[GRASSLIST:3516] Kriging and GRASS usablity

[Benjamin Ducke]

On Thu, 27 May 2004 07:36:50 -0400
"Thomas Adams" <Thomas.Adams at noaa.gov> wrote:

> Michael,
> 
> You mentioned a lack of Kriging capabilities in GRASS. Maybe I'm being 
> naieve, or I don't understand the issue, but I have used R and GSTAT 
> quite successfully for spatial interpolation within GRASS. So, I don't 
> understand where the deficiencies lie unless you wanted GRASS modules 
> per se for kriging; I guess I don't see a real advantage in that.
> 
> Tom


I think I would like to make a general remark at this point,
which is less to do with technical issues and more with
the way GRASS is being perceived in the GIS users' community.

I have used a lot of the major GIS products available today
and feel confident in stating that there is nothing that
comes close to the flexibility and power that a GRASS/Unix
environment provides for an ADVANCED user.

I know a lot of people from my field (Archaeology), who would
switch to GRASS rather sooner than later but are scared by
the steep learning curve they have to face at this stage.
Even finding the right set of binaries to download and install
on Joe User's Win Desktop is too much for most faint-hearted.

The functionality is all there -- hidden somewhere in an
obscurely named shell script, a version 0.beta of 
some source code archive or an external software package
like R that is immensely powerful but adds another
completely different command-driven environment which
a lot of users are intimidated by.
-- Not a problem for myself and most of the people reading
this list. But even I feel I miss a portion of GRASS capabilities,
simply because I cannot locate it -- that's after having
worked with GRASS since 1996.

The average GIS user, however, has a certain functionality
in mind and will turn away in frustration if he feels
that 'It has to be somewhere in there but I can't find it!'
Kriging is definitely one of those things.

I summary, I want GRASS to become the biggest, most functional
and most widely used GIS system in any scientific field.
But this will only happen, if we ease access to its functionality.
Everything that works in this direction will benefit.
A good Kriging module that spans a bridge to R capabilities
without the user having to learn R would be a fine start.

Regards,

Benjamin