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Hi Sindile,<br>
Your comment, now in brown italics below, refers.<br>
<br>
People who need to use GIS SW as used by whatever client they have,
have likely been through many different SW products (and clients).<br>
Yes, that likely makes them 'master of none', but it also means that
if/when they understand the problems to be solved, they know what to
look for in the SW that has been "thrust upon them".<br>
<br>
My take on your comment below is that perhaps the corporate planners
need to look at the issue differently.<br>
<ul>
<li> It is FAR more useful to select/hire staff that have long and
broad, practical experience <u>in the workings and needs of the
department</u>.<br>
SW is a tool - knowing the SW but not knowing (enough of) the
problems to solve, is extremely 'not useful'.<br>
A good, well experienced Geo-spatial professional should have no
problem finding the resources to implement a solution on any
mature SW platform.<br>
</li>
</ul>
So my thoughts to aspiring GISc Practitioners is to focus on
understanding how the buttons do what they "say" they do, and not
the "order of the buttons to push" when implementing a solution.<br>
<br>
It really is the difference between GIS and GISc<br>
<br>
I suppose that what I am trying to say is: <br>
<blockquote>Wouldn't it be nice if planners and HR staff focused on
abilities actually needed for a job position and not "years of SW
usage stated on the CV".<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
On a related issue, it is all too often that accountants and upper
managers decide on corporate strategy.<br>
These guys typically choose large, long-standing companies to source
SW from - their Linus [not Torvalds🙂] blanket being that the
company will 'always' be there to hold to account any problems they
(that company) might be deemed to have caused.<br>
The reality is that these larger companies are sometimes harder to
get a response from.<br>
<br>
So, given that Open Source is perceived to have no one directly
responsible for it, it makes it even more difficult to get the
powers that be to choose it above a large corporate offering.<br>
I live in hope that perceptions will change, but..., well..., not
yet.<br>
<br>
OK...I'm rambling so will "shut up" now 🙂<br>
<br>
Keep well,<br>
Zoltan<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2024/03/11 08:57, Sindile Bidla
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAA8LWiFqLnrPDJp=6h_ihAXFHD=3b7eyL_VqE1LrO5n7uB47xA@mail.gmail.com">
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>Hi Zoltan,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Thank you for your response and it is quite useful <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The context to my question is the following comment:</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>"Most government departments and institutes of higher
learning use proprietary software and most GIS practitioners
were trained on proprietary software such that more GIS
professionals are more experienced in proprietary software
than open source software. Therefore, <font color="#804040"><i>it
might be challenging for municipalities to recruit
candidates with relevant experience in open-source
software.</i></font>"</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>This arose in the context of developing a corporate GIS
implementation plan, where the option of using proprietary and
free and open source tools was presented. <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I also lean towards the view that what software tool you
learn at university is irrelevant, as a result I thought let
me ask on this list.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Regards,</div>
<div>Sindile<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, 11 Mar 2024 at
00:32, Zoltan Szecsei via Africa <<a
href="mailto:africa@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">africa@lists.osgeo.org</a>>
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote"
style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div> Hi Sindile,<br>
If you state the reason for your query, you might get more
useful or relevant answers.<br>
<br>
(So lets see how useful my response is 😕 )<br>
<br>
One does not go to a learning institution (as in
University) to learn a SW product. <br>
The usage of any SW product is incidental to what you are
being taught. <br>
(So prior knowledge of which SW they base their studies
upon, is not useful to you)<br>
To learn a product, go to the product supplier.<br>
<br>
If your query to this list is because you want to register
with SAGC, then:<br>
(Register as "In Training" before you start/continue your
studies.)<br>
<ul>
<li>If you have not started studying, pick an SAGC
accredited course.</li>
<li>If you are partially through your studies, then look
on the SAGC website to find a Table with the required
course <b><u>content</u></b> as needed for the
different types and levels of registration.</li>
<ul>
<li>Compare the <b><u>content</u></b> of your
completed courses against the content required for
registration.</li>
<li>From this you will see what <u><b>content</b></u>
(and subjects) you are missing and thus need to
complete before you can register.</li>
<li>Then choose appropriate courses to gain credits in
your missing content.<br>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br>
Hope this helps.<br>
<br>
Kind regards,<br>
Zoltan<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div>On 2024/03/10 11:27, Sindile Bidla via Africa wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>Hello List,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Does anyone know what software is used by various
South African tertiary institutions that offer a
qualification in GIS whether it is accredited by
SAGC or not.</div>
<div>Are students exposed to both desktop and server
tools during their studies?</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>An internet search revealed the following
institutions offer GIS in their curricula</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>SAGC Accredited<br>
</div>
<div>University of Cape Town</div>
<div>University of Stellenbosch</div>
<div>University of Pretoria</div>
<div>Cape Peninsula University of Technology</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Others</div>
<div>University of Johannesburg</div>
<div>University of South Africa</div>
<div>University of Venda</div>
<div>University of Fort Hare</div>
<div>Nelson Mandela University</div>
<div>University of KwaZulu Natal</div>
<div>University of Free State</div>
<div>North West University</div>
<div>University of Witwatersrand<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Thank you for your feedback.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Regards,</div>
<div>Sindile <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset></fieldset>
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</blockquote>
<br>
<pre cols="72">--
=============================================
Zoltan Szecsei GPrGISc 0031
Director, Geograph (Pty) Ltd.
GIS and Photogrammetric Services
Cape Town, South Africa.
Mobile: +27-83-6004028 (Signal, not WhatsApp)
+974-5058-8729
+36-20-4808362
<a href="http://www.geograph.co.za" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">www.geograph.co.za</a>
=============================================</pre>
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<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
=============================================
Zoltan Szecsei GPrGISc 0031
Director, Geograph (Pty) Ltd.
GIS and Photogrammetric Services
Cape Town, South Africa.
Mobile: +27-83-6004028 (Signal, not WhatsApp)
+974-5058-8729
+36-20-4808362
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.geograph.co.za">www.geograph.co.za</a>
=============================================</pre>
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