Ian, The key lesson of open geospatial data is that we don't know what creative things people will do with open data.
Out of respect for you I will try and soften this, but your writing 'there's nothing you can 'do' with it to change the state of affairs' represents a lack of cluefulness on your part. Rich On Tue, Jun 15, 2010 at 11:34 AM, Ian White <[email protected]> wrote: > you are kidding, right? if there was ever a need for open geospatial data, > this is most definitely not it. much as it would be nice to have, there's > nothing you can 'do' with it to change the state of affairs. contrast this > with access to transit, crime, base map, environment, etc........ > > > == > > Ian White :: Urban Mapping Inc > > 690 Fifth Street Suite 200 :: San Francisco CA 94107 > > T.415.946.8170 :: F.866.385.8266 :: urbanmapping.com/blog > > > On 15 Jun 2010, at 11:15, gis pundit wrote: > > > This is very disturbing. If ever there was a need for open geospatial data, > this is it. > > I wonder what possessed the Federal & State Agencies to agree to upload > their only copies of the location data their responders are collecting in > the field to a BP-controlled GIS server? > > If it wasn't so illegal, I'd say that BP corporate firewall was just > begging for a few good hackers to "fix" this problem :) > > > > >-------- Original Message -------- > >Subject: FW: Letter on BP Oil Spill GIS Appears, Disappears > >Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:17:14 -0400 > >TO: NWCG GIS Task Group > > > >FYI > > > > > http://www.scientificblogging.com/chatter_box/bp_gis_and_mysterious_vanishing_open_letter > > > >http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/54563 > > > >Introduction: > > > >Andrew Stephens and Devon Humphrey, both Geographic Information Systems > >(GIS) professionals with 40 years combined GIS experience, were the > >primary architects of the GIS Unit and lab at Incident Command Post > >(ICP) Houma. Mr. Stephens has 20 years GIS experience, teaching GIS to > >organizations worldwide, and is an expert in GIS deployment, start-up, > >training and workflow design. Mr. Humphrey has 20 years background in > >Oil Spill GIS with Texas General Land Office, where he was on the > >development team of an award-winning oil spill GIS. He has also been an > >instructor since 1994 at the National Spill Control School at Texas A&M > >University, Corpus Christi. The ‘Spill School’ is named in the Oil > >Pollution Act of 1990. > > > > >**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------** > >Deepwater Horizon GIS Data Concerns > >From: Andrew Stephens and Devon Humphrey > >Date: June 9, 2010 > >Subject: BP control of GIS data > > > >To Whom It May Concern: > > > >Executive Summary > > > >This letter is being submitted to make it known that several key factors > >of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command > >Structure (ICS) are not being met in the Unified Command process of the > >BP Deepwater Horizon Incident. Specifically regarding the treatment of > >Geographic Information System (GIS) data, current configuration and > >process limit, or exclude completely, the flow of information about the > >extent and status of the disaster to government entities, emergency > >responders, and the public. > > > >GIS is essential to the oil spill response effort and to the recovery of > >public resources. Almost every map and geographic display representing > >the Deepwater Horizon Incident is sourced by GIS data. Current GIS > >management processes indicate that BP is treating GIS data as > >proprietary information, and these data are currently being stored > >behind the BP corporate firewall. It is our understanding that public > >agencies, for example, The US Fish and Wildlife Service and The > >Louisiana National Guard, are literally submitting the only copy of > >agency field data, via wireless-enabled mobile GPS devices, directly to > >a BP GIS server behind the corporate firewall in Houston. Examples of > >these data are; dead bird and fish locations with photos, boom > >placement, engineered construction barriers, including dates, and other > >descriptive information and photos. > > > >State Emergency Operation Center (EOC) staff, Parish EOC staff, and > >other Emergency Responders and Recovery Specialists do not have access > >to these GIS datasets, contrary to all NIMS guidance, protocols and > >principles. > > > >Per NIMS, redundancy of incident information is to be managed jointly, > >and fully accessible by the Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC), the > >State On Scene Coordinator (SOSC), and the Responsible Party. Technology > >allows implementation of this design to occur instantaneously and > >automatically (see attached diagram). The intent of this letter is to > >inform The President, the National Incident Commander, the FOSC, the > >SOSC, and the public, of the need to establish and enforce NIMS > >compliant access policies over all Deepwater Horizon oil spill GIS data. > > > >The Geospatial Intelligence Officer (GIO) and the GIS Unit Leader, who > >proposed NIMS-compliant GIS architecture to Unified Command, and > >supported access to these GIS data, have been removed from the Houma ICP > >by BP IT department managers. > > > <ATT00001..txt> > > > > _______________________________________________ > Geowanking mailing list > [email protected] > http://geowanking.org/mailman/listinfo/geowanking_geowanking.org > >
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