All users mapped

September 20, 2002 3:19 PM

Courtesy of Aaaugh!'s mad GIS skillz, every metafilter member with a zipcode in their profile has been plotted on this map [inside]
posted by mathowie (staff) to MetaFilter-Related at 3:19 PM (107 comments total)

pretty cool (not a lot of activity in the flyover states, eh?)
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:21 PM on September 20, 2002

Thank you, Aaaugh!!

*dances happily*
posted by Darth Vader at 3:24 PM on September 20, 2002

You'd think that some of those red dots would've shown up at the last dismally attended MeFiLA.

Neato.
posted by eyeballkid at 3:26 PM on September 20, 2002

very cool! what's that square state in the middle without any members (you can tell I aced geography) : >
posted by amberglow at 3:26 PM on September 20, 2002

Ah, I see my one lonely red dot in the city by the lake.
posted by Zosia Blue at 3:26 PM on September 20, 2002

This is wicked cool!
posted by jmd82 at 3:27 PM on September 20, 2002

wyoming, amberglow. Montana also boasts zero members with a zip showing.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:31 PM on September 20, 2002

thanks! ....how about a membership drive out there? (if you care) We can all saddle up the horses....
posted by amberglow at 3:34 PM on September 20, 2002

That kicks ass so completely that I don't know what to do with myself. Nice job, Aaaughy-doggie.
posted by anildash at 3:37 PM on September 20, 2002

I'm tempted to enter either set of my grandparents' zip codes (Laramie, WY and Casper, WY) on my profile just to get a "Wyoming in da house!" red dot up on the map. (I'm actually in L.A. as I type.) Would that be cheating? After all, I did spend whole chapters of my childhood there, which was otherwise largely spent in The Other Square State (a/k/a Colorado).

(First post after many, many months of staring through the bars. Hi all.)
posted by scody at 3:39 PM on September 20, 2002

But...where's the World?
posted by MiguelCardoso at 3:49 PM on September 20, 2002

thanks, this is just the sort of information the terrorists like to have.
posted by madprops at 3:58 PM on September 20, 2002

But...where's the World?

or at least Canada.
posted by timeistight at 3:58 PM on September 20, 2002

But...where's the World?

Buh? Oh, you mean, like, Puerto Rico, right? I think that's where Portugal is, anyway. Do you have counties, there? Same language, and stuff. Don't worry, once you're an actual state we'll put you on the map.

posted by cortex at 3:59 PM on September 20, 2002

You could just put an arrow off the coast of NY, saying Here There Be Cardosos. But maybe a globe, in the future, would be neat. And a pony.

Great job, Aaaugh!
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:01 PM on September 20, 2002

Hey! I can see my house from here! *waves*
posted by ColdChef at 4:03 PM on September 20, 2002

once you're an actual state we'll put you on the map

~cough~ Alaska and Hawaii ~cough~

I guess they are not actual states.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:12 PM on September 20, 2002

I could ask him to regenerate it after a week or so.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:13 PM on September 20, 2002

Alaska and Hawaii

you mean the freak states? they don't count either.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:13 PM on September 20, 2002

Can we do a Risk board next?
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:19 PM on September 20, 2002

How about putting a checkbox ('Murrican?) on the profile page? Then Aaaugh! could add a "There be dragons" section in the corner of the map for all us huddled masses, yearning to free.
posted by timeistight at 4:23 PM on September 20, 2002

be free, that is.
posted by timeistight at 4:24 PM on September 20, 2002

Is it me, or does America's wang seem a little... infected?

Seriously, Aaaugh!, you gets mad props. Maybe next time around my zip code (or since I'm paranoid like skallas, a nearby one) will be representin'...
posted by madprops at 4:26 PM on September 20, 2002

That is damn cool, but I look at that map, and the first thing that comes to mind is - what is up with the ten thousand tiny counties in Kentucky and Georgia? Is their population that dense, that it needs so much segmentation?

Also, since we're all about making ridiculous requests - how about the next map is a 3/4 view 3D representation - so we can see the depth of all those stacked dots. Champaign, IL should make a nice neat stack.
posted by kokogiak at 4:27 PM on September 20, 2002

[UK Contingent]

Aw, we want one! That is perty cool...

[/UK Contingent]

And yeah, that wang looks decidedly....off.
Par for Florida, I guess.

