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| GeoCommunity Mailing List |
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| Mailing List Archives |
| Subject: | RE: GISList: GIS Data Depot download limits |
| Date: |
06/10/2002 07:58:40 AM |
| From: |
Dimitri Rotow |
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>
> Chris "Tired of paying for data I've already paid for with my taxes"
> Weaver
>
An understandable sentiment, but don't slam Geocomm because Uncle Sam is
ripping you off. The problem is not that Geocomm operates their site
sensibly, like any good business should, the problem is dumb policies at
USGS that end up denying public access to public data so that those who do
not wish to use a commercial service don't have other options.
There is nothing wrong with Geocomm charging for the convenience of finding
lots of cool data at a single site, being able to have it written to CD,
etc. We're very lucky to have Geocomm as a resource and I for one hope the
site continues to thrive. As much as I like to get data for free, I also
value my time and convenience enough to appreciate Geocomm's service.
Obviously, many people feel the same way because the site continues to grow
and develop greater presence in GIS.
In most cases, the Geocomm data is available at other sites at no charge. A
problem only arises if Geocomm or similar commercial sites are the only way
to get to public data provided by USGS. However, that's not Geocomm's
fault, it is USGS's fault for denying public access to public data. It's a
little like yelling at your local copy shop for charging a copying fee to
make copies of tax forms because your state or federal governments are too
inept to provide enough copies for people to use. The problem is ineptness
on the government's side and not the service provided by a commercial vendor
who is helping you out.
In terms of exclusivity I think the main data at issue are the SDTS DEMS,
which were pulled off the USGS site and provided to Geocomm in an
effectively exclusive deal about a year ago. Since then, USGS has denied
applications (such as ours) to provide totally free access to that data.
Instead, they have provided it only to another commercial site. I think
it's very wrong that USGS embarked on a de facto privatization of public
data, but I sure don't blame Geocomm for the decisions that USGS made. At
least with Geocomm distributing the data there is *some* way to get it.
If you don't like it that USGS has shafted you, contact the person who is
said by USGS to be in charge of the shafting:
Beth L. Duff
USGS, National Mapping, Business Development
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr., MS508, Reston, VA 20192
703-648-4621, 703-648-5939 (fax), bduff@usgs.gov
Send Beth an email or call her up on the telephone and ask her when she will
provide the SDTS data sets for public distribution by people who want to
host free access sites. The last few times we've sent them a proposal they
disappeared.
Our proposal is very simple: If USGS allows us access to those SDTS DEMS
we'll make a disk image and place it on our servers for free download by any
webmaster who wants to host a mirror site. What we are most interested is
in breaking the bandwidth logjam. Because of the artificial scarcity
induced by the ineptly sudden withdrawal of SDTS DEMS from the USGS website,
any one website that offers them for free at a reasonable transfer rate will
be rapidly overloaded. Geocomm's efforts to provide a public service for
free are a good case in point. As long as USGS artificially withholds the
data to keep it scarce, it doesn't make sense for any single organization to
stand up and have their business shot in the head by peak demands.
The obvious solution is to provide multiple download sites for SDTS DEMS.
There are numerous universities, businesses and state GIS web sites who
would be pleased to provide download sites for SDTS DEMS for their regions.
The problem they all have is that there is no longer a source from which
their webmasters can download the master SDTS DEMS to populate their sites.
Had we known that Ms. Duff was intending to eliminate public access to the
SDTS DEMs, we could have downloaded a complete set before they were
exterminated from the USGS FTP sites. So now, someone else has to provide a
master site.
I propose to offer a high bandwidth, free site that can be a master site
from which mirror sites can take their downloads. The only requirement is
that anyone downloading from the master site has to offer a free,
unrestricted bandwidth site on which anything downloaded from the master
site will be offered to the general public. I could be wrong about this,
but I believe that this will result in much wider dissemination of SDTS DEMs
and it will also eliminate the bandwidth problems that any one site faces.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that virtually no one on this
list will contact Beth Duff to get something like the above proposal into
play. Perhaps I'm getting cynical, but I have a strong feeling that people
will find it easier to flame an innocent bystander (Geocomm) than to put
fingers to keyboard and call the real offenders to task.
Chee
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