What makes Google Sheets such a collaborator’s paradise? If you’re familiar with the web-based spreadsheet application, you know it enables users to create and edit files online while collaborating with others in real time.

Multiple users can simultaneously view and edit a spreadsheet, making it ideal for group projects, data collection, and analysis. This article will explore these collaborative properties and show how Google Sheets can hold and shape data that you can then use to create a map.

Google Sheets Was Created for Collaboration

What are the features that facilitate collaboration in Google Sheets? Let’s look into them.

Let’s say you’re assigned a group project on national flowers and trees. You might gather the data from Wikipedia (flowers and trees) and format the data for a map.

The following Google Sheets features will help you finish this assignment or similar tasks as painlessly as possible:

• Tracking edits and revision history
• Highlighted editor changes
• Permissions system

Tracking Edits and Revision History

Google Sheets automatically tracks changes made by each user in a shared document. The revision history feature provides a detailed log of all edits, including who made the changes, what changes were made, and when they were made. Users can review and revert to previous versions of the document, ensuring data integrity and accountability.

Highlighted Editor Changes

When multiple users edit a Google Sheet, each user is assigned a unique color and cursor. Changes made by each editor are highlighted in their respective colors, making it easy to identify who’s working on which parts of the spreadsheet in real time.

Permissions System

Google Sheets also offers a robust permissions system that allows document owners to control access and actions within the document. Owners can set permissions to specify who can view, edit, or comment on the document. This system ensures that sensitive data is protected, and that only authorized users can make changes.

With a better understanding of how to use Google Sheets collaboratively, we can move on to how to take your data and turn it into a map.

Map Your Google Sheet Data

View National flowers and trees in a full screen map

Spreadsheets are great tools for storing your data. Some even offer a few features that can help put your data into context (highlighting duplicates, creating pivot tables, etc.). Plus, we’ve just gone over how much Google Sheets excels at all things collaboration.

But when it comes to visualization, most spreadsheets, even Google Sheets, fall short. So, if you or anyone in your group is a visual learner, and your data contains location information like countries, states, or cities, consider moving the data into a custom map.

Here’s how to do it:

• Open the spreadsheet.
• Select (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A) and copy (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C) the data.
• Open a web browser and navigate to batchgeo.com
• Click on the location data box with the example data in it, then paste (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V) your data.
• Check you have the proper location data columns by clicking “Set Options”.
• Click “Map Your Data” and watch as the geocoder turns your data into geographic coordinates.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you can share the link with the rest of the group.

If anyone else wants to edit the data, they have to do so on the shared spreadsheet. However, BatchGeo Pro users can edit the map’s style, marker shape, colors, and more without using the same account.

Share Your Map with More Members

With your group’s data mapped, it’s time to learn how to make edits together. As we mentioned in the previous section, BatchGeo Pro users can edit a map with no need to share usernames or passwords.

To ensure the others can edit, you can right-click the map and select “Edit Map.” In the “Share” section, you can choose between “Public,” “Unlisted,” or “My Subscription Users.”

• Public: Anyone can discover your map through search or on our site
• Unlisted: Only those with the unguessable URL can access your map, which will not be searchable or listed on our site
• Your Subscription Users (Pro): Up to 10 users can access your map (best for collaboration)

You can also opt to “Password Protect” your map right below the “Share” options. This way, your account will have direct access when logged in, while other users will need to enter a password to see the map.

Continue the collaboration with BatchGeo or BatchGeo Pro!

From California to Connecticut, the USA has witnessed the birth of over 150 basketball players inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

More than a dozen other countries have also offered a native son—or two, or three—who went on to achieve the highest level of success in the NBA.

View NBA Hall of Famers by Birthplace in a full screen map

Click any marker and see the details for the Hall of Fame players, including their stats and ages. You can even choose one or more categories to filter your data. For example, did you know that the 12 players with more than 22,000 career points and who retired before 37 were all born east of the Mississippi River? Facts like these are far easier to see on a map than to read in a spreadsheet.
Almost Every Hall of Famer is from the USA
Basketball was invented in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. With its roots in the United States, it’s no surprise that nearly 90% of inducted players are American. Their birthplaces are scattered among 28 states and 110 cities.

The top states for basketball inductees roughly follow those with the largest populations. New York, California, and Pennsylvania lead the way. But the top 10 (or so, there are some ties) includes some surprises:

• New York (23)
• California (17)
• Pennsylvania (13)
• Illinois (11)
• Louisiana (8)
• North Carolina (8)
• Michigan (7)
• Virginia (6)
• Ohio (6)
• Kentucky (6)
• Texas (6)

Louisiana and Kentucky are 25th and 26th in population, yet their players shine in basketball. Similarly, Texas has a larger population than every state but California, yet it barely makes the list.

Basketball breaks tradition with baseball and football, which share Chicago as the most common birth city. As mentioned, the NBA largely follows population trends in producing Hall of Famers.

New York City leads the way by far with 17 players (including eight from Brooklyn, a borough of NYC). That leaves only six New Yorkers from outside the Big Apple in the Hall. Other top cities include Philadelphia (6), Oakland (4), Chicago (4), Detroit (4), and Washington DC (4). Ten other cities can claim two or more Hall of Famers.