*hides*
posted by dash_slot- at 4:30 PM on September 20, 2002

Alaska and Hawaii each had two members plotted, I believe. Maybe Hawaii had three. I forget. If anyone knows where to find a halfway decent map of Canadian postal codes, I'd be glad to expand the map.

There were fewer than 800 members in the database, and not all of them had valid zip codes. It would be no problem to do this again in the future if more people decide to provide data. When I ran the map with numbers from June (about 600 members), it didn't look much different.
posted by Aaaugh! at 4:33 PM on September 20, 2002

Actually, Aaaugh!, the zip code field won't hold a postal code -- it's only five characters long.

Sorry to go off on you after all your work. Surly defensiveness is our national disease.
posted by timeistight at 4:38 PM on September 20, 2002

If anyone knows where to find a halfway decent map of Canadian postal codes, I'd be glad to expand the map.

Here's Vancouver for a start:

posted by timeistight at 4:44 PM on September 20, 2002

Man, the Texas panhandle is a lonely place.
posted by the biscuit man at 4:50 PM on September 20, 2002

When I ran the map with numbers from June (about 600 members), it didn't look much different.

No, it is different. There's a red dot in the 78759 zip code. That's me!

Aaauhg! this is very cool.
posted by birdherder at 4:52 PM on September 20, 2002

Er, sorry I wasn't more specific. A gif or jpg won't do much good, I'm afraid, as GIS software needs both graphical and database components. I was hoping someone knew of a Canadian equivalent of TIGER files.
posted by Aaaugh! at 4:54 PM on September 20, 2002

I was kidding, Aaaugh! I didn't really think you were going to paste together five million little GIFs to make a one big map.
posted by timeistight at 4:58 PM on September 20, 2002

Ah yes, Risk...do we have any members from Madagascar?
posted by adampsyche at 5:18 PM on September 20, 2002

That is awesome. Thank you!

posted by Bones423 at 5:18 PM on September 20, 2002

well the data is all vector based, so it is conceivable that a GIS output -> Flash input would be possible, and in flash, you could do flyovers, projections, etc, if given enough incoming data.

I suppose we could make this worldwide by everyone entering in their long/lat coordinates, but those are a lot harder to remember than a five digit number for most americans.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:30 PM on September 20, 2002

Matt, I'd be much more tempted to enter my zip code on my profile page if it was a field that didn't display anywhere, even to members only.
posted by machaus at 5:44 PM on September 20, 2002

I don't understand the reluctance to give a ZIP code - do they really pin you down in any sense?
posted by gleuschk at 5:50 PM on September 20, 2002

Here's a utility that will find your longitude/latitude based on an IP address. It's kinda unreliable outside the US, though.

It would be cool to redo the map in a week or two, when everyone who wants in has had a chance to add their zipcode.
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 5:52 PM on September 20, 2002

looks like i'm the only one around chattanooga....*sigh*

meetup is going to be a sad place this month
posted by mkelley at 6:13 PM on September 20, 2002

Wow, I need to put my zip code in - there's NOBODY in my county showing - although it does look like there's one person in Evansville, in the next county.

This is very cool.
posted by ctartchick at 6:18 PM on September 20, 2002

Yelling at Nothing, is that the correct link? I can't seem to find the conversion.
posted by eddydamascene at 6:26 PM on September 20, 2002

Really very cool. That's one of the nicest plotted maps I've ever seen.
posted by waxpancake at 6:26 PM on September 20, 2002

not a lot of activity in the flyover states, eh?

Plenty of activity here, just not a lot of MetaFilter members. "Flyover states"? Let's not make with the coastal chauvinism, eh?
posted by bradlands at 7:21 PM on September 20, 2002

I added my zipcode to my profile. One more vote in the flyover states once it gets re-done... Thanks Aaaugh!, very nice.
posted by internal at 8:16 PM on September 20, 2002

Here's a shout out to all the Colorado MeFi's - there seems to be a cluster up in Boulder County, but here I am down in JeffCo.

And I spend a lot of time in Wyoming, too - can I list it as an alternate zip in my profile?
posted by jazon at 8:26 PM on September 20, 2002

One significant omission, but otherwise very cool indeed, Mr Aaaugh!, sir.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:27 PM on September 20, 2002

kokogiac: what is up with the ten thousand tiny counties in Kentucky and Georgia?

I can't speak for Georgia, but here in Kentucky when the lines were being drawn the law said a citizen had to be able to walk to his/her county seat and back home in the same day. Yes, we realize we're ridiculous now that it's the 21st century and all, and we're darn proud of it.

