5. A method of facilitating specification of locations by end users for obtaining navigation-related or map-related features, the method comprising the steps of: with an on-line keyword program accessible to a first end user in a geographic region, accepting keyword registration requests from the first end user to register keywords, wherein each keyword is an alphanumeric word, string, or phrase, and further wherein the on-line keyword registration program is also operable to allow the first end user registering a keyword to associate a physical location in the geographic region and a user-provided instruction to facilitate routing to the physical location with the keyword; maintaining a keyword database that associates the keywords with data indicating the respective physical locations and instructions associated therewith by the first end user; and making the keyword database accessible on-line so that a second end user in the geographic region can use keywords registered by the first end user to specify locations in the geographic region and to receive the associated instruction.
9. The method of claim 5 wherein said physical location refers to a location along a side of a road segment represented by a data record in a geographic database.