How to Administer Google Maps Engine

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Geo for Higher Ed Summit 2013

July 2013

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Karin Tuxen-Bettman

Google Earth Outreach

Introduction to GME Administration

Let's start with some basics of every GME account everywhere:

• All administers are stored in a Google Group, i.e. ucb-gme-administrators@googlegroups.com
• They have access to all of the account's assets in Maps Engine and define access lists.
• They manage Access Control Lists (ACLs): Editors & Viewers

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Two helpful support docs:

• About Access Lists & Options for Adding Users

Editors vs. Viewers

• Map editors work in Maps Engine, uploading data, creating layers, and creating maps. Map editors have access to data sources, layers, or maps included in their same access list.

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• Map viewers can view and interact with published maps: the finished Google Map, or Google Earth layers only. Map viewers have access to a map if they are included in an access list with which the map has been shared.

Adding people & groups to ACLs

• People:�Individual Google accounts

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• Groups: �Google groups

But the questions remain...

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When do you create a new Access List?

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And when do you add an individual vs. Google Group?

Types of Users & Accounts

• Course instructors
• Undergrad, e.g. GIS 101 courses
• Grad, e.g. application courses like public policy, environmental science, etc.
• Research groups
• Professor John Doe's research lab
• Archaeology Project
• Institutes at the University
• Facility managers (libraries, centers, etc.)
• GIS or Data Services Librarian
• Academic Technologists
• Short course/workshop instructors

Types of Users & Accounts

• Course instructors
• Undergrad, e.g. GIS 101 courses >> apply for own account or use library's or center's
• Grad, e.g. application courses like public policy, environmental science, etc. >> apply for own account or use library's or center's
• Research groups
• Professor John Doe's research lab >> apply for own account
• Archaeology Project >> apply for own account or use library's or center's
• Institutes at the University >> apply for own account or use library's or center's

Types of Users & Accounts

• Facility managers (libraries, centers, etc.)
• GIS or Data Services Librarian >> apply as a library
• Academic Technologists >> apply as a library
• Short course/workshop instructors >> apply as a library

Google Groups to Illustrate Use Cases

• ucb-gme-general@googlegroups.com - Google Group that individual students can join (that aren't part of a class, GIS/RS lab, etc.) This would be part of the "Map Editors" and "Map Viewers" Access Lists.
• ucb-gme-egyptarcheologyproject@googlegroups.com - example of Google Group for project with multiple collaborators.
• ucb-gme-nickallen@googlegroups.com - example of Google Group for student who wants to keep his data private.

Google Groups to Illustrate Use Cases

• ucb-gme-general@berkeley.edu - Google Group that students can join openly; since they are part of that domain, it's restricted. This would be part of the "Map Editors" and "Map Viewers" Access Lists.
• ucb-gme-egyptarcheologyproject@berkeley.edu - example of Google Group for project with multiple collaborators.
• ucb-gme-nickallen@berkeley.edu - example of Google Group for student who wants to keep his data private.

How to Determine? (from Stace Maples)

In order to figure out which Google group / Access List a student would become a member of, they could answer these questions, e.g. with a Google Spreadsheet Form, in person, etc.:

• Do you want to use GME for practice/testing or production/publication?
• Do you want other students who are using GME to see your data? (note: it will not be open to the public, only Yale students, even if yes)
• How many people do you want to collaborate on your mapping project? (i.e. is it just you for an individual project, or are there select people who you want to share?)