Mapisimo is out today in public beta with an intriguing call to all people on Earth: come and own any piece of land you want. Mapisimo (http://www.mapisimo.com) has parceled the whole surface of the Earth into more than 510 billion square units, each with an area of one dunam (roughly the size of four tennis courts) and offers each user the opportunity to become a mapisimo citizen and own any piece of land on Earth on a first-come, first-served basis.


Upon registering with the website, which leverages the Google Maps API, each user is automatically entitled to the right to own two dunams, while more ownership rights are granted to users who refer their friends to Mapisimo and help the community grow. Users are able to post any text message, including hyperlinks, on the land they own. A company official was quoted as saying that posting images would come "soon".


A senior industry analyst explained that "this is not your usual animal in the Web 2.0 zoo, but rather a completely new, previously unsighted wild creature" detailing that this will soon become the world's largest graffiti wall. Users of the private beta report experiencing great excitement at being able to purchase land in famous places, like the Golden Gate Bridge or the Grand Canyon, or being able to own their school, work or favorite childhood hideaway.


Andy Worms, founder of Mapisimo, stated that the right to own one dunam will always be granted for free and that there are 22 dunams for every human on the Earth's surface (land only), so users don't need to rush, except if they want to own a national landmark such as Capitol Hill or Mount Rushmore. "We will never restart the game, what is yours stays yours". Some experts agree that Mapisimo will soon turn into a virtual hangout like Second Life, but by utilising Google Earth this virtual world will be staged in a real world setting.