Map Portal is being developed in stages. We want to distinguish clearly between features that work today, features currently being built and longer-term directions.
What works today
Map Portal is already used as a working platform for:
- exploring published places on an interactive map;
- searching and filtering geographic objects;
- storing descriptions, coordinates and photographs;
- keeping draft and published revisions separate;
- working with a personal photo library;
- creating trips and day-by-day plans;
- adding catalogue places and personal waypoints;
- planning stops, activities and transfers;
- calculating and manually editing driving routes;
- tracking time, daylight and expenses;
- reviewing a journey on the map.
The interface and some workflows will continue to change as the platform is tested through real use.
What is not available yet
Map Portal is not currently a complete offline navigator and does not replace a specialised driving or outdoor navigation application.
The following capabilities are not yet complete:
- open public registration;
- full GPX, KML and KMZ import;
- a library of user tracks;
- recording a completed journey;
- a public route library;
- global address search and reverse geocoding;
- full collaboration between several participants;
- offline maps and downloadable trip packages;
- background GPS navigation;
- live tracking of people and vehicles;
- automatic synchronisation with a mobile application;
- a catalogue of guides, routes and travel services.
Some of these capabilities are part of the project’s direction, but we do not want to present plans as if they were a finished product.
Near-term directions
Tracks
Importing and storing travelled tracks, displaying them on the map and comparing them with a planned route.
Collections
Themed collections of places and routes without requiring fixed trip dates.
More flexible routing
Different travel profiles for cars, off-road vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, walking and other kinds of journeys.
A verified catalogue
Moderation and verification of information about seasonality, accessibility, road difficulty and the origin of published material.
Long-term development
Collaborative planning
Shared trips, participant roles, discussions, tasks, suggestions, voting and alternative versions of a plan.
Offline mode and Navigator
A separate application for use on the road, with downloadable maps, trips, routes and terrain, offline operation, track recording and later synchronisation.
Live tracking
Displaying people, vehicles and expeditions in real time, with support for unreliable connections and delayed data transmission.
Guides and travel services
In the longer term, Map Portal may help travellers find local guides, route authors and travel projects. This area should appear only after the catalogue, publication workflow, moderation and transparent rules for commercial offers are in place.
Development and monetisation principles
Map Portal is not currently monetised, and generating revenue is not a near-term goal. The current priority is to build a useful tool, collect reliable geographic information and test it against real travel needs.
In the future, we would like the project to generate income and support its own development. Its commercial model must not influence factual information, ratings or recommendations.
We intend to:
- separate advertising and partner material from editorial content;
- disclose the commercial nature of recommendations and placements;
- vet partners before working with them;
- never sell a positive rating for a place or service;
- correct discovered errors and communicate the reliability of information;
- reject offers that could mislead travellers.
We do not want the map to become an endless stream of random markers and hidden advertising. Every published place should have a clear purpose, an identifiable source and practical value for travellers.