This chapter focuses on the World Wide Web (or "the Web") and how this technology has fundamentally changed the way in which mapping activities take place.
In section 24.1, we provide a short history of the Web, its components and how it works In that section we also explain the differences between the commonly confused terms "the Web" and "the Internet. Common ways in which the Web is used and related technologies such as FTP, IP, and HTTP are also covered.
In section 24.2, we introduce a classification of cartographically themed Web sites In our classification, we attempt to survey those Web sites that are particularly interesting from a cartographic standpoint and demonstrate how the distribution of geospatial data has changed a result of the Web. Our classification organizes various cartographically themed Web sites into five continua that begin to describe the rich variety of approaches that have been used to distribute geospatial data.
In developing this chapter, we purposefully chose those Web sites that are stand-alone applications (i.e, are able to run by themselves across the Web) and do not require the purchase of any additional software.
The first continuum categorizes Web sites as containing either preexisting maps or custom-tailored maps. The distinction is between those Web sites that contain maps that are already created (historically, preexisting maps were the first to appear on Web sites) versus those Web sites that allow users to interact with the data to create a map that is custom-tailored to the users' specifications.
For example, the National Park Service offers a Web site that allows users to download preexisting maps of various national parks in the United States, but does not offer users any opportunities to change a map's appearance.
In contrast, American Fectfinder offers Web-based tools that allow individuals to modify the map (eg, change the data classification system or choose a new color scheme)