Weary Mappers

come geosocialize...

Weary Traveler Free House
Corner of Few & Willy St.
About 5:30
We'll keep a seat warm for you...
Hola mapsters ...

With due apologies for the lack of run-on
content the last few weeks.  But don't get
me wrong - there be plenty-o-mapping going
on...

Here in Wisconsin -
WLIA's (www.wlia.org) regional meeting on
'Addressing Addresses.'  The meeting also
includes kick-off meetings for 2 new task
forces, on parcel data modeling and state-
wide orthoimagery...

Elsewhere, there are bigger meetings taking
place... where one can often get the scoop
on what's new in geospatial.  Right now
that would be O'Reilly's Where 2.0 for which
I point you to 2 blogs giving the run-down:
http://www.mcwetboy.net/maproom/
and
http://place.typepad.com/digitalcommons/2007/05/post.html
http://place.typepad.com/digitalcommons/2007/05/where_20_tuesda.html

Lots of content for your weary mapping soul.
In other blogs, Adena Schutzberg's latest podcast
http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=2473
for directions expands the discussion of checking
out and using visual mashup builders - be it
Microsoft Popfly (\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://www.popfly.ms/Overview/Default.aspx\" target\u003d_blank\>http://www.popfly.ms/Overview\u003cwbr /\>/Default.aspx\u003c/a\>),\u003cbr /\>or OpenLayers (\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://www.openlayers.org/gallery/multiple.html\" target\u003d_blank\>http://www.openlayers.org\u003cwbr /\>/gallery/multiple.html\u003c/a\>),\u003cbr /\>the latter being built on Open Source components...\u003cbr /\>{Aside on open source:  \u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://adtmag.com/article.aspx?id\u003d20709\" target\u003d_blank\>http://adtmag.com/article.aspx\u003cwbr /\>?id\u003d20709\u003c/a\>}\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>All of this reminds me of a conversation I had about a year ago\u003cbr /\>with a neighbor woman whose son was interested in computer\u003cbr /\>programming at an early age.  The gist of my remarks was that\u003cbr /\>for many his age, by the time he gets there, there will be\u003cbr /\>much graphical interface/GUI-based programming and fewer system\u003cbr /\>programmers creating the building blocks...\u003cbr /\>somewhat akin to this recent article:\u003cbr /\>\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/technology/24program.html?_r\u003d1&ref\u003dtechnology&oref\u003dslogin\" target\u003d_blank\>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05\u003cwbr /\>/24/technology/24program.html?\u003cwbr /\>_r\u003d1&ref\u003dtechnology&oref\u003cwbr /\>\u003dslogin\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>which references LOGO and SQUEAK as well...\u003cbr /\>essentially teaching kids how to fit the pieces together\u003cbr /\>before they realize they\'re programming... and they\'re\u003cbr /\>good at it !\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>Next comes finding the data, er information of a geospatial/\u003cbr /\>georeferenced variety... combining lessons from the past with\u003cbr /\>so-called geosocial networks - we find the also-recently-\u003cbr /\>introduced GeoCommons, \u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://www.geocommons.com/workspace/show/109\" target\u003d_blank\>http://www.geocommons.com\u003cwbr /\>/workspace/show/109\u003c/a\>",1] ); //-->Yahoo! Pipes (which we've looked at in the past),
Microsoft Popfly (http://www.popfly.ms/Overview/Default.aspx),
or OpenLayers (http://www.openlayers.org/gallery/multiple.html),
the latter being built on Open Source components...
{Aside on open source:  http://adtmag.com/article.aspx?id=20709}

All of this reminds me of a conversation I had about a year ago
with a neighbor woman whose son was interested in computer
programming at an early age.  The gist of my remarks was that
for many his age, by the time he gets there, there will be
much graphical interface/GUI-based programming and fewer system
programmers creating the building blocks...
somewhat akin to this recent article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/technology/24program.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin
which references LOGO and SQUEAK as well...
essentially teaching kids how to fit the pieces together
before they realize they're programming... and they're
good at it !

Next comes finding the data, er information of a geospatial/
georeferenced variety... combining lessons from the past with
so-called geosocial networks - we find the also-recently-
introduced GeoCommons, http://www.geocommons.com/
started by that fella who, as a student,
mapped the Internet infrastructure from public sources and was
subsequently quarantined to his grad student cubicle until he
could finish his degree and get paid to be quiet about how he
did it.
{I found a few Wisconsin layers including fire stations but
nothing to write home about...}

Right next to GeoCommons comes Swivel-Geography (announced
but not yet released ) http://www.swivel.com/
http://www.directionsmag.com/press.releases/?duty=Show&id=17607
It's like the dataplace site we checked out with collaborative
upload functions...  but wait, there's more !

