Eugene at PubSub spotted a great newspaper mash-up this morning. In covering the current New York Transit workers strike, the New York Times has created a mash-up using Google Maps to collect readers stories of how they are dealing with the strike.
If you go to the site, click on the tags and you'll see reader's comments that apply to the specific location in the city. For instance, a Laura Napier recommends that bikers use Fifth Avenue "since the city has set it aside for emergency vehicles" and, presumably they permit bikes as well. Lani Muller reports that the walk from near LGA airport to Columbia University takes about three hours (and at least a bottle of water.) "Great sunrise from the bridge, though.". Robert F. Corrado adds to his note on coming in from Queens: "If Al Qaeda couldn't stop New York, what makes the TWU think they can?" [Note: Until yesterday, the TWU slogan was: "We move New York!"... That slogan has been put on sabbatical...]
It seems to me that this approach to integrating reader's comments into the reporting of the newspaper is one that would have many applications. Let's hope the NYT and other papers continue to innovate in this way.
bob wyman
Comments