Greetings to fellow mefians in or near Louisville. And thanks Aaaugh! Awesome!
posted by Alylex at 8:31 PM on September 20, 2002

I wonder who the other dot is with me on the north ga/tn border?
posted by mcsweetie at 8:47 PM on September 20, 2002

mkelley: Actually, there are at least two of us. :) And there's a meetup? We are we going? ;-)
posted by tsitzlar at 9:30 PM on September 20, 2002

Okay, now Montana is represented. I challenge any users in Wyoming to follow suit. Anybody...anybody...Bueller?
posted by Wulfgar! at 9:33 PM on September 20, 2002

And JC.Jumpcar, Matt, when the hell did we become just flyover states?
posted by Wulfgar! at 9:36 PM on September 20, 2002

That was aaaugh!some Aaaugh!.
Timesight too funny.
posted by thomcatspike at 9:36 PM on September 20, 2002

So, number 1, are you going to put a sidebar link to this cool-ass beastie map, and notify us when the updates happen? Enquiring minds want to know!
posted by Wulfgar! at 9:39 PM on September 20, 2002

That is terribly awesome. I've always wondered if there were any geographical rhymes or reasons to the Metafilter readership... now we know! It'd be interesting to compare this sort of thing with other demographic maps showing, for example, educational attainment, home ownership, age... all of which is readily available for free from the (cue theme from Rocky) Census Bureau.

Also: one way to map worldwide users would be to have them enter their city/town name and then correlate that with the handy gazetteer CD that comes with ESRI's Arc GIS software. It has pert' near every place name on earth.

posted by yalestar at 10:04 PM on September 20, 2002

Alylex, thanks for that - the question (about Kentucky's counties) was rhetorical, but I love that there was an interesting explanation.
posted by kokogiak at 11:37 PM on September 20, 2002

Crap, sorry about that. That was another page I came across in the search. Teach me to proofread a little better. Here's the right link.
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 1:28 AM on September 21, 2002

OK.....I give up.....WHERE'S WALDO?
What color is he again?
posted by Max's Daddy at 1:38 AM on September 21, 2002

I second dash_slot's cry for a map for the UK. We'd take a map of Europe if we had to though :) Of course, any UK map should only represent the more important regions - out of the way hamlets like that mythical 'Oxford' place you hear from old wives' tales certainly shouldn't be on a map...
posted by adrianhon at 5:59 AM on September 21, 2002

Waldo is hiding, he hasn't listed his zip code.
posted by riffola at 6:01 AM on September 21, 2002

do [ZIP codes] really pin you down in any sense?
A pretty reliable rule of thumb in marketing analytics is that a combination of sex, age and zip code identifies a unique person (accuracy decreases in big cities). Now, that doesn't mean someone with such information can automatically identify who you are, just that those 500 tubes of toothpaste sold in June where not bought by one person. There are companies out there, though, that will map such "anonymous" data to real people (with data purchased from the registry of motor vehicles for example). Adding your zip code to your metafilter profile, though, won't let people identify you, as there's no other information on the user page that could be mapped to other databases that do identify who you are (e-mail address would do that, but then the zip code is irrelevant).
posted by dchase at 6:29 AM on September 21, 2002

Well mcsweetie, that is either me or tsitzlar.
posted by mkelley at 6:44 AM on September 21, 2002

Could the map also be broken down to the actual number of members in an area? For example, according to the map, it looks like NY, LA, and Chicago have the most members, but which city actually wins the number game? (Chi-ca-go! Chi-ca-go! Chi-ca-go!)
posted by jacknose at 7:11 AM on September 21, 2002

adrianhon: I'd go further, London postcodes only. Because everybody knows that everything outide the M25 is sheer barbarism, barbarism I tell you. Big up the SE15 massive! [I can't believe I just typed that]
posted by nedrichards at 7:41 AM on September 21, 2002

Just put my zipcode in my profile - there are only 100 people in our town/zip code out in nowhere - betcha me and my S.O. are the only MeFiers here - LOL. Hey - but what if we aren't? Any 95043'ers around? :-)
posted by thunder at 8:20 AM on September 21, 2002

I put my zip in my profile. I feel it's worth mentioning that I know of at least two other mefites who are probably no longer living in the zip codes they originally listed when they became members.

