A Surprising Local Paper Article on GIS
I read a lot of local paper articles on GIS. Most explain the technology reasonably well, but if anything, they over do what it can and can’t do. And, you almost never hear of officials not liking it. So, hats off to Gary Pinnell writing at TampaBay Online. His “On the Map” (while it has some statements that give me pause, such as: “One day, that information may come from satellites, McIntyre hopes. If it does, it may be more accurate, Hanna reasoned, since a satellite will account for the curvature of the earth.”) highlights the good, bad and ugly in Highland County, Florida.
For example, some of the ugly:
The ability to find telephone callers is nowhere near done, said J.P. Fane, E-911 coordinator in the sheriff’s office. GIS addresses must be constantly validated.
...“It’s been a very complicated thing,” said Joe Campbell. From the sound of his voice, it’s clear the election supervisor isn’t thrilled with GIS. It’s been frustrating.
“The sheriff wants one thing, the property appraiser wants another thing. And what we want to know is, where does everybody live?”
...Much of the GIS information in Highlands County may not become publically available, because most taxpayers will lack the speedy computers and proprietary software to access it, Hanna said.
