'Mash-up' sites mix from different online sources to create intriguing matches

[mandy]

Take a pinch of Yahoo! or Google. Then stir in some census data, photographs or crime statistics. What you get is a "mash-up."

Among the Internet's hottest phenomena, these Web sites combine ingredients from different online sources to create intriguing hybrids.

The practice has proliferated recently thanks to the work of mostly amateur programmers. They are taking advantage of an increasing number of Web sites offering to share data and services, opening the door to that information being repackaged into something novel.

Think of dozens of real estate listings plotted on a single online map to make house hunting easier. No more shuffling through a stack of printouts to find your dream home...

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