diff --git a/app/controllers/api/v2/mappings_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/v2/mappings_controller.rb
index 4490e4af..ae25a3c2 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/v2/mappings_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/v2/mappings_controller.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,21 @@ module Api
       def searchable_columns
         []
       end
+
+      def update
+        # mappings are the only things where the user is set to the latest updater
+        # done this way so that the model hooks can use the mapping user to determine who took this action
+        resource.user = current_user if current_user.present? # current_user should always be present
+        update_action
+        respond_with_resource
+      end
+
+      def destroy
+        # this is done so that the model hooks can use the mapping user to determine who took this action
+        resource.user = current_user if current_user.present? # current_user should always be present
+        destroy_action
+        head :no_content
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/controllers/mappings_controller.rb b/app/controllers/mappings_controller.rb
index de2c8ea1..61270948 100644
--- a/app/controllers/mappings_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/mappings_controller.rb
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ class MappingsController < ApplicationController
 
     if @mapping.save
       render json: @mapping, status: :created
-      Events::NewMapping.publish!(@mapping, current_user)
     else
       render json: @mapping.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity
     end
@@ -32,8 +31,10 @@ class MappingsController < ApplicationController
   def update
     @mapping = Mapping.find(params[:id])
     authorize @mapping
+    @mapping.user = current_user
+    @mapping.assign_attributes(mapping_params)
 
-    if @mapping.update_attributes(mapping_params)
+    if @mapping.save
       head :no_content
     else
       render json: @mapping.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity
@@ -44,14 +45,7 @@ class MappingsController < ApplicationController
   def destroy
     @mapping = Mapping.find(params[:id])
     authorize @mapping
-
-    mappable = @mapping.mappable
-    if mappable.defer_to_map
-      mappable.permission = mappable.defer_to_map.permission
-      mappable.defer_to_map_id = nil
-      mappable.save
-    end
-
+    @mapping.user = current_user
     @mapping.destroy
 
     head :no_content
diff --git a/app/models/event.rb b/app/models/event.rb
index 02c6d698..d88cb3bb 100644
--- a/app/models/event.rb
+++ b/app/models/event.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 class Event < ApplicationRecord
-  KINDS = %w(user_present_on_map conversation_started_on_map topic_added_to_map synapse_added_to_map).freeze
+  KINDS = %w(user_present_on_map conversation_started_on_map 
+               topic_added_to_map topic_moved_on_map topic_removed_from_map
+               synapse_added_to_map synapse_removed_from_map).freeze
 
   # has_many :notifications, dependent: :destroy
   belongs_to :eventable, polymorphic: true
diff --git a/app/models/events/new_mapping.rb b/app/models/events/synapse_added_to_map.rb
similarity index 59%
rename from app/models/events/new_mapping.rb
rename to app/models/events/synapse_added_to_map.rb
index 889c69bc..c468fad6 100644
--- a/app/models/events/new_mapping.rb
+++ b/app/models/events/synapse_added_to_map.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
-class Events::NewMapping < Event
+class Events::SynapseAddedToMap < Event
   # after_create :notify_users!
 
   def self.publish!(mapping, user)
-    create!(kind: mapping.mappable_type == 'Topic' ? 'topic_added_to_map' : 'synapse_added_to_map',
+    create!(kind: 'synapse_added_to_map',
             eventable: mapping,
             map: mapping.map,
             user: user)
diff --git a/app/models/events/synapse_removed_from_map.rb b/app/models/events/synapse_removed_from_map.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..765ed95d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/events/synapse_removed_from_map.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+class Events::SynapseRemovedFromMap < Event
+  # after_create :notify_users!
+
+  def self.publish!(mapping, user)
+    create!(kind: 'synapse_removed_from_map',
+            eventable: mapping,
+            map: mapping.map,
+            user: user)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/models/events/topic_added_to_map.rb b/app/models/events/topic_added_to_map.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..70a4497d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/events/topic_added_to_map.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+class Events::TopicAddedToMap < Event
+  # after_create :notify_users!
+
+  def self.publish!(mapping, user, meta)
+    create!(kind: 'topic_added_to_map',
+            eventable: mapping,
+            map: mapping.map,
+            user: user,
+            meta: meta)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/models/events/topic_moved_on_map.rb b/app/models/events/topic_moved_on_map.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2fcd96e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/events/topic_moved_on_map.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+class Events::TopicMovedOnMap < Event
+  # after_create :notify_users!
+
+  def self.publish!(mapping, user, meta)
+    create!(kind: 'topic_moved_on_map',
+            eventable: mapping,
+            map: mapping.map,
+            user: user,
+            meta: meta)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/models/events/topic_removed_from_map.rb b/app/models/events/topic_removed_from_map.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..437c881f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/events/topic_removed_from_map.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+class Events::TopicRemovedFromMap < Event
+  # after_create :notify_users!
+
+  def self.publish!(mapping, user)
+    create!(kind: 'topic_removed_from_map',
+            eventable: mapping,
+            map: mapping.map,
+            user: user)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/models/mapping.rb b/app/models/mapping.rb
index f7219008..50aa47a7 100644
--- a/app/models/mapping.rb
+++ b/app/models/mapping.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ class Mapping < ApplicationRecord
 
   delegate :name, to: :user, prefix: true
 
+  after_create :after_created
+  after_update :after_updated
+  before_destroy :before_destroyed
+
   def user_image
     user.image.url
   end
@@ -23,4 +27,34 @@ class Mapping < ApplicationRecord
   def as_json(_options = {})
     super(methods: [:user_name, :user_image])
   end
+
+  def after_created
+    if mappable_type == 'Topic'
+      meta = {'x': xloc, 'y': yloc}
+      Events::TopicAddedToMap.publish!(self, user, meta)
+    elsif mappable_type == 'Synapse'
+      Events::SynapseAddedToMap.publish!(self, user)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def after_updated
+    if mappable_type == 'Topic' and (xloc_changed? or yloc_changed?)
+      meta = {'x': xloc, 'y': yloc}
+      Events::TopicMovedOnMap.publish!(self, user, meta)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def before_destroyed
+    if mappable.defer_to_map
+      mappable.permission = mappable.defer_to_map.permission
+      mappable.defer_to_map_id = nil
+      mappable.save
+    end
+
+    if mappable_type == 'Topic'
+      Events::TopicRemovedFromMap.publish!(self, user)
+    elsif mappable_type == 'Synapse'
+      Events::SynapseRemovedFromMap.publish!(self, user)
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/db/migrate/20161214140124_add_meta_to_events.rb b/db/migrate/20161214140124_add_meta_to_events.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..edbee3d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20161214140124_add_meta_to_events.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class AddMetaToEvents < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.0]
+  def change
+    add_column :events, :meta, :json
+  end
+end