There are a number of commercially available trail map solutions for popular GPSr but this trail map is different.  These maps are created by the geocaching user community in something that has be referred to as crowdsourcing.  This is where a large group of interest parties get together and share information, resources or skills, in order to create something new. Wikipedia is a more popular example of a crowdsourced solution.

The maps made available through Gregory’s Ontario Trails Project are free.   There are a variety of ways to get the maps for the various GPSr units that are  out there.   Visit his site for full instructions.

Here is a case where members of a community can contribute a small piece of information that their GPS captures anyway and contribute to the creation of a useful tool.  What other helpful tools can be created when passion meets expertise and is supported by a like-minded crowd?

In order to find a geocache someone first has to place it, so right out of the gate you get a kind of a social interaction.  It takes at a minimum two people to make geocaching work.  If it was just two people you wouldn’t really need a website now would you?  The process works something like this:  place geocache and post it on the web, participants go to the web to find available geocaches, go outside and look for the geocache, come home and post a log about your experience.   As it turns out there are a lot of Geocachers.  There have been almost 700,000 logs written in the last 7 days by almost 87,000 members.   This is an active community.

Not only is the community active in cyberspace it is also active in real-space.  There are many geocaching events going on in a given month.  These events are an opportunity for geocachers to get together and share experiences and in some cases make exciting new ones.   My trip to Ishpatina Ridge was one such event.  For that event me and my geocaching buddy Bakers Dozen along with four other people flew to within 4 km of the cache.  There were other’s that boated or hiked in.  It was a diverse group that is for sure.  It was also a ton of fun.  We celebrated our hike to Ontario’s Highest point with a glass of wine brought along for the occasion by Zoeker Bill.

Geocaching is an excellent example of how the social web increases real contact between people.  The more events you attend the more people you will meet.   All of this is enabled and facilitated by a social application in cyberspace.

If you’re not sure this is an activity for you then you might want to check out these websites for personal accounts of other people’s experiences.

• Geocaching Online
• Geocaching Mania

You may have a different list or you may prefer some other device.  Here is my list of 10 reasons why I love my Blackberry.

1. It has a real keyboard.  You have to use your thumbs but once you are used to that you can pound out short messages very easily.
2. The built in camera is very handy.  I’ve used it to take pictures of my kids, grab pics of a whiteboard diagram, everyday dramas.  It just comes in so handy, especially on the social web.
3. Geocaching software.  Don’t know what geocaching is then jump over to Cachemania to find out – What is Geocaching?  Not only is it paperless geocaching it also allows you to geocache anywhere, anytime without preperation.  Get to an intersting spot where you think there might be a geocache?  Spark up the Blackberry and Geocache Navigator to find out.
4. Google Maps.   I can’t count how many times I’ve used Google Maps to either help me find where I”m going or even to help me find a place that I didn’t realize I needed to go until I was in a different city.  Buying roses for my wife comes to mind.   I was out geocaching and realized I needed to get the flowers for our 15th Anniversary the next day (give me some credit it wasn’t a last minute decision).  I dropped florist into a Google Map search and it lead me over to the Florist in Barrie.  That was handy.
5. Google Latitude. This one creeps a lot of people out but it is not as creepy as you might think.  Google Latitude allows me to share my location with my friends.  I chose who gets to see where I am and when.  Adoption on this feature is bound to be slow.  I”m sure some people don’t even realize but I know use it to automatically post what city I”m in to my Google Talk status.
6. Twitter Tools.  Whether it’s Twitterberry or Twitpic both of which beneifit from being accessable from my Blackberry.   I posted pictures from a major traffic jam on the 401 to my Twitpic account.  That wouldn’t have been possible without the Blackberry.
7. Bright enough to be an impromptu flashlight.   My wife and I were at concert featuring Squeeze when she managed to knock her glasses off.  Try finding those on the dancefloor of a club without illumination!
8. Speaking of music, now that there is a Blackberry Application store I’ve been able to install Shazam for my Blackberry.  So to all you iPhone users that thought you were special, not anymore.
9. Even more music.  RIM has updated their Blackberry synchronization software so that now I can sync playlists from my iTunes directly to my Blackberry.  That has been so very helpful.   I still use my iPod as my main music listening device, in the old days we called them Walkmans, but having a subset of my music everywhere I go has allowed me to carry two devices less often.
10. I can get email, addressbook and calendar while I’m mobile.  We shouldn’t underestimate how powerful it is to remain that connected when your business is you.  I have no receptionist, I have not assistant, it’s just me.  The need to stay connected is compounded when your business runs on Internet time.  There are no timezones, there is no business day when you are operating on Internet time.

So what did I miss?  I’m sure you have your reasons for liking the Blackberry or for you Apple fans your iPhone.  Tell me what you think I missed by posting a comment.