Leica also wants in the game and they're promoting their new
Titan network - a secure, peer-to-peer network for the same
only with downloadable client, and presumably the ability to
add photos, 3D models and 'geochat' all through a globe-based
client...http://gi.leica-geosystems.com/LGISub1x451x0.aspx

Take one zoom-level out and you get lighter-weight, easy-to-
share with platforms for location-based and community-based
information ** by the people for the people **
like EchoMyPlace (http://www.echomyplace.com/) built on
CarbonTools' CarbonCloud technology
http://carboncloud.blogspot.com/2007/03/introducing\u003cbr /\>\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://www.thecarbonproject.com/social.php\" target\u003d_blank\>http://www.thecarbonproject\u003cwbr /\>.com/social.php\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>further driving home the term \'geosocial networking\'\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>as well as the MapHub site for Pittsburgh...\u003cbr /\>\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://www.maphub.com/\" target\u003d_blank\>http://www.maphub.com/\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>With all these ways to share, how can you pick just one -\u003cbr /\>or will you just stick to phone and e-mail ?\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>... which brings us back to interfaces... in projects to which\u003cbr /\>I contribute, including one using OpenLayers, we continue to\u003cbr /\>struggle with cross-browser, best-of-breed interfaces... Flash\u003cbr /\>it out in the lead but how can we harness it to our given spatial\u003cbr /\>data infrastructure...  \'Thinking in GIS\' wrote a .NET framework\u003cbr /\>for a MapFlash Viewer Framework, compatible with both ArcIMS and\u003cbr /\>MapServer...\u003cbr /\>\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://www.paolocorti.net/public/wordpress/index.php/2006/10/26/mapflashviewer-framework/\" target\u003d_blank\>http://www.paolocorti.net\u003cwbr /\>/public/wordpress/index.php\u003cwbr /\>/2006/10/26/mapflashviewer\u003cwbr /\>-framework/\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>and Eyebeam Research is going the other way working with vector\u003cbr /\>overlays for GoogleMaps: \u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://vgmap.eyebeamresearch.org/\" target\u003d_blank\>http://vgmap.eyebeamresearch\u003cwbr /\>.org/\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>and in order to get your data there faster, Garmin, on the consumer\u003cbr /\>end of GPS has introduced their own API to get your location data\u003cbr /\>\'out there\' \u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://www.directionsmag.com/press.releases/?duty\u003dShow&id\u003d17606\" target\u003d_blank\>http://www.directionsmag.com\u003cwbr /\>/press.releases/?duty\u003dShow&id\u003cwbr /\>\u003d17606\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>So.... don\'t just network, geonetwork and geosocialize to piece\u003cbr /\>",1] ); //-->-geosocial-networking-at.html
http://www.thecarbonproject.com/social.php
further driving home the term 'geosocial networking'

as well as the MapHub site for Pittsburgh...
http://www.maphub.com/

With all these ways to share, how can you pick just one -
or will you just stick to phone and e-mail ?

... which brings us back to interfaces... in projects to which
I contribute, including one using OpenLayers, we continue to
struggle with cross-browser, best-of-breed interfaces... Flash
it out in the lead but how can we harness it to our given spatial
data infrastructure...  'Thinking in GIS' wrote a .NET framework
for a MapFlash Viewer Framework, compatible with both ArcIMS and
MapServer...
http://www.paolocorti.net/public/wordpress/index.php/2006/10/26/mapflashviewer-framework/
and Eyebeam Research is going the other way working with vector
overlays for GoogleMaps: http://vgmap.eyebeamresearch.org/

and in order to get your data there faster, Garmin, on the consumer
end of GPS has introduced their own API to get your location data
'out there' http://www.directionsmag.com/press.releases/?duty=Show&id=17606

