Rather than thinking of neo vs. paleo as divisive, I think it's helpful to assume the perspective of the folks calling themselves "neo" geographers. I believe, from their perspective that this "geography" which is mostly embodied as web-based cartography is a new (or "neo") thing. But it's new on two counts:
1. It's new to the practitioners. They are the amateurs in terms of geography but they are NOT amateurs in terms of technology. 2. This technology democratizes cartography in a way not seen since Guttenberg made it possible for more people to have maps. In that sense, it is new or "neo". Regards to Geography as a discipline: In the realm of academia, neogeography does not mean to supplant Geography. But to simply say: "There is a new field for geography to research. Nothing more and nothing less in my eyes." Is to underestimate the significance of democratized cartography. And for "Mapping and spatial analysis methods didn't simply appear out of thin air to become mashable through an API. " It is admirable that you make efforts to get your software out as FOSS - but that's actually not that common in academic Geography. So many academics keep their software and data a closely held secret. They publish analysis methods but only in venues that other academics participate in. What happens is methods and APIs do "simply appear out of thin air" as these FOSS "hackers" reinvent the methods that are published in an inaccessible manner. Even APIs get supplanted because the overly formalized, academic APIs like OGC appear too complex (thus we get the Google API and the OpenStreetMap API). Further, many FOSS "hackers" are brilliant thinkers with a strong dislike of academia. They dropped out of college because the CompSci department taught decades old material in a very slow pedagogy. I believe is it very important for us Paleogeographers to wear the name with honor and embrace the efforts of the Neogeographers. We do carry with us much hard-fought knowledge and wisdom that the Neogeographers would benefit from. But, at the same time, if we don't make it accessible in a manner THEY get, then the Neogeographers will stumble their own way along backed by Billion$ in Venture Capital and Millions of code contributors. Geography has always struggled in defining itself. To throw up walls because of a definition being given it by a massively productive culture would, I think, be another blow against the discipline. -Eric -- -=--=---=----=----=---=--=-=--=---=----=---=--=-=- Eric B. Wolf 720-209-6818 USGS Geographer Center of Excellence in GIScience PhD Student CU-Boulder - Geography
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