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| Subject: | Re: [gislist] What is happening to GIS? |
| Date: |
10/01/2005 02:55:01 AM |
| From: |
George |
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I wholehearredly agree with your views, Fiona.
In my many years as a Consultant, mainly in Europe and the Middle/Far East I have gradually seen GIS taken from the user into the domain of IS or IT, where the emphasis is on technological/network aspects, not on using the data.
I really believe in the importance of the user. It is he/she who is the expert in their field, and who usually knows how to use GIS to get the naswers to the riddles and problems and hypotheses that they are trying to solve. They are the ones who should be "in charge" of the data and the software and how it is used, not the IT department, as they know the validity and usefulness of the data and can repair or edit the data to make it more useful. An IS or IT department should only support the end-user, rather than try to take over the operation.
Somehow, I think the nomer "GIS" is partly to blame. IT/IS Heads see the "IS" in "GIS" and naturally want to assume control of another branch of their domain (G Information Systems). It's a pity this happens, as 90% or more of the IT/IS heads and people I have met and worked with know diddly-squat about GIS applications, or data, and don't really understand that their's is only, and should only be, a supportive role to the real GIS user and analyst. I have seen this with some really sad consequences in the UK, with the Government order for e_Government websites and LLPG databases.
Anyway, I believe the real GIS specialist, with their GIS knowledge and their work and knowledge in their specialized field should be the controller of what happens in GIS.
My 9c worth.
Cheers.
George.
"Where ever you go, there you are."
GIS Consultant. UK , North America, the Middle East, and the EU.
--- On Fri 09/30, Fiona Gregory < fgregory@sasktel.net > wrote:
From: Fiona Gregory [mailto: fgregory@sasktel.net]
To: gislist@lists.geocomm.com
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 20:53:56 -0600
Subject: [gislist] What is happening to GIS?
Internet map servers...<br><br>..spatial database engines..<br><br>..object oriented programming..<br><br>and all most end users really want to do is map our data. And maybe do a little spatial analysis. Like we learned that GIS was supposed to be for, way back in our first Intro to GIS class, except we never did get to analysis part, because we spend the whole course trying to figure out why the program kept hanging. Then when we got menus instead of command lines, we thought the age of "GIS for everyone" was dawning. And now...<br><br>Am I crazy, or is the GIS world getting way too complex? Deeper and deeper into the rarefied domain of the information technologist, and further from the grasp of the forester, wildlife biologist, land use planner, who are the ones who should be - and want to be- in command of the powers of spatial analysis and mapping in support of better environmental management strategies. <br><br>Are the huge expenditures of time, money, and professional
expertise on "enterprise GIS" these days really reaching and helping these people, or more importantly, are they really the best use of the scarce resources in the strained budgets of government agencies, non-profit groups, natural resource companies?<br><br>I believe in the value of GIS, but I'm not sure I believe in most instances of how I see GIS being used, and where the GIS resources are going, in organizations that I have observed in my 10 years in the GIS/natural resources field.<br><br>Have I struck a chord with anyone? Do you agree, or am I wrong, and can you explain why?<br>_______________________________________________<br>gislist mailing list<br>gislist@lists.geocomm.com<br>http://lists.geocomm.com/mailman/listinfo/gislist<br><br>_________________________________<br>This list is brought to you by<br>The GeoCommunity<br>http://www.geocomm.com/<br>
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