the tip of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, which was established in June.

So, where’s the passion? Oh baby, here it is:

Hawaii
I am mad about Hawaii. I’ve been several times. As mentioned above, Midway Atoll is part of the Hawaiian Islands. And though not a tropical paradise, I do hope to get to Midway some day.

Hawaii is easily one of my top-three passions. I love the sun, the land, the sea, the people, and it’s history. Forever I’ll remember my wife and I walking around the giant heiau by the Wailua River on the island of Kauai; fascinated by the massive structure, frightened by the noises coming from the tall grass, awed by the aura of the place.

History
I love history and the Battle of Midway was really my introduction to that subject outside of school. I remember repeatedly reading a paperback history about the battle. I believe I was 11 or 12 at the time. I still read quite a bit of history mostly WW II and the American Revolution.

But, let there be no doubt: I want to know the history of everything. I can’t get down half a city block without wanting to know the past of some building or street. Nevermind when I find an unexplained artifact in the woods. My behavior is downright compulsive.

Maps
I am also compulsive about maps and anytime I see one of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands mentioned I need to consult a map to see just where in the chain the island lies. Here’s a map now!

Almost any map will hold my attention for 30 minutes. Especially if it is someplace I’ve lived or visited or read about or want to visit. Especially if it is out of date or old. Especially if it is some combination of the previous. You get the point.

In Closing
Okay, so there are three more passions. I realize that I am not presenting them in rank order. In fact, these three are probably very near the top of my list!

Hmm!

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