Based on the book Pragmatic GIS, this talk demonstrates how you can build your own
Google Maps in-house, using nothing but open source software including PostgreSQL,
PostGIS, and GeoServer. We also discuss integrating free, public domain data from
sources like the US Census Bureau and the USGS. If you're looking for a real-world
introduction to AJAX, you'll find it here. If you're looking for a real-world example
of web services in use, you'll find it here.

For many people, the subtle distinction between "free but proprietary" and "free and
open source" is lost. Google Maps is a prime example of this. While the power of
Google Maps is quite impressive, it is at the end of the day a closed-source
proprietary solution. Usage is governed by a license -- liberal, but not without
restrictions. And if you'd prefer to host your own Google Maps instance with your own
customized data, you are simply out of luck.

Thankfully, there are free and open source mapping solutions out there that allow you
to match Google Maps feature for feature. Based on the book Pragmatic GIS, this talk
will give you a step by step demonstration of how to build your own Google Maps using
nothing but open source software including PostgreSQL, PostGIS, and GeoServer. We'll
discuss open data exchange standards like the Open Geospatial Consortium's web
services like Web Map Services (WMS) and Web Feature Services (WFS). We'll also
discuss how to use the free, public domain map data made available by various
governmental agencies from the US and abroad.

AJAX will be fully present here. You'll see live, working AJAX code. We'll also
discuss some of the pitfalls of AJAX -- cross-browser compatibility issues, etc.

If you've had no previous mapping experience, this talk breaks the domain down into
easy to understand concepts. You'll come out with a better understanding of the
challenges and rewards of hosting your own web mapping infrastructure.