Masmap is dedicated to being a technology enabler for geospatial advancement in Malaysia and Singapore as much as Apache is to web serving and OpenOffice is to office productivity suites.
You can make use of the maps available here for any purpose you want. The philosophy for making open source maps is to provide the opportunity for the community to shape his own society, relevant to his domain. If other domains can add value to these maps and is able to utilize geospatial intelligence to move forward with their cause be it for political, social, urban planning, logistics or health, then we have achieved our goal.
Masmap is maintained and developed as the topic of a research project investigating the formative evaluation of GIS in health care. Masmap has no commercial funding and does not accept advertising.
About Masmappers
We’re a small group of mappers gathered around the idea of making mapping a little more fun. We’re obsessive about simplicity and quality, and we’d like to think we’re building something special for ourselves and for you.
If you enjoy map-making and would like to volunteer to map your area, you're always welcome to join us.
Benefits of Volunteering
Adapted from Ten Professional Development Benefits of Volunteering (Everything I Learned in Life I Learned through Volunteering). Mary V. Merrill, LSW, Merrill Associates
Volunteering to build maps has a meaningful, positive impact on your community. But did you know that it can have many benefits for you too? Here are some reasons to volunteer:
To Learn A New Skill
Volunteering is the perfect vehicle to discover something you are really good at and develop a new skill. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” It is never too late to learn new skills and no reason why you should stop adding to your knowledge just because you are in employment or have finished your education. Planning and implementing a tracklogging session of unmapped areas can develop goal setting and planning as well as budgeting skills to cover as many drivable roads with the lowest time and fuel cost as possible. Once you are experienced enough, supervising and training other volunteer mappers helps to develop leadership skills. These are examples of skills that can enhance a career but you don’t have to develop skills with the intention of facilitating your career. When you join this elite community of mappers you will meet people from a diverse skillset and experience of doing the same things differently. We have mappers who are bankers, labourers, lift engineers, teachers, lawyers, policeman, programmers, surgeons, pharmacists and househusbands. All of them with their own strength and weaknesses, prejudices, cultural norms, language barriers and idiosyncracies, but with the same goal of making better maps.
Be part of your community
No man or woman is an island. We sometimes take for granted the community that we live in. People and societies co-depend on each other for survival but growth of such things as commercialism are seeing traditional values being disregarded. Communities are suffering due to the growth of secular societies but at the same time we can really bridge that expanding gap through volunteering. Volunteering is ultimately about helping others and having an impact on people’s wellbeing. What better way is there to connect with your commmunity and give a little back? As a volunteer, you certainly return to society some of the benefits that society gives you.
Motivation and sense of achievement
Fundamentally, volunteering is about giving your time, energy and skills freely. Unlike many things in life there is choice involved in volunteering. As a volunteer you have made a decision to help on your own accord, free from pressure to act from others. Volunteers predominantly express a sense of achievement and motivation, and this is ultimately generated from your desire and enthusiasm to help. Sometimes volunteers are regarded as do-gooders and those that hold that view also assume that one person can never make a difference. It may be true that no one person can solve all the world’s problems, but what you can do is make that little corner of the world where you live just that little bit better.
Boost your career options
A survey carried out by leading businesses showed that:
* 73% of employers would recruit a candidate with volunteering experience over one without
* 94% of employers believe that volunteering can add to skills
* 94% of employees who volunteered to learn new skills had benefited either by getting their first job, improving their salary, or being promoted
Also, if you are thinking of a career change then volunteering as a mapper is a perfect way to make new friends. You meet people from diverse background here at Masmap that they can advise you on how to go about doing it.
New interests and hobbies
Sometimes we do get locked into the “rat-race” of life and volunteering can give that escape to everday routine and create a balance in our lives. Finding new interests and hobbies through volunteering can be fun, relaxing and energizing. Help us track a new unmapped area or trace rivers and lakes from Google Earth for a few hours a week or help us draw the map of the city you live in. The energy and sense of fulfilment can carry over to a work situation and sometimes helps to relieve tensions and foster new perspectives for old situations. Sometimes a volunteer experience can lead you to something you never even thought about or help you discover a hobby or interest you were unaware of. You can strengthen your personal/professional mission and vision by exploring opportunities and expanding your horizons.
Meeting a diverse range of people
Volunteering brings together a diverse range of people from all backgrounds and walks of life. Both the recipients of your volunteer efforts and your co-workers can be a rich source of inspiration and an excellent way to develop your interpersonal skills. Volunteering also offers an incredible networking opportunity. Not only will you develop lasting personal and professional relationships but it is also a great way to learn about people from all walks of life, different environments, and new industries. Networking is an exciting benefit of volunteering and you can never tell who you will meet or what new information you will learn and what impact this could have on your life.
Send a signal to your employer, teachers, friends and family…
People pay attention to your life outside the environment in which they have direct contact with you. For example, your employer would be interested in the activities that gives you a good work-life balance, just as academic institutions are interested in your extra-curricular activities. Volunteering reflects and supports a complete picture of you, and gives real examples of your commitment, dedication and interests. Show people what you are passionate about and maybe you will inspire them too!