The Future of the Map server

The map server is now being used by the Howie Hawkins social media team.  https://hawkins20.us/GreenMap  It has been running reliably.  It scales.  It is being talked about.     So what is next?

Right now I am working to add to the map the list of existing elected officials.  This way the map will be useful both before and after elections.  As soon as the election is over, the candidates will disappear from the map, but the elected officials will remain,   the state and local parties will remain, and the local caucuses will stay. We will ask the volunteers to mark victorious candidates as elected, at which point, they will reappear on the map.   As the next election draws nearer, new candidates will be added to the map.  Already there is a Green candidates for president in 2024. 

I am also working to add check boxes to the map key, so that one can display just parties, just candidates or just elected officials. 

I am working to inrease traffic to the maps.  If you go to gp.org, Click on "Elections" in the menu bar, there is a link to 2020 candidates, and a link to officeholders.  They currently point to the elections database, but I am  hopeful that in the near future they will point to the maps.  Why?  Well, the maps are a better infographic, there are multiple people in the party who love the maps, but most importantly, because the CCC,  wants the maps to be used. 

Recently  I had a long talk with Holly Hart, the co-chair of the CCC.  CCC, the Coordinated Campaign committee is the group responsible for helping candidates, and tracking candidates.   

Everyone on the CCC likes the map server.  They want to continue to use it.  She has spoken to   David Doonan, the GP.org webmaster about turning it into an official part of the Green party website. And David and I are now exchanging emails.  Wish me luck. 

If the GP.org link is changed to point to the maps, a lot more people will use the maps. A lot of candidates will immediately benefit. 

If the map becomes an official Green Party application, then I will be allowed to speak at CCC tutorial on how to run for office, lots of Green Party candidates will get (and use) the instant campaign websites feature, and the site will grow from many small seeds.

And now that the future of the maps is clearer, it makes sense to work with the state parties to request hypertext links to the map.  Many states have state maps, in which case it makes sense fo the state party to host a clickable image of the map on their home page. 

Please send me your comments about this posting.