Interestingly, no players in the Hall of Fame were born in Massachusetts, despite the state being the birthplace of basketball. Of course, basketball has since been exported all over the world. One in 10 basketball Hall of Famers comes from outside the US.
Countries with the Most Basketball Hall of Famers
While the international wing of the Hall of Fame is much smaller, it is well represented. Foreign-born Hall of Famers in basketball come from 18 countries, more than any other American sport. For example, the Baseball Hall of Fame has players from nine non-US countries.

Which countries produce basketball stars who play in the US won’t surprise anyone watching the sport in the last few decades. To start, we turn to Eastern Europe, which has a significant presence in the Olympics, the European leagues, as well as the NBA. Croatia has three Hall of Famers, and Lithuania has two. All other countries only have one inductee. Europe continues to represent, with a player each in Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, and Serbia.

We can look further than Europe, though. Almost every continent has at least one player in the basketball Hall of Fame. Africa has three (Hakeem Olajuwon was the first, in 2008). South America has Manu Ginóbili (2022), while Asia has Yao Ming (2016). There are no Hall of Famers from Australia or New Zealand. Or Antarctica.

There are two cities outside the US that have made an impact on the Hall of Fame: Kaunas, the largest city in Lithuania, is the birthplace of both Arvydas Sabonis and Šarūnas Marčiulionis; Meanwhile, in Croatia, the city of Split (the second largest in the country) splits its pride between Toni Kukoč and Dino Radja.
Make a Map of Your Own Data
You may have your own data sitting in a spreadsheet on your computer. Instead of basketball Hall of Famers, it might consist of customer addresses, business locations, or a list of deliveries. In each case, maps can help tell the story. They’ll plot your course or show the trends.

BatchGeo is your fastest way to make a custom map. There’s even sample data to use if you’re not yet sure which spreadsheet to upload. Try it today for free!

The earliest known instance of a fatal alligator attack in the US goes back to 1685. Since then, more than 40 instances of fatal alligator attacks have been recorded.

This article covers the US states and cities that are alligator hotspots and the deadliest months for alligator attacks, along with some of the ages of those who fell prey to these dangerous animals.

View Fatal Alligator Attacks in the U.S. in a full screen map

Fatal Alligator Attack Hotspots: States and Cities

There have been 44 reported alligator attacks in the US across five Southern states. Of these, Florida has had the highest number of incidents (32). Florida is followed by South Carolina in alligator attacks (6), while Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia have reported three, two, and one attack(s), respectively. That said, alligators can also be found in Alabama, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Oklahoma—though no fatalities have been reported in these states.

Incidents are spread across various cities and counties. The list below summarizes those with more than one reported attack since records began:

• Charlotte County, Florida: 2
• Hilton Head Island, South Carolina: 2
• Lakeland, Florida: 2
• Largo , Florida: 2
• Martin County, Florida: 2
• Sanibel, Florida: 2

Five Florida cities or counties listed above have experienced two tragic incidents. In the 1970s, an alligator killed 52-year-old George Leonard while he was swimming in Charlotte County’s Peace River Canal. In 1988, the victim was Erin Glover, age 4, who was attacked and killed while walking along the shore of Hidden Lake, also in Charlotte County.

Youngest and Oldest Alligator Victims

Those attacked and killed by alligators in the US range from just two years old to age 90. We’ll take a closer look at the youngest of these on the table below.

Name	Age	Sex	State	Year
Alexandria Murphy	2	Female	Florida	2001
Lane Graves	2	Male	Florida	2016
Adam Binford	3	Male	Florida	1997
Erin Glover	4	Female	Florida	1988
Allen Rice	9	Male	Florida	1957
Bradley Weidenhamer	10	Male	Florida	1993
Robert Crespo	11	Male	Florida	1984
Brian Griffin	12	Male	Florida	2003
Phillip Rastrelli	14	Male	Florida	1978
Sharon Holmes	16	Female	Florida	1973

The youngest victims, Alexandria Murphy and Lane Graves were both just two years old at the time of their attack. Alexandria Murphy wandered away from her fenced backyard and was fatally wounded just 700 feet from her home on Lake Cannon in Winter Haven, Florida.

An alligator dragged Lane Graves underwater in the Seven Seas Lagoon at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa just outside of Orlando, Florida. When his parents tried to rescue him, his father was attacked by a second alligator.

As for the oldest victim, 90-year-old Bonnie Walker was killed in a retention pond near Brookdale Senior Living Center in Charleston, South Carolina. According to coroners, she died from “multiple sharp and blunt force injuries” that are consistent with those inflicted by an alligator.

The Deadliest Months for Alligator Attacks

Florida and Southern states are clearly hotspots for deadly alligator attacks. But are there patterns in the time of year they happen?

Of the 43 fatal alligator attacks that included time of year, the summer months have seen the most attacks (29 from May through August). Specifically, June had the highest amount (11). This includes one attack during the 1800s, three during the 1900s, and seven attacks in more recent years.

A couple of winter months (January and December) have seen zero attacks, so that may be the safest time to travel to the Sunshine State.

It’s worth noting that alligator attacks are less deadly than bear attacks. As for sharks and snakes, you’ll have to find out for yourself using our maps.