gamepolitics: New Legislation Map Debuts on GamePolitics

Game Politics (

gamepolitics) wrote,
@ 2006-02-20 08:00:00

Entry tags:

bills, gamepolitics, google maps, laws, legislation, legislation tracker, map builder, maps

New Legislation Map Debuts on GamePolitics

Thanks to the miracle of Google Maps, GamePolitics is now able to offer to readers Legislation Tracker, an interactive map featuring current video game bills and laws. This is a level of service we've been eager to add to GP for a long time.

Our Legislation Tracker is also the only visual resource of its type for proposed laws regarding video games. We believe this tool will be of benefit to anyone interested in the kind of information we cover here on GamePolitics. We encourage you to bookmark the map and refer friends and colleagues.

In creating our Legislation Tracker, we used Map Builder, a free utilty for creating maps based on Google Maps. Map Builder is still in beta, but GP recommends it.

Currently we are listing U.S. legislation, only, but have plans to add international legislative data soon.

We hope you find our Legislation Tracker useful. Please feel free to offer comments and suggestions... as long as they don't end with the word "Hooah!."

UPDATE: Disappearing data has been fixed. We now are tracking all legislation of which we are aware. Naturally, we will add new bills as they are proposed.

GP: Bumping this to help get the word out...

(Post a new comment)

	I see now blitzfitness 2006-02-19 02:28 pm UTC (link)
	So this is the map project you alluded to yesterday. I personally think it's a great idea. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: I see now blitzfitness 2006-02-19 02:30 pm UTC (link)
	So far it appears the East coast and Midwest regions (my favorite areas of the US) are the most unkind to gamers. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: I see now -

chronozaga, 2006-02-19 03:58 pm UTC

	startropics 2006-02-19 02:36 pm UTC (link)
	Very nicely done :) (Reply to this)

	Brilliant... BRILLIANT slyfoxx 2006-02-19 02:39 pm UTC (link)
	I really like this idea... partailly for the fact that it shows how few laws have actually been passed so far. This is quite a helpful tool with the links that it provides and the simple point form... easy to read and understand. (Reply to this)

	A suggestion boffo97 2006-02-19 02:51 pm UTC (link)
	Could it be differentiated between "Law passed" and "Law passed, but currently under injunction preventing enforcement, pending death of law"? Or perhaps something less verby. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: A suggestion gamepolitics 2006-02-19 02:57 pm UTC (link)
	could be.... I'll add that to the suggestion list. -GP (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: A suggestion -

squirrelofwrath, 2006-02-19 03:06 pm UTC

Re: A suggestion -

markusdragon, 2006-02-19 03:11 pm UTC

Re: A suggestion -

gamepolitics, 2006-02-19 03:18 pm UTC

Re: A suggestion -

squirrelofwrath, 2006-02-19 03:52 pm UTC

Re: A suggestion -

boffo97, 2006-02-20 12:03 am UTC

	Re: A suggestion sir_bissel 2006-02-19 05:53 pm UTC (link)
	"Law passed" and "Law passed but contested"? (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Lovely. fedule 2006-02-19 03:21 pm UTC (link)
	Nice job. Looks good. I think there's a certain house that needs to be pinpointed on that map, seeing as how a resident of this address claims to be directly involved with so much of this legislation... (Reply to this)

	baldynomad 2006-02-19 03:32 pm UTC (link)
	An easy way to view what's going on. Well done, Dennis. Google maps has really made searching easier. Apparently, Map Builder does not like Netscape or Mozilla. If you click on the Florida bill, for example, and then click on the link that it provides you, it removes the zoom feature. It won't take you there right away. Had to use "good ole' IE" to view it properly. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	gamepolitics 2006-02-19 04:10 pm UTC (link)
	thanks, Paul. That's the kind of thing that's good to know. (Reply to this) (Parent)

(no subject) -

sir_bissel, 2006-02-19 05:52 pm UTC

(no subject) -

baldynomad, 2006-02-21 04:13 pm UTC

	Countdown joemag 2006-02-19 03:50 pm UTC (link)
	till Jack writes a long winding useless comment about how he is offended that he didn't get an arrow. Also seperate countdown till he posts a press release that has absolutely nothing to do with this, although he might post an equally unfitting press release on the story you previously posted. (Reply to this)

	silver_derstin 2006-02-19 04:13 pm UTC (link)
	Can anyone remind me what is in the Michigan law that made it pass? I'm confused now, really... (Reply to this)

	Pretty Cool automancer 2006-02-19 04:33 pm UTC (link)
	It's good to know how many of these things there actually are. It gives a much clearer picture. -Auto (Reply to this)

	The Michigan one passed?!?!?! sir_bissel 2006-02-19 05:50 pm UTC (link)
	When did that happen? I don't remember... or what it said, but I thought Gramholm and a bunch of other supporters backed out? I dunno, buying a video game has been no different, though. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: The Michigan one passed?!?!?! beardoggx 2006-02-19 06:07 pm UTC (link)
	No. It only passed the legislature and Granholm did sign it. It is blocked from becoming law by a federal judge. Haven't heard anything since December. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: The Michigan one passed?!?!?! -

semperar, 2006-02-19 06:59 pm UTC

Re: The Michigan one passed?!?!?! -

psyco_chick32, 2006-02-20 02:53 am UTC

	oh, and sir_bissel 2006-02-19 05:58 pm UTC (link)
	Florida, Deleware, Michigan and California don't say what political party the sponsors are with. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: oh, and gamepolitics 2006-02-19 06:04 pm UTC (link)
	Thanks... (Reply to this) (Parent)

	seifd 2006-02-19 06:07 pm UTC (link)
	Very nice. All we need now is for the Who's Who section to get done. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	gamepolitics 2006-02-19 06:14 pm UTC (link)
	onna way.... (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) -

psyco_chick32, 2006-02-20 02:53 am UTC

	atepsflame 2006-02-19 06:54 pm UTC (link)
	Where's the Iowa legislation? (Reply to this) (Thread)

andrew_eisen
2006-02-19 07:04 pm UTC (link)

