Apparently, it's about time

Often, blogs get comments that are interesting. We'll today, we've received one that we must share. One of our heroes and the Municipal Nerd of the City, Brian Humphrey of the LAFD, wrote a comment regarding the upcoming Google Community Map that needs more wide distribution:

Dear LACN,

Please consider creating a PayPal account or the like so that those of us benefiting from this project might make a personal monetary donation. If not that, maybe a PO Box so that we can at least send you a Starbucks card, etc. every now and then? I cannot begin to tell you how helpful a map such as this (which I have been begging for from City agencies for more than a decade) will be in our workday pursuits.[emphasis added]

Now, first, we're flattered to be adding a service to the City - that's what LA City Nerd is all about. We don't need donations or gifts - just people to work to improve, appreciate, and understand the City of Los Angeles. That's why there is no advertising on this site right now - it can function without any cost (but if we billed by the hour we'd need more ads than you can imagine!). But what concerns me a bit is that someone in the City has been asking for such a map for "more than a decade" that would assist with daily work, and the City hasn't been able to produce such a document.

Now, this map is not going to easy or perfect on the first go-around. It is going to be a work in progress with input from folks from throughout the City (hopefully). If nothing else, Brian's comments and longing for such a resource motivates LA City Nerd to really get moving on this map, so look for updates often (and send suggestions/corrections to it can be refined).