Quote of the Week II

"Thesis for tomorrow's talk: "rich" "immersive" maps are fools' gold; users want an easy drive-by experience so they can leave quickly..."

- @briantimoney (Brian Timoney) 

LightSquared Update 3/29/11

The US Department of Transportation and Defense Department on 25 March issued a strongly worded letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) expressing concern over elements of an ongoing analysis on the potential effects on GPS of a newly approved broadband system.

Education GIS Tidbits

Dawn Wright, well known in the Esri community for her advocacy for the use of GIS in studying the marine environment will take a leave of absence [corrected per comment] from Oregon State to join Esri as Chief Scientist. Wright's Twitter bio currently reads:

Oregon State University GIS prof (soon to be ESRI chief scientist), cyclist, ocean mapper, geek, Lego maniac http://dusk.geo.orst.edu

I guess this is the new personnel announcement format for Esri!

via Twitter

What's the latest addition to the Hopeworks 'n Camden (NJ) map set for 2011 distribution? QR codes.

- The Courier Post

Third graders in Needham explored the geography and history of the town by making their own hand drawn maps that are currently being displayed around town, thanks to the Needham 300 Committee and a grant from the Needham Education Foundation.

A program called Magic of Maps allowed the students to meet with a professional cartographer, who taught them about map making.

Nope, no sign of any technology in use!

- Boston Globe

Anxiety, Confusion Over Potential New GISP Requirements

Today (Tuesday, March 29) we'll be hosting a webcast where we want to address some of the questions among geospatial professionals who may be confused or unaware of the new GISP requirements being entertained by the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI). Sheila Wilson, executive director and David DiBiase, president, will present information during the Directions OnPoint webcast at 2 p.m. Eastern today; registration is free. And, the event is not sponsored by Esri or any other vendor and herein lies some of the confusion because one of the most frequently posed questions is: "Is Esri Certification a competitor of GISCI?" This question comes directly from one of the registered attendees. Here are a few of the nearly 200 questions [and perhaps misconceptions ] already submitted by registered attendees that we hope to address today:

• I'm about 70% through with my application and planned to finish it in the next few weeks. How will this new process affect me?
• Is it possible to develop tiered exams for various GISP levels?
• [Are] testing requirements aligned with the new ESRI certs?
• To what extent will these new requirements be necessary for re-certification?
• What are the requirements?
• What study guides are available?
• What ideas are being considered for exam content standardization?
• How much will it cost ?
• What is GISCI's postiton regarding the ESRI certifications?
• Will advanced education have greater weight in the certification process?
• Will renewing a certification require an examination process?
• Will there be concentrated functional area tests or a single comprehensive exam?

I hope you will join us to have your questions addressed as well. We will be taking questions from the attendees that join the "live" webcast.

Local (City/County/State) GIS Tidbits

Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana outlined a handful of steps the state has taken to ensure future generations of residents remain in the state in an address to the Louisiana Assessors' Association. GIS was a key topic of the event and it came up in his parting remarks.

He concluded on a personal note, detailing how the birth of his youngest son reminded him of how important it is for Louisiana to be on top of the latest technology, particularly geographic information systems (GIS), a key topic at the Louisiana Assessors' Association conference. In 2006, Jindal's wife went into labor unexpectedly resulting in Jindal delivering their son on the bathroom floor of their home.

"The reality is minutes can make a difference in the world we live in today," he said. "Having the most accurate information available can make the difference between a company deciding to come to your parish or (go to) another."

- Shreveport Times

Annoka County, MN is updating its Pictometry license and data. The last update was in 2008 if I read this correctly.

The licensing agreement, which includes 2011 aerial imaging photography, is for two years and comes at a cost of $177,525.

The money will come from the recorder’s compliance fund, which was created by a 2005 state law change allowing counties to charge an extra $11 in the document fee for recording deeds and other documents added by the new law.

- ABC Newspapers

Lake County Ohio will pay Pictometry $101,964 in three installments for imagery. It's last flights were in 2007. "The GIS website has been one of the most utilized resources in the county." It's not clear to me if the reference is the public or county employee site. It's also not clear if the obliques, what Pictometry is known for, are available to the public. Comments to the article in the local paper wonder why a New York company is doing the work.

- New Herald