It is a very cool project. Hopefully we can eventually have little pictures of our faces instead of dots. Or something.
posted by bingo at 11:29 AM on September 21, 2002

I'm surprised nobody from Austin, TX has beaten me to placing a red dot in central Texas. Herewith, I place my flag...
posted by FearTormento at 12:18 PM on September 21, 2002

I see I am the second person from western North Carolina. I think that my dot is over the wrong county though. Its over Cleveland County instead of Rutherford County. No big deal though. I'm just glad to be on the map!
posted by jasonbondshow at 1:14 PM on September 21, 2002

Hey folks: What's the link for that site that gives you a satellite map of your house when you put in your address? (I'm on my way out the door or I'd look it up.) I could SWEAR one of those sites also gives you long./lat. coordinates.

I remember how funny it was, having my geo coordinates for Bumfuck, OH. It was like, "I'm nowhere, but now I know where I am."
(But, Hey, Harlan Ellison grew up here, and it scarred him permanently into becoming a writer.)
posted by Shane at 1:26 PM on September 21, 2002

For comment above: (I guess I should have quoted Matt in saying we could use long/lat's to do a world map.)
posted by Shane at 1:34 PM on September 21, 2002

FearTormento -- Austin is that big dot in central TX. The little dot to the southwest is SA. I thought the same thing too... too many little counties that are all shaped the same.
posted by birdherder at 1:46 PM on September 21, 2002

Ah, thanks birdherder. I thought we were the 'Boot.'
posted by FearTormento at 2:08 PM on September 21, 2002

Shane: Microsoft Terraserver will show you an aerial photo of whatever address you type in, if there is a photo available. You can use the long/lat of the picture to estimate those of the address. Also, to help: Resources for determining your longitude and latitude.
posted by rio at 2:35 PM on September 21, 2002

Microsoft Terraserver
Thanks, Rio! For me, this is more fun than going the long/lat by ISP route.
posted by Shane at 3:58 PM on September 21, 2002

Where are the technical details? What software running on what system?
posted by Mo Nickels at 4:21 PM on September 21, 2002

Is the raw data available anywhere? I'd love to see how many are in my specific area.
posted by quirked at 4:59 PM on September 21, 2002

Wait, so I am not the only person here from northwest Arkansas? Damn. Very cool map though. Me likes.
posted by bargle at 7:06 PM on September 21, 2002

Now, adrianhon, you know I have a can o 'Whupp-Ass' wit you name on it, you don't want me to come ALL the way over to the stinky ole' fens to open it up on yo' ass.....

heheh

That's if we could find that ole swamp that was founded 600 years ago, when we kicked you out the first time...


posted by dash_slot- at 7:39 PM on September 21, 2002

Microsoft Terraserver does not work for the South East UK, part of the 5th biggest economy in the world.

4th, counting freakin' Californ-eye-ay sperately.
posted by dash_slot- at 7:45 PM on September 21, 2002

Microsoft Terraserver does not work for the South East UK, part of the 5th biggest economy in the world.

Most of the best imagery comes from the USGS. So once the UK is made the 51st state, I'm sure they'll get the arial shots like this of my place.
posted by birdherder at 8:41 PM on September 21, 2002

Alright, time for me to start organizing a North Dakota meet-up for me and that one other person. We might let the single South Dakotan in.
posted by nathan_teske at 9:20 PM on September 21, 2002

I cede the U.K. to birdherder.
does anyone want Germany? i cant seem to even give the place away.
posted by clavdivs at 10:08 PM on September 21, 2002

It appears I am one of two people in Delaware. Previously, I would have been one of two people in Lincoln, NE. Seems to be my lot in life.

GIS software is way cool. I was supposed to learn it at my last job, but things got Evil so I never got the opportunity.
posted by eilatan at 6:33 AM on September 22, 2002

As far as I recall.. the GNP charts had the UK as 4th in 1999 (behind USA, Japan, Germany).. but recently it has slipped into 5th as France has just slipped past, despite having a smaller population.
posted by wackybrit at 6:52 AM on September 22, 2002

Perhaps this thread will have inspired other MeFiers to fill in their ZIP code section. It'll be cool to see this map regenerated sometime in the future.
posted by wackybrit at 6:53 AM on September 22, 2002

Whee! Now that I moved from Texas to Montana, I'm the sole Montana MeFi-er! Better update my profile to reflect the move...
posted by davidmsc at 8:08 AM on September 22, 2002

Ukers who want a (poor quality) photo of their house should just go to Multimap.
posted by salmacis at 9:49 AM on September 22, 2002

cool, other Alabama people.. at least the south isnt as bare as the mid states
posted by dig_duggler at 9:59 AM on September 22, 2002

What I want to know is, who are these other Pittsburghers? I know Arco and BlueTrain, but who else? It looks like there are four or five of us, and someone down in Washington County... BurghMeFiers, represent!
posted by Dreama at 10:52 AM on September 22, 2002

Aaaugh: I wonder whether your map could not be fruitfully superimposed on the library cat map? They seem to be intimately linked. And I think I know why.

