Switch to markup annotations in JSON-LD syntax

[mukil]

Despite our generated HTML documents using the microdata syntax are fully conform with the structured data testing tool by Google, its interpretation is not granted because "dynamically added microdata annotations" (coupled into the DOM) are not guaranteed to be interpreted by search engines and web mapping applications / libraries and UIs. A switch to markup geographic items in HTML documents using the JSON-LD syntax might increase interoperability of the concept of web mapping documents. Furthermore, this syntax seems the only way forward in light of web map development with Leafletjs goes into the direction of favouring "canvas" (or black box) based over SVG/XML based rendering technologies.

Essentially, web mapping documents are HTML Documents which try to reflect the web mapping practices behind and thus allow us to archive and monitor changes in them over time. Thus, advanced geographic web maps (web mapping documents) are fundamental for using geographic web maps as research data (e.g. archiving, or programmatic analysis). Technically machine readable descriptions of current web mapping practices ("what people do with or state with maps") can of course be included in documents through extending the Hypertext Markup Language about ontologies of the geographic and social domain. It is just that our tools for production of geographic web maps should make it as easy as possible for creators of maps to see, conceive and author their geographic web maps as web mapping documents.

Published this way web mapping documents would enable the development of web map archives and interfaces which value the interpretation of each rendering of a map as a very specific and immutable collection of statements about the world made by people (see Gryl 2014, Reflexive map work).

As pointed out by research on critical cartograhy (J.B. Harley, 1992 ), maps can be understood as a complex visual text composed of domain specific statements about the world.

Furthermore, publishing and exposing geographic data contained in web maps makes maps accessible as data of the web (see Web of data). This would allow us to e.g. search for maps by concent used in them or find maps on the web through simply specifying geo coordinates or a bounding box.

[mukil]

A "jsonld.js" build is 189.8 KByte, it may be worth a look but seems to be massively oversized to realize a basic integration. Leaflet.annotate using Microdata Syntax has less than 900 lines of code (including a domain specific schema.org dictionary).