So.... don't just network, geonetwork and geosocialize to piece
and final interface for your next big MAP... and then decide\u003cbr /\>how it will be distributable...\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>Many sites mentioned above are leaning toward KML for Google Earth,\u003cbr /\>but GIS Cafe points out that TerraGo continues to push the GeoPDF\u003cbr /\>concept:\u003cbr /\>\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://www10.giscafe.com/nbc/articles/view_weekly.php?articleid\u003d393539&page_no\u003d1\" target\u003d_blank\>http://www10.giscafe.com/nbc\u003cwbr /\>/articles/view_weekly.php\u003cwbr /\>?articleid\u003d393539&page_no\u003d1\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>And, in case you were thinking of inventing it, the Right Management\u003cbr /\>Groups in OGC and others will have to deal with the fact that someone\u003cbr /\>already got the patent for Digital Watermarks embedded within images...\u003cbr /\>now they appear to be using it for georegistration and not protection,\u003cbr /\>but I leave that to the lawyers...\u003cbr /\>\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1\u003dPTO2&Sect2\u003dHITOFF&p\u003d1&u\u003d%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r\u003d1&f\u003dG&l\u003d50&co1\u003dAND&d\u003dPTXT&s1\u003dgis.ABTX.&OS\u003dABST/gis&RS\u003dABST/gis\" target\u003d_blank\>http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi\u003cwbr /\>/nph-Parser?Sect1\u003dPTO2&Sect2\u003cwbr /\>\u003dHITOFF&p\u003d1&u\u003d%2Fnetahtml\u003cwbr /\>%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r\u003d1\u003cwbr /\>&f\u003dG&l\u003d50&co1\u003dAND&d\u003dPTXT&s1\u003cwbr /\>\u003dgis.ABTX.&OS\u003dABST/gis&RS\u003dABST\u003cwbr /\>/gis\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>Finally, with all this buzz, it\'s nice to know someone is still worried\u003cbr /\>about making damned good looking maps and a nice Flash gallery from\u003cbr /\>which to show them off.\u003cbr /\>\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://cartifact.com./gallery/\" target\u003d_blank\>http://cartifact.com./gallery/\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>I look forward to when their Labs page starts outputting to the public.\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>Speaking of nice maps, one former weary mapper from here in town is\u003cbr /\>making his mark in the NYTimes... e.g.\u003cbr /\>",1] ); //-->together the data sources, application components and framework,
and final interface for your next big MAP... and then decide
how it will be distributable...

Many sites mentioned above are leaning toward KML for Google Earth,
but GIS Cafe points out that TerraGo continues to push the GeoPDF
concept:
http://www10.giscafe.com/nbc/articles/view_weekly.php?articleid=393539&page_no=1

And, in case you were thinking of inventing it, the Right Management
Groups in OGC and others will have to deal with the fact that someone
already got the patent for Digital Watermarks embedded within images...
now they appear to be using it for georegistration and not protection,
but I leave that to the lawyers...
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=gis.ABTX.&OS=ABST/gis&RS=ABST/gis


Finally, with all this buzz, it's nice to know someone is still worried
about making damned good looking maps and a nice Flash gallery from
which to show them off.
http://cartifact.com./gallery/
I look forward to when their Labs page starts outputting to the public.

Speaking of nice maps, one former weary mapper from here in town is
making his mark in the NYTimes... e.g.
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/us\u003cwbr /\>/20070524_REFINERY_GRAPHIC\u003cwbr /\>.html\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>which really just starts to hint at the cartographic influence that Dr.\u003cbr /\>Harrower and crew will have from this campus as more savvy cartographers\u003cbr /\>are added to the workforce !\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>So, we\'ve weary travelin\' mappers in Manhattan and D.C., in Jacksonville\u003cbr /\>and Denver.  Others are headed to Ireland, Sweden, Dominican Republic\u003cbr /\>and eventually, Argentina.  For those of us who cannot make it to visit\u003cbr /\>them all in person, we hope they\'ll remain Geosocial and drop by for an\u003cbr /\>update when they\'re next around.\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>... and the canoe trip will happen - perhaps end of July - vote in the\u003cbr /\>poll to be counted !\u003cbr /\>\u003ca onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\" href\u003d\"http://www.wearymappers.com\" target\u003d_blank\>www.wearymappers.com\u003c/a\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>until next time -\u003cbr /\>are you weary?\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003c/div\>",0] ); //-->http://www.nytimes.com/ref/us/20070524_REFINERY_GRAPHIC.html
which really just starts to hint at the cartographic influence that Dr.
Harrower and crew will have from this campus as more savvy cartographers
are added to the workforce !

So, we've weary travelin' mappers in Manhattan and D.C., in Jacksonville
and Denver.  Others are headed to Ireland, Sweden, Dominican Republic
and eventually, Argentina.  For those of us who cannot make it to visit
them all in person, we hope they'll remain Geosocial and drop by for an
update when they're next around.

... and the canoe trip will happen - perhaps end of July - vote in the
poll to be counted !
www.wearymappers.com

until next time -
are you weary?