I'm just sending a note (rather than the topic of a forum) on the editorial "Where's the Innovation ... in GIS?" in Directions magazine, i.e., anything "new and exciting" in Mapping & GIS lately? I certainly identify with the wonder of whether we've actually gotten that much further on our bigger and better mentality in technology; the "intuitive" processor and other buzz which I've never witnessed; and software, hardware, operating system combinations which actually work together for really great performance.
If we could just get these three components (software, hardware, OS) synchronized in a neat, working package at the beginning rather than after numerous Service Packs, patches (for OS and software), and add on software to enable us to do "what we used to do on our last, 'best' version," and to provide network-platform and OS compatibility from the start; at least a check list or matrix of what we have, need, and want before purchase, and then combining all these components into sometimes less than optimum result, i.e., the sum of the parts should perform more synergistically for a better and documented (metadata) result. Do we need all the components assembled and sold to us in a box?
Mapping & GIS, technology in general, have gotten so specialized in these areas that the buyer beware approach with all the right questions rather than learn from hindsight, as-you-go, and the fix-it approaches should signal some individual, manufacturer, and developer responsibility. We offer no protection to the end users with some obscure references to several unconnected Websites in Cyberville. If I go out and buy a top of the line Dell (Microsoft Windows XP Professional 2002, Service Pack 1; Pentium 4, 3.00 GHz CPU, 1.00 GB of RAM), on Microsoft Windows XP, and all the latest accessories for a combined ESRI Acrview3 and ArcGIS9 workstation, then shouldn't that work? Right? Wrong!
That's one. The individual users, manufacturers, and developers need to work better together and to remove the wild claims and hype in marketing for marginal results. The second item concerns how far we've come (regardless of the discussion in item one) and have we really gotten any further? After three mapping softwares, three software upgrades, numerous patches, three OSs (Windows 95, Windows NT, Windows XP) and the resultant Netware network incompatibility with XP, have we progressed or simply transferred more of the same into a better looking package and end product, i.e., color fill rather than black& white cross hatch from the 80s?
Under less than optimal conditions we've only advanced at our desktops; we're just beginning with interdepartmental mapping based on the same cadastral map which took several years to develop and accept in this organization. Overall, Mapping & GIS took over twenty years to develop across the organization. So if that first twenty represents the base of the organizational mapping pyramid then we have an outstanding base for exponential improvements over the next few years; there's' more operators, power users, speciality areas, in Mapping & GIS; there's bound to be more thought, application, and development, of what we can do between departments and disciplines.
What I see for the next generation will be more intuitive and interactive mapping as high speed processing becomes a reality; as we work as fast as we think (almost) with attention to global linkage and downloads; for example, "live" imagery of the Earth's surface and for spatial joins with any data set on any theme which occurs to us. We've come a long way; we've waited a long time, especially on displays, regens, and processing. That's water under the bridge. For now all we can do is wait and see; the military, intelligence agencies, and the movies have shown us some of the superior technology possible now. In time we'll have that made available to us at the WalMart and Circuit City near you. Wait and see.
Ken Sutherland, GIS Technician
Hernando County Planning Department
20 N. Main St., Room 262
Brooksville, FL 34601
352-754-4057
FAX: 352-754-4420
kens@HernandoCounty.us
Visit us at http://www.co.hernando.fl.us/plan/
