Mashups

I've always loved the idea of mashups but have never quite been sure how useful they could be.

I had a look at "Then and Now: Historic New York images from New York Public Library using Flickr and Google Street view" and loved being able to compare what places used to look like as opposed to what they look like now.

I also like "Real Estate - SuburbView". I think its a very handy way for people who are looking for house/apartment to get an idea of what's available in the area they are looking at, and by getting the street view they can get a real-to-life idea.

The only problem I had with the above to sites were that I couldn't view them through Internet Explorer. I had to use Firefox, which isn't available on my computer although I can use it out in the public area. I can see how mashups could be an exciting addition if used right and with the right collection. For example, photos from the John Oxley Library could be used in a very similar way to the "Then and Now" done by New York Public Library.