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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><!--ppd1000033--><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>David,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>You wrote: “As part of my M.A. in Computer Science I am going to be doing GIS research, and<br>my interests look like they align well with the goals of the Public Geospatial<br>Data Project. I am planning on doing three semesters of research (starting now)<br>leading up to a thesis.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I take it your interests are along the software development lines, since your major is in computer science. Can you give us any more details on the topic of your thesis? Are you researching a solutions to a technical challenge? Or is your thesis focused on policy issues? What do you hope the end result of your research project will be? Is it going to be a software package, a set of best-practices, or something else? I’m just trying to understand the relationship between your research and open geospatial data.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>You wrote: “So I am seeking both ways to get involved and some guidance if anyone will offer it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I don’t have time for yet another unfulfilled commitment to a volunteer project, but I can make myself available for “guidance” delivered via phone calls and e-mails. You might also subscribe to the OSGeo discuss list if you haven’t already.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>You wrote: “I want to see OSGeo get their geodata repository off the ground and would be<br>happy to work on researching data standards, building the browsing interface,<br>building the back-end, and researching discovery methods (one thing at a time).”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>David Bitner gave you a good response to this. The first question to ask is “Why does the OSGeo need a GIS data repository, and how will it be different from existing repositories?”. I’m not saying there isn’t a need in this area, but you should understand what type of problem you are trying to solve. As a land surveyor, I’m certainly interested in encouraging and national land parcel dataset, which comes with all sorts of challenges. Some of these are typical of all geospatial data catalogs, and some are specific to the parcel dataset. Another interesting concept is a SourceForge like system for geospatial data, with specific data creation projects.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Have you checked out the Natural Earth GIS data set?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#4F81BD'><a href="http://www.naturalearthdata.com/"><span style='color:#4F81BD'>http://www.naturalearthdata.com/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>You wrote: “I am not an experienced programmer, but have some familiarity with a number of<br>languages including C, C++, Python, Haskell and Bash. I also have some<br>experience with CSS/HTML.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Python, CSS, and HTML coding skills seem like a good fit for your area of interest.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I look forward to learning more about your research if you can share some details with us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Landon<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> geodata-bounces@lists.osgeo.org [mailto:geodata-bounces@lists.osgeo.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>David William Bitner<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, January 24, 2011 8:27 AM<br><b>To:</b> David Campbell<br><b>Cc:</b> geodata<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Geodata] Geodata Research<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>David,<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Welcome. Getting a public geospatial data repository "off the ground" unfortunately is only a small part of the problem. These types of efforts take a lot of ongoing active support that goes well beyond the initial build out as they become stale and irrelevant very very quickly. There have been a number of false starts to get these things going by individuals throughout the years.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>We most likely have significant physical resources that we can leverage and that I would certainly be happy to help get you access to. My experience says that without either getting a critical mass of volunteers involved (which is certainly more than one) or individuals or groups who have a specific business need that is met that it would be very difficult to be successful. If you are keen on getting some motion in this arena, managing human capital (both developers as well as data providers) is going to be more significant of a challenge than anything technical. The first question that you will need to be able to answer very clearly is "what value is this repository adding".<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Please use this forum as you have any questions or to try to find like-minded individuals to work with you.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>David<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 4:10 PM, David Campbell <<a href="mailto:dcampbell24@gmail.com">dcampbell24@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings everyone,<br><br>As part of my M.A. in Computer Science I am going to be doing GIS research, and<br>my interests look like they align well with the goals of the Public Geospatial<br>Data Project. I am planning on doing three semesters of research (starting now)<br>leading up to a thesis. Unfortunately, although our Earth Science department<br>uses GIS, there is no one with a strong technical GIS background. So I am<br>seeking both ways to get involved and some guidance if anyone will offer it. I<br>want to see OSGeo get their geodata repository off the ground and would be<br>happy to work on researching data standards, building the browsing interface,<br>building the back-end, and researching discovery methods (one thing at a time).<br><br>My current experience includes a GIS certificate program in which, using ESRI<br>products, I created a variety of maps, made some simple geodatabases, did<br>spatial and network analysis, and made a customized interactive city map. I am<br>not an experienced programmer, but have some familiarity with a number of<br>languages including C, C++, Python, Haskell and Bash. I also have some<br>experience with CSS/HTML.<br><br>I look forward to working with the Public Geospatial Data Committee.<br><span style='color:#888888'>--<br>David Campbell<br>_______________________________________________<br>Geodata mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Geodata@lists.osgeo.org">Geodata@lists.osgeo.org</a><br><a href="http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/geodata" target="_blank">http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/geodata</a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><br><br clear=all><br>-- <br>************************************<br>David William Bitner<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><BR><BR><P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1><STRONG>Warning:<BR></STRONG>Information provided via electronic media is not guaranteed against defects including translation and transmission errors. </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=1>If the reader is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. 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