So should we shut the damn thing down and agree to fragment, or continue to flog the old hobby horse?
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Andrew Turner Sent: 14-Jan-12 11:55 To: geowanking Subject: Re: [Geowanking] Where has all the geowanking gone ? - topic for discussion On Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 4:07 PM, Andrea Moed <[email protected]> wrote: > As a consumer, or at least, someone not currently building the geo-web > or other geo-systems, the question I'm hoping to see more about is, > how broadly accessible can we make geospatial analysis? When will it > be possible for a non-cartographer on their own to use maps, public > geodata, and geo-indexed private/personal data to answer a question > like "Where should I plant my garden?", "Where in the region should I > live if I want to lower my carbon footprint?", "Where should our > neighborhood advocate for adding a park, or a supermarket, or more beat > cops?"... etc. Well, there are definitely a few of us trying to tackle that particular problem. ;) However, this question has come up a few times in the past year or so. I've attributed it to a few things. By my own mention, many of us that started hacking on new things in the space ended up starting or joining a business that migrated our time from pondering many new ideas to executing a growing a single (or at least fewer) ideas. Not a great reason, but more of a practical one. The ideas that we were pondering but didn't tackle have somewhat been 'proven out' by others (location gaming, friend finding, photo sharing). Consider Path, Color, FourSquare, Facebook Places, et al. doing a bit of "sucking the air out of the room". They're no longer interesting demonstrations or ponderings but active projects or businesses and the discussions have fractured off to those channels or just become an aspect of another discipline (e.g. "big data") Probably somewhat because of the avenues of "what if" being narrowed through actual implementation it's more difficult to broadly pontificate unexplored territory. Personally, things I wish I had more time to explore and just hack on and would be interested to hear about follows somewhat with Jeffrey's notes. Convergence of geolocated hardware + software. There is now a preponderance of personal health devices showing up - why not the same for Spimes/Motes/etc. Pachube is another community (besides Public Labs) playing with this. Andrew > > Thanks for starting the discussion! > > --Andrea > > > On Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 11:43 AM, William J. Spat <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Mention of this list’s quietness got me to wondering why? >> >> >> >> My feeling is that good maps and 3d location data are in the process >> of becoming commoditised, so there’s less about which to fantasize. >> >> >> >> I mean, three-dimensional spatial data is being built out to the >> point that if it is a lasting visible structure, it’s going to be on >> the map. And we tend to fantasize about the unknown. So what’s left >> about which to geowank? >> >> >> >> I suppose there’s a historical dimension – putting Paxton’s crystal >> palace back on the map and that kind of thing. >> >> >> >> One area that intrigues me – and probably because I know so little >> about it - is the mapping of non-spatial data. I mean stuff that is >> associated with a point or area, but is not itself three-dimensional >> in any meaningful sense. >> >> >> >> For example, I once read of a riff on forestry software used to >> predict optimum snow conditions on ski hills. So presumably inputs >> that were relevant to tree growth (precipitation, sunlight, slope, >> and so on) were mapped to conditions relevant to really good snow for >> sliding sports. This might be an example –and one that has been >> commercialised, at least in a ski-hill consultancy. >> >> >> >> What else might there be? >> >> >> >> We have had wikis of crime scenes placed on maps (the crimes >> generally having occurred at a location, but not having a lasting >> visible structure {leaving aside architectural crimes ;-)}), and >> there are great wikis of transient spatial activities >> (http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/ is a favourite of mine) >> >> >> >> What else? >> >> >> >> I’ve fantasized about maps that input to policy decisions. For >> example, it’s a tired (pardon the pun) saw that cyclists >> systematically disobey traffic rules. To which, as a cyclist, I >> counter that the number of infractions by motorists far exceeds those >> by cyclists since disregard for speed limits by motorists is endemic. >> Could we map those areas of excessive speed as we have live maps of >> congestion? Pinpoint potential profit centres for Treasury? >> >> >> >> I supposed the challenge is (as it was in the early days of this >> list) getting good data. For example, I read that one good argument >> for the establishment of marine parks came from records of large fish >> catches after an exclusion zone was established for the moon shots at Cape >> Canaveral. >> >> >> >> And even if good data can be found and geocoded, it is not really ‘geo,’ >> so perhaps harder to manage with our systems and approaches? >> >> >> >> As smartphones get more sensors, perhaps we can get them to harvest >> more data? Or just tap into more silos of data that are already >> there, but not adequately mapped? As we have all been turned into >> wardrivers by Apple and their ilk? >> >> >> >> I am reminded of a short story from Peter Carey’s “Fat Man in history”. >> But that’s another topic for discussion…. >> >> >> >> >> >> From: [email protected] >> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Anselm Hook >> Sent: 12-Jan-12 09:20 >> To: S. E. >> Cc: geowanking >> Subject: Re: [Geowanking] When and Where is WhereCamp SF/Bay Area? >> >> >> >> I'm not doing it this year but Steve C say's he'll pick it up - >> looking forward to attending :-) >> >> >> >> a >> >> On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 2:00 PM, S. E. <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> I have not seen this posted and the list has been awful quiet (aside >> from LinkedIn requests ;) >> >> >> >> O'Reilly's Where conference is 4/2-4, so I imagine it will be >> 3/31-4/1 or 4/8-9, but would be great to know now for scheduling. >> >> >> >> Looking forward to it! >> >> >> >> >> >> Steven Echtman >> >> >> >> HearPlanet >> >> www.HearPlanet.com >> >> iPhone Apps | Android Apps >> >> >> >> Ph/Fx: 415-324-8555 >> >> Cl: 310-962-1021 >> >> [email protected] >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Geowanking mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://geowanking.org/mailman/listinfo/geowanking_geowanking.org >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> @anselm 415 215 4856 http://twitter.com/anselm >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Geowanking mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://geowanking.org/mailman/listinfo/geowanking_geowanking.org >> > > > > -- > Andrea Moed > [email protected] > http:www.linkedin.com/in/amoeda > twitter: futuristparent > > > _______________________________________________ > Geowanking mailing list > [email protected] > http://geowanking.org/mailman/listinfo/geowanking_geowanking.org > -- Andrew Turner mobile: 248.982.3609 [email protected] http://highearthorbit.com http://geocommons.com Helping build the Geospatial Web Introduction to Neogeography - http://oreilly.com/catalog/neogeography _______________________________________________ Geowanking mailing list [email protected] http://geowanking.org/mailman/listinfo/geowanking_geowanking.org _______________________________________________ Geowanking mailing list [email protected] http://geowanking.org/mailman/listinfo/geowanking_geowanking.org
