This is how our conversation would go:
"Grandma (or whoever) when there were fewer people in the world, people knew each other and understood the extend of people's properties. With so many people in the world today involved in so many different activities, it is difficult for one person to remember everything. GIS technology was /is developed to help us track this information easily so that at any time we can know who owns what and where. We take maps, put them in a language that computers can understand and then use the computer tools to look at this information quickly" I usually use a variation of this when explaining to normal people what I do.. > -----Original Message----- > From: Will Mitchell [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, March 22, 2004 9:08 AM > To: 'B. Thoen'; 'MapInfo-L' > Subject: RE: MI-L Web Services (for Grandma) > > Hi GIS friends, > > > > I was on the phone with my 90 year old grandmother this weekend, and as has > happened before, she basically said "Ohhhhh, I'm soooo proud of you. I just > wish I understood what you did." > > > > So I thought I'd issue a challenge: Who can best describe GIS to a 90 year > old? Of course there are many terms that should not be used, and Bill's > extract below contains many of them. I would add GIS itself as a no-no > term. Winning entries will be posted to mitchellgeo.com (which should have a > bold new look in a couple of weeks). > > > > Thanks. > > > > Will Mitchell > > Mitchell Geographics, Inc. > > 496 Congress St > > Portland, ME 04101 > > ph 207.879.7769 > > fx 207.253.5756 > > <http://www.mitchellgeo.com> www.mitchellgeo.com > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: B. Thoen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, March 22, 2004 10:20 AM > To: MapInfo-L > Subject: Re: MI-L Web Services > > > > Ye gods! Who wrote that press release? That's the most impressive example > > of polysyllabicly gilded prose I've seen in a while! "Interoperability" > > really gets a workout too. > > > > "...working collaboratively to extend and "ruggedize" existing and draft > > OpenGIS standards. The goal is a robust and complete interoperability > > framework for implementation within a multi-vendor enterprise and to > > achieve interoperability between enterprises for geoprocessing..." > > > > - Bill > > > > > > > > On Mon, 22 Mar 2004, David Langley wrote: > > > > > Following up on a previous discussion, and to those of you that are > > > interested, it looks like the next release of the OGC web services (WMS, > WFS > > > etc) will be based around the HTTP SOAP programming architecture making > them > > > hopefully easier to integrating into your client applications via > importing > > > of the WSDL file. > > > > > > http://www.directionsmag.com/press.releases/?duty=Show&id=8935 > > > or > > > http://www.opengis.org/press/?page=pressrelease&view=20040318OWS2PR > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > > > Dave > > > > > > David P. Langley > > > Director of Programming Services > > > > > > Mapping Solutions, LLC > > > 4660 S. Hagadorn Rd. > > > Suite 120 > > > East Lansing, MI 48823 > > > USA > > > > > > Voice: (+1) 517-332-7735 > > > Cell: (+1) 517-719-6359 > > > Fax: (+1) 517-332-1329 > > > > > > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > SMS: 5177196359 (@page.nextel.com) > > > > > > Visit our website: www.mappingsolutions.com > > > > > > Need cheap GDT and NavTech street-level data for North America and Europe? > > > Check out Map-In-A-Box at www.mapinabox.com > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Message number: 10985 > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------> > > List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Message number: 10986 > This e-mail contains confidential information that is proprietary to EPCOR and its subsidiary companies in all respects. This information is intended only for the person(s) named in the destination address. Unauthorized distribution, copying or disclosure is strictly prohibited. If you receive this e-mail in error, please delete it immediately.
