Hi, I'm new to this list and to the geoweb in general. It seems like I am in a similar situation to that of Renee's student.
My undergraduate major in geography, even with a formal "concentration" in GIS, has supplied me with very few skills outside of the traditional , ESRI/ERDAS suite. Fortunately, I received an Erasmus Mundus scholarship to obtain my master's of science in geospatial technology<http://geotech.uni-muenster.de/>in Spain and Germany. Our range of studies has introduced database design, (Java) programming, network tools, and software design on very basic levels. Most importantly, I have become aware that the most innovative developments in geography are fairly far removed from the commercial desktop software I am accustomed to using. I'm therefore anxious to involve my thesis with the geoweb, however, like Renee's student, I have very little of the technical background necessary to do so. This fall I will be working on it in Valencia, Spain. Combining my background in environmental studies, anthropology of food, and agriculture, I'm hoping to create a prototype-like map of the local food network. A Spanish non-profit, CERAI <http://cerai.es/>(sorry, the English version of their website is basically limited to a translated menu), has agreed to work with me and has data on local organic farmers and producers of artisanal products along with points of sale for such products. The idea is that it would be extensible, with the potential to include other areas. The idea fits in very well with the EU's rural development <http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rurdev/index_en.htm>and sustainable agriculture <http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/foodqual/index_en.htm>initiatives, and the idea of including the geographical regions for quality labels<http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/foodqual/quali1_en.htm>and ecotourism holds special appeal. One of my supervisors, in Lisbon, has worked with the Portuguese quality labels in the EU scheme and insists that his bureaucratic contacts are very interested in the idea. Personally, I would love to incorporate some form of VGI into the idea. This FarmAid map <http://www.platial.com/map/HOMEGROWN-New-York/40575> on Platial is great in that it allows users to add content, reviews and photos. Admittedly, sustainable agriculture and organic farming might not draw the kind of public participation in Spain as they would in the UK or Germany where these issues are more generally more esteemed. However, the Spaniards do have a great deal of pride and concern when it comes to artisanal foods, so I do think there is potential for public interest in such a feature. Another aspect to consider is the possibility of creating a Google Earth layer like that of Fair Trade Certified<http://www.transfairusa.org/content/certification/producer_profiles_google.php>. I briefly considered applying for a Google Earth Outreach Pro Grant since they've recently expanded eligibility to NGOs in some European countries, but they require applicant organizations to have a technical staff member with an html/Google Earth background. In the end, my old-school geography and anthropology background enables me to see the wonderful potential of such a map, yet I'm obviously worried about my lack of technical expertise. I've been doing a crash course of sorts; reading Andrew Turner's Introduction to Neogeography, prowling blogs and forums, and experimenting with KML and html in Google Maps<http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=100912967608082801737.00044d3a11046ec7b4466&ll=39.419221,-0.364029&spn=0.01293,0.037808&z=15>/Earth (don't laugh, this is my first time writing html!). The previous responses to Renee's query are very helpful. Feature Server, OpenLayers, GeoDjango, Software Carpentry, and the Google Geodatastore all look promising. But here's the real question: Am I attempting the impossible? Should I leave a project like this up to experts with more coding knowledge? If it is feasible, any suggestions on methodology? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Cheers! Amenity
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