MashupAustralia contest update

MashupAustralia contest I mentioned in my earlier post has been running for a week and a bit now. Only five entries so far (in descending order, from the newest to the oldest):

Your Victoria Online: Google Map based application to locate the nearest Emergency Services, Government Services, Schools and Public Internet etc.


Victorian Schools Locator: Google Map based application, created with mapspread.com map maker, this application shows locations of over 2,000 schools in Victoria.



Broadband Locator: the site is using Google Maps and Street View to display address information - visitors can enter the address and the application will show what broadband services are in their area.

Geocoded List of Medicare Office Locations: a geocoded ATOM feed of Medicare offices.

Postcode Finder: my first entry into the contest – with postcodes and suburbs boundaries and Victorian Police Stations as POI. I am planning to add more POI, eventually. Unfortunately, the data supplied for the contest is all over the place and cannot be just “plugged in” without major rework (I mean, to show consistent information or reasonable spatial accuracy).



Judging by the number of visitors coming to my page from mashupaustralia.org site and the number of entries to date the contest is not as widely embraced as many may have hoped for, but these are still early days. Hopefully, my blog can bring a bit of extra publicity for this contest. It is after all a very worthy cause.

The closing time for lodging entries into the contest has been extended to 4PM Friday, 13th November 2009 so it gives plenty of time for building complex applications. There will also be a number of mashup events over the next few weeks which should bring plenty of exciting new entries:

• Google MashupAustralia Hack Night #2 (6-9pm, October 28, Sydney)
• GovHack ( 3pmOctober 30 through to Saturday 31, Canberra)
• OpenAustralia Hackfest – The MashupAustralia Edition (11am-8pm November 7 and Sunday November 8, Sydney)

I can already claim one “conciliation prize” in this contest – being the first entrant into the competition! It does not come with any formal accolades nor a cheque but this will do me just fine. I am not really in contention for any prizes. Just wait till you see what is cooking in garages around the country and what master chefs - cream of Australian GIS industry - will soon start to serve!