One limitation that we're seeing in the Map Builder beta version, however, is that it gets buggy with data after about 10 items have been entered. So on our map, we entered data for Kansas, Texas, Iowa and the U.S. Senate that is not showing up as of now. We're working with Map Builder and other folks who know Google Maps (also still in beta, by the way) to tweak these issues

Andrew Eisen

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Thx, AE... -

gamepolitics, 2006-02-19 07:29 pm UTC

About the midwest and east coast.....

kurisu7885
2006-02-19 08:45 pm UTC (link)

Those places were the areas colonized first. I know my own state, which is in the midwest unfortunately, has a rich history of culture. Hell, we're the state that brought the automobile to the world, so alot of the people here have puritan roots, and for soemreason, mostly thansk to Mr. J as I'll call him, video games don't fiti n with that, and this area is pretty resistant to change at times, eventhough I live in a small, developing town. Like hollywood, that palce is rish with other cultures as is New York, but Hollywood is more accepting of other cultures andn ew ways as I understand it.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: About the midwest and east coast..... seifd 2006-02-20 01:50 am UTC (link)
	Yeah, I know what you mean. The Meijers I shop at is across the street from the Christian Reformed Church headquarters. The same denomination that held the position that dancing was a sin until the 80s. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: About the midwest and east coast..... -

psyco_chick32, 2006-02-20 02:54 am UTC

	Hmm... jackthredson 2006-02-19 08:50 pm UTC (link)
	Seems to me that all we ever talk about Pixelantes is how much killing you do! Hooahy! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	I know you was targeting! jackthredson 2006-02-19 08:51 pm UTC (link)
	Ahh, tem pixelantes are out to git me! (Reply to this) (Parent)

Article on the PMRC and the censorship of music in the 80's and 90's...

shadowkatamari
2006-02-19 08:55 pm UTC (link)

http://www.philagora.org/about-the-world/pmrc1.htm

It's long, but it's a good read. Apparently, several states proposed legislation banning the sale of albums containing "explicit content." The biggest difference, though, is that they wanted to actually ban the sale of those albums to EVERYBODY, and not just minors. The article also talks about the chilling effect of the "parental advisory" labels, where certain stores refused to sell albums containing the label.

The legistlation portion seems very similar to what's going on today...states proposing knee-jerk reaction legeslation to restrict the sale of an artform, and all of them were shot down. And of course, if you look at how things are today, most record stores carry "parental advisory" music anyway. So, if this is the precedent, I believe that we have nothing to worry about.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Article on the PMRC and the censorship of music in the 80's and 90's... psyco_chick32 2006-02-20 02:56 am UTC (link)
	I don't know if it helps or not... but at least in the Best Buy I worked at, if there was a censored version and a non-censored version of the album, we generally ONLY carried the non-censored version. Customers could order the censored, but not get it at the store. Not sure why, but I thought it was pretty neat. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	jaykaos 2006-02-19 11:46 pm UTC (link)
	Maybe add a marker in DC for the congressional bill that popped up last year? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	gamepolitics 2006-02-20 02:23 am UTC (link)
	Yeah. We had one for the US Senate where Hillary's FEPA bill now sits. But that marker mysteriously blipped away... Some bug in the software. We're working on it.. (Reply to this) (Parent)

FIXED !!!! -

gamepolitics, 2006-02-21 05:24 pm UTC

	2 thumbs up! psyco_chick32 2006-02-20 02:57 am UTC (link)
	I really like this. Under all of the stories about video game legislation, it's really hard to keep track of who's doing what and how many states are for/against video game legislation. Good job! (Reply to this)

	It's a satireist kurisu7885 2006-02-20 03:19 am UTC (link)
	Obviously. For one, Jack doesn't add pictures to his account, let alone knows how to. (Reply to this)

	Hmmm danthemanitac 2006-02-20 08:05 pm UTC (link)
	as long as none of those markers show up in montana I am happy. (Reply to this)

(Reply from suspended user)

	Re: Heads-Up to GP's Freelancer Dennis McCauley gamepolitics 2006-02-21 05:23 pm UTC (link)
	Wasn't going for the capitals, ace. Should we compare websites sometimes? And anyway, I thought you were busy suing the Wikipedia... or helping Sen. Boseman draft her legislation. Oh. Wait.... (Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: Heads-Up to GP's Freelancer Dennis McCauley -

mathsucks2, 2006-02-21 07:16 pm UTC

	father_time89 2006-02-22 01:28 am UTC (link)
	All of these are state laws right, so why not fill in the entire states with red, yellow, black or green instead of having a pointer. This would make it so much better. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	gamepolitics 2006-02-22 10:44 am UTC (link)
	Well, because there is no way to do that within Google Maps, which is what the map is based on. And actually, they are not all state laws. There is federal legislation there as well. What's the issue with the pointer? (just curious) (Reply to this) (Parent)

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