Panoramio is a
geolocation-orientedGeotagging is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various media such as photographs, video, websites, or RSS feeds and is a form of geospatial metadata...
photo sharingPhoto sharing is the publishing or transfer of a user's digital photos online, thus enabling the user to share them with others . This functionality is provided through both websites and applications that facilitate the upload and display of images...
website. Currently, some of the photos uploaded to the site can be accessed as a layer in
Google EarthGoogle Earth is an information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a company acquired by Google in 2004. It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3D globe...
and
Google MapsGoogle Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
, with new photos being added at the end of every month. The site's goal is to allow Google Earth users to learn more about a given area by viewing the photos that other users have taken at that place. The website is available in several languages.
Panoramio was started in the summer of 2005 by Joaquín Cuenca Abela and Eduardo Manchón Aguilar, two
SpanishSpanish people or Spaniards constitute the nationality and ethnic group of natives of Spain, a European country in the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. The Spanish nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the complex history of Spain...
entrepreneurs.
Panoramio is a
geolocation-orientedGeotagging is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various media such as photographs, video, websites, or RSS feeds and is a form of geospatial metadata...
photo sharingPhoto sharing is the publishing or transfer of a user's digital photos online, thus enabling the user to share them with others . This functionality is provided through both websites and applications that facilitate the upload and display of images...
website. Currently, some of the photos uploaded to the site can be accessed as a layer in
Google EarthGoogle Earth is an information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a company acquired by Google in 2004. It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3D globe...
and
Google MapsGoogle Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
, with new photos being added at the end of every month. The site's goal is to allow Google Earth users to learn more about a given area by viewing the photos that other users have taken at that place. The website is available in several languages.
History
Panoramio was started in the summer of 2005 by Joaquín Cuenca Abela and Eduardo Manchón Aguilar, two
SpanishSpanish people or Spaniards constitute the nationality and ethnic group of natives of Spain, a European country in the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. The Spanish nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the complex history of Spain...
entrepreneurs. It was officially launched on October 3 2005, and by March 19 2007, it had archived over 1 million user submitted photographs. Three months later, on June 27, 2007, the number of photos reached two million. After a further four months, on October 25, 2007, the number of archived photos reached five million.
On May 30 2007,
GoogleGoogle Inc. is an American public corporation, earning revenue from advertising related to its Internet search, e-mail, online mapping, office productivity, social networking, and video sharing services as well as selling advertising-free versions of the same technologies. Google has also...
announced plans to acquire the website, and Panoramio was acquired by
GoogleGoogle Inc. is an American public corporation, earning revenue from advertising related to its Internet search, e-mail, online mapping, office productivity, social networking, and video sharing services as well as selling advertising-free versions of the same technologies. Google has also...
on July 2007.
Google Maps API has recently been used by some other websites like
Everytrail.com,
Globalmotion.com,
twip.org,
Wolpy.com and
Wikiexplora to allow users upload and geotag their photos.
Organization
Panoramio asks users to organize images using
tagsIn online computer systems terminology, a tag is a non-hierarchical keyword or term assigned to a piece of information . This kind of metadata helps describe an item and allows it to be found again by browsing or searching...
(a form of metadata), which allow searchers to find images concerning a certain topic such as
place nameIn geography, Location is a position or point in physical space that something occupies on the Earth's surface, the Solar System, or mankinds physically reachable universe...
or subject matter. Panoramio was also an early website to implement
tag cloudA tag cloud or word cloud is a visual depiction of user-generated tags, or simply the word content of a site, used typically to describe the content of web sites. Tags are usually single words and are typically listed alphabetically, and the importance of a tag is shown with font size or color...
s, which provide access to images tagged with the most popular keywords. The website also hosts a list of world famous sites.
Images that have (or are perceived to have) as their central subject people, machines, vehicles or anything within the interiors of structures, or depict public events such as fairs or concerts, are excluded from the GoogleEarth layer, as are any potentially controversial images. No waivers are granted even if the images are historical or otherwise vintage in nature. Images judged to be too creative or "artsy" in concept might also be excluded from GoogleEarth regardless of other requirements met.
Licensing
Panoramio allows photo contributors to choose the license type of their photos. Contributors choose to keep all the rights as author or to give some of them using
Creative CommonsCreative Commons is a non-profit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons licenses...
licenses.
External links