how to make a link to a map that shows a bird's location

[stvgarrett]

I'm going to take another stab at posting a clearer description of how to post a link to a map showing the location of a sighting (sorry to Mac users, you will have to translate from Windows mouse instructions):

While you are posting a topic in this bulletin board, open a new browser window or tab. In that new window,

1. Open google maps: http://maps.google.com and navigate using the mouse to the location of the sighting. Zoom to an appropriate level using the zoom controls at the left of the map.

2. Right-click on the spot where the sighting occurred; a drop-down menu will appear beside the cursor. Select "What's here?" from the menu. Notice that in the Google Maps search input box above the actual maps, you will see the numerical values for the longitude and latitude of your point.

3. Copy the link location from the map and paste it into your posting. If you aren't sure how to do that, here's some more detail:

3a. How to copy the link: Over at the right side of the browser window, in a blue bar just above the map, you will see a button labelled "Link." Click the Link button. A dialog box appears below that shows the link to the map, highlighted in dark blue. Right click in the highlighted region showing the link (starting with http://etc. ) and from the drop-down menu that appears, select Copy.
3b. How to paste the link: Return to the browser window with your posting that you are creating in this forum, right click where you want to insert the link, and from the drop-down menu that appears, select Paste. You should see a link similar to this:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=43.621092 ... 27144&z=16

A green arrow appears on the map at the location you chose. Google will insert a marker with "A" on it for some nearby feature that it knows about - can't help that.

Please comment - do you think this is a good idea? worthwhile for people posting to try to do if they have an extra minute or two?
Are these instructions clear enough and easy enough to follow? Please try it and see if they make sense and let me know (post a comment or PM me).

[Andreas Jonsson]

Thanks for sharing these instructions. Great idea. It would be nice if the map could be embedded in the forum (i..e. not a simple link), but I think that would require Andy to updater the forum software (phpBB version 3 plus a plugin would be required). Having said that I don't think that it should be a requirement that people use mapping in their reports. It should be optional. We could perhaps add these instructions as a sticky to the reports section.

[stvgarrett]

Thanks Andreas - 100% agree that it should be optional.

[Reuven_M]

Defenitely a good idea (you'll notice I've used it a couple times), but it would be nice if google maps didn't put a marker at the nearest address too...

[stvgarrett]

Reuven_M, I agree. I think the appearance of the marker with the label for the address is due to the semantics of "What's here?" i.e. it's supposed to be a search for something that Google knows about that's close to the point in question. As opposed to being used by birders :-)

I suppose in some instances it might actually be useful, if for instance a reader of the posting wanted to know what was nearby.[/u]