Mapathon

A mapathon is a coordinated mapping event. The public is invited to make online map improvements in their local area to improve coverage and to help disaster risk assessment and energy management. Mapathons use an online site for storing map data, for example, Google Maps and OpenStreetMap. A mapathon is organized by a respective organization or a non-profit organisation or local government.

Mapathons are often held inside (armchair mapping) in a room with strong Wi-Fi for simultaneous access, assisted by satellite imagery. Mapathons can also be an outside activity with online simultaneous map editing assisted by global positioning system trackers on mobile devices.

In 2009, in Atlanta, the capital of the US state of Georgia, United States, about 200 volunteers walked around the city with GPS-enabled devices and expanded OpenStreetMap.

Google Mapathon is an annual event organized by Google that invites the public to make improvements to Google Maps, through the Google Map Maker.

In February and March, 2013, in India, volunteers mapped local areas on Google Maps. The prizes included Samsung Galaxy Note tablets. Some locals, including the competition winner Vishal Saini, mapped sensitive military installations in Pathankot. In March 2013, a right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party member of parliament Tarun Vijay told authorities that mapping the area was against India's national map policy. Delhi police investigated the incident. Survey of India, an Indian government mapping agency, contacted Google. Google responded by denying the claim and asserting that the mapping was legal. In January 2016, following an attack on the military structures in Pathankot, the Delhi High Court ruled Google to appear in Court in February, but did not make any rulings restricting Google from continuing to host the map data online.

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Wikipedia