On a recent trip to Utah, I came across some user points of interest at the Snowbird and Alta ski resorts. Since I have been setting points around the world since 1995, I am used to finding my own POIs. These were in fact not mine but were labeled, SF for Scott Ford. It was really fun to have not just the one commercial point for Snowbird but a lot of individual chair lifts and other local attractions.
A couple of you have gotten real active about recording and submitting user POIs. I ran across a point of Kevin Chao's in Los Angeles and I wondered what the heck he recorded that point for. Who knows but it is fun to have these user foot prints so to speak from other blind users exploring the world.
It was actually one of our users, Peggy Kearn, who I first heard use that term, footprints. It is quite appropriate.
I really want to encourage more users to send us the points you already have and to make an effort to record more. It is like your vote on election day, it makes a difference especially if a lot of individuals participate. Vote for independence. Record more personal points of interest.
I think we will begin some sort of contest this year to reward POI recording. Maybe we will have an award for the largest quantity of POIs recorded and also for the most unique point recorded.
While you are at it, start taking pictures when you are in interesting places. Send us a photo of you wearing your technology in interesting situations. We will have a reward for that too if we get enough material. Perhaps a free upgrade would be in order.
Go for it. Go record those user points of interest. Remember when you have someone read you the menu in a restaurant, press the record button and associate the menu recording with the POI for that restaurant. Let's enhance the rich POI content.
We now have over 11000 user generated points of interest. Let's add another couple thousand this year.
Mike Michael G. May CEO Sendero GroupDevelopers and distributors of the Cadillac of accessible GPS products as well as distributing BrailleNote, VoiceNote, Victor Stream, Talks, Miniguide and the ID Mate
Crashing Through by Robert Kurson available at http://www.CrashingThrough.com MikeMay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.SenderoGroup.com 1-888-757-6810, Fax (530) 757-6830, Mobile (530) 304-0007 Sendero Group, LLC 1118 Maple Lane, Davis, CA 95616-1723, USA
