On Jun 15, 2010, at 3:00 PM, Rich Gibson wrote:

> 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.

What would you do with it?

> 
> 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>
> 
> 
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have fun,

Steve Coast / stevecoast.com


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