Move UI for MapBox GeoData Cloud

[gundersen]

@willwhite @dhcole,
What do you two think about moving the link to MapBox's Cloud out where more people will see it?

[dhcole]

I think we're gonna need to do this as we expand the data browser to include more than just shapefiles. I think it should also be at the top. I could see this working in the following way:

• Clicking add layer takes you to the mapbox data browser, but you can click file, sqlite, or postgis to add custom data
• Once you select a layer in the mapbox data browser, it populates the relavant field in the sqlite or file tab
  • For sqlite, if you select spatial data, it loads as the primary layer; if you select tabular data it loads as an attachment (or prompts you to pick spatial data first)
• when you edit a layer, you're taken directly to file or sqlite tab where the data is entered, so basically the mapbox data tab just helps you find public data and pre-populates the other tabs
• we should also build out metadata for datasets in the mapbox browser

[willwhite]

Cool ideas. We should define the idea of MapBox data a little more before making UI decisions about it. This is actionable once there is a plan for making MapBox data section navigable enough to be "the default" method of adding data.

The big one @dhcole already mentioned: metadata that explains what you are looking at.

[gundersen]

Not sure if this is the best approach, just an idea - let me restate the problem:

1. People don't find/use the data browser.
2. (to Dave's point) we now have different kinds of data (shape + sqlite) both being listed under MabBox Cloud.

Thoughts?

[jeffreyameyer]

As a n00b, the current MapBox layers are too buried & definitely seem out of place in "files." Cloud should be on the same level as File / dbflava1 / dbflava2. For that matter, so should favorites - what if 1 of my faves is a PG db, one is a local file, etc. For that matter, if "File" is a top level segmentation, why have two separate "db" items listed?

Recommended top level:
File | SQLite | PostGIS | MapBox | Favorites

And, on this point, I'm not sure the average newbie user understands the difference across "dos-lsib-201109," "natural-earth-1.3.0," and "natural-earth-1.4.0."

[jeffreyameyer]

Also, I understand the interest in figuring out the larger "correct" answer, but I'd encourage making some small changes sooner.