I beseech you: take a look at Prunella, the resident cat of the Biblioteca Centrale di Architettura in Turin, gaze deeply into her snarky, don't-fuck-with-me eyes and tell me she's not very deeply Metafilter-related... ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 12:00 PM on September 22, 2002

"you mean the freak states? they don't count either.
posted by mathowie at 4:13 PM PST on September 20"

Was that supposed to be sarcasm, or were you being serious?



posted by Blaze_01 at 8:42 PM on September 22, 2002

it's was a joke blaze.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:13 PM on September 22, 2002

Hey, look! I can see my house from here! *waves*
posted by SPrintF at 9:36 PM on September 22, 2002

Now I have my zip code in my profile, so maybe next time eastern WA will have a little more representation. I used to be from Montana, though. Can I have two spots?
posted by faceonmars at 7:36 AM on September 23, 2002

It looks like the US has some kind of rash or break out of some sorts.
posted by brent at 8:14 AM on September 23, 2002

The East has more Internet Access than the West. AND/OR
The East is more lonlier than the WEST. AND/OR
The East works less hours than the WEST.

hmmMmMmMmm
posted by adnanbwp at 8:36 AM on September 23, 2002

davidmsc - Whee! Now that I moved from Texas to Montana, I'm the sole Montana MeFi-er.

Uhhhhh...not exactly.
posted by Wulfgar! at 8:44 AM on September 23, 2002

(not a lot of activity in the flyover states, eh?)

Actually, other than Seattle, Portland, the Bay Area, San Angeles and Colorado, the Western US is mostly barren. The dots taper to practically nothing at almost the exact midline of the country -- there's practically a line from Houston up to South Dakota beyond which the density drops.
posted by me3dia at 9:06 AM on September 23, 2002

I bet there's a lot of unrepresented MeFi-ers in Kamchatka, Kafkaesque.
posted by picea at 9:13 AM on September 23, 2002

It'd be cheating to have dots for all the places you've lived while a MeFi member. I'd be one or two Atlantans, two Jacksonville residents, and two bitches of Congress' whimsy... um, I mean, citizens of Washington DC.
posted by Sapphireblue at 11:04 AM on September 23, 2002

As one of apparently two, I would just like to represent for Alaska. Yo.
posted by mccreath at 12:39 PM on September 23, 2002

but recently it has slipped into 5th as France has just slipped past, despite having a smaller population.

How can that be? I've driven through France and there's absolutely nobody there. And the shops all shut for 3 hours at lunch. Where's the money coming from? Is it those bloody arms sales to Iraq?
posted by Summer at 2:03 PM on September 23, 2002

you mean the freak states? they don't count either.

Ey! Florida's the freak state. Get it right.

Seriously, though, I don't know about AK, but HI has more than a few MeFites.

In the short term, why not a Guestmap?
posted by pzarquon at 1:40 PM on September 24, 2002

wow. im the only one here in tallahassee, florida. who would have thunk it. :P
posted by ewwgene at 5:55 PM on September 25, 2002

Check out your longitude/latitude here
posted by matteo at 11:48 AM on September 26, 2002

Or here

Something tells me it will be a long time before Gifu, Japan makes a mark on the MeFi map....
posted by squasha at 5:32 PM on September 27, 2002

I've added my Atlanta (Decatur, actually) ZIP to the rest! Is there any chance of getting actual numbers of members with the dots? I'm very curious about that and it's hard to tell how many dots are on top of one another. I'm originally from Knoxville, TN and I was shocked to see dots there! Who'd a thunk it?? KnoxVegas is on the map! And NO, I do NOT want to have a dot there. As for the teensy counties, hell, that's nothing! You should see the gerrymandered congressional districts!! :)
posted by misangela at 4:10 PM on September 30, 2002

I filled out my zip code, all for naught. Guam is not on the map. Boohoo. Then again, Guam never is.
posted by pinkstar at 4:15 PM on September 30, 2002