Hi Guys,
Let me toss my ideas about "free data" into
this spinning hat. Dan and Rick are absolutely correct...there ain't no free
data. Those of you who have not had a chance to read the article,
"The Fairy Tale of the Ugly Standard", in the August issue of
"GIS World" should give it a scan. Some guy named Thoen
addresses a portion of this problem in a humorous, accurate manner.
We get data from DOT BTS, the FCC, the FAA, USGS, NOAA
and other government agencies. Except for BTS data (they even pay the
postage), there is a nominal charge for all of it. USGS learned from its
new mentors at MS and suddenly became much more than nominal. Only the guy
who writes the paychecks for all in the company knows the true cost of this
data.
Our customers are in the business of laying cable,
driving trucks, evaluating real estate sites, devising marketing strategies,
implementing personal communication systems, managing forest assets and so on
and so on. We are in the business of learning their spatially
related problems, knowing as many sources of commercial or "free" data
as possible and then devising a solution to a business need that makes them more
money than they pay us. To expect them to attempt a translation of any
government data base would be as nonsensical as their CEO electing to do his own
appendectomy after reading a volume on anatomy. If we don't provide a
solution for the client, we lose the client. Business
101.
We purchase data from companies like On Target for one
reason...it is far more cost effective to use reasonably priced clean data than
it is to expend programming and production assets doing it
ourselves. While I have no problem with Steve's approach to data pricing,
I, too, have often wondered about the generosity of his employer in allowing
Steve to use company assets for a giveaway. I haven't always agreed with
MapInfo over the eight years I've been a reseller, but I do agree with their
policy of pricing data in line with its value to the
customer.
We tend to forget about the money cycle that makes a
free, capitalistic, enterprise system viable:
- Businesses earn money.
- As businesses earn more money, they are able to employ more people and pay them money.
- Government taxes those businesses and the people they employ.
- Government uses a portion of that tax money to hire people to do necessary, but unprofitable functions.
- Businesses find a commercial value in some of the product the government has produced with no profit.
- Businesses earn more money.
John D. Haynes
Geodata Consultants
1-800-838-6661
Geodata Consultants
1-800-838-6661
