Google has launched a new feature in Google Maps called My Maps, which allows users to create and customize their maps. Users will be able to add placemarks, lines and shapes to their layout.

Google Gets Personal With My Maps

Users will have the option of sharing the maps they create with friends by putting a maps URL in their browser navigation bar and sending it in an email or adding it to a blog or Web site.

My Maps also allows users to make their charts public or unlisted. Unlisted maps will not be searchable but public maps will be listed in the search results on Google Maps and Earth. Public maps will be listed in Google's index in two to six weeks.

 Descriptions of map items will automatically appear in text but users have the option of using rich text or HTML.

Users will also be able to add photos to their maps if they are hosted online. Along with photos users can add Google Video or YouTube videos to their maps.

Over at the Google Earth Blog Frank Taylor offered his thoughts on My Maps. "Using KML underneath is a fantastic move."

"It means all content is easily available not only to Google Maps, and Google Earth - but also to any other mapping or virtual globe application, which supports KML. You can also load KML files into Google Maps (just put the URL to a KML file into the Maps search)."

Pete Cashmore at Mashable expressed concern that Google's launch of My Maps would kill off other smaller mapping sites.

"It's a shame that Google would launch such a product: startups like Platial and Frappr, not to mention thousands of smaller sites, have built businesses around social maps (provided by Google Maps, Yahoo Maps or both). By providing its own service, Google has instantly killed off at least a few hundred of those mashed-up tools."

My Maps