[OSGeo-Edu] Desktop GIS Handbook

[Tim Sutton]

Hi

As a top comment, please also feel free to make use of (under CC-SA,
please attribute our funders) the resources we created here:

http://linfiniti.com/dla

All original source docs are available (oo writer or latex) for
worksheets, video scripts etc.

Best regards

Tim

On Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 8:58 AM, Simon Cropper
<scropper at botanicusaustralia.com.au> wrote:
> Hi Charlie,
>
> Since I have not received any comments about this issue I have reposted
> under a new subject title as my response may have been missed by people not
> reviewing the original thread.
>
> Below is my original post...
>
>> 3) I'm going to continue working on the desktop GIS handbook over the
>> next few months. Remember these links?
>>
>> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Desktop_GIS_exercises
>> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Web_GIS_lab_exercises
>>
>>Anyone have any other additions or contributions?
>
> After nearly 8 months I have finally acquired some aerial photography and
> vector data from the Victorian Government under a CC-BY-SA (I actually have
> a piece of paper. Took a lot of negotiation but eventually did it).
> I am now actively preparing my tutorials (repository, templates, data
> bundles, how to's).
> I was unaware of the above links and had given my draft a working title
> 'Desktop GIS Handbook' to avoid conflicts with others suggestions they would
> use 'Cookbook' (this is following extensive searching for such a title on
> the Internet). Obviously I am going to have to decide on anothe r name to
> avoid confusion with what you are developing.
> My outline of tasks are based on my recent paper in the latest OSGeo Journal
> (http://www.botanicusaustralia.com.au/Documents/164-334-1-PB.pdf) but will
> expand this list under broad groupings to include other activities.
> Obviously once developed and released you will be able to either link to,
> create a copy or create regional derivatives of my work as I am releasing
> the information under a CC-BY-SA 3.0 Australia licence.
> My tutorials are focusing originally on gvSIG (which at the moment is still
> in incubation) but I had decided to broaden the brief to include any free
> and unencumbered packages (this allows me to create tutorials for some
> freeware conversion routines for ECW and DWG files). My initial candidates
> were gvSIG+Sextante, OpenJUMP, QGIS, GDAL command line utilities and SAGA.
> The choice is based on what I use to get things done rather than
> dogmatically sticking to one package.
> After reviewing structured documents, open office, PDFs and various other
> document types (see previous posts), I decided the most pivotal element to
> development of this type of resource is accessibility to published documents
> for maintenance and creation of derivatives. Without running through all the
> logic I have fallen back to basic HTML to be made available on-line, which
> in turn will be used to create PDFs that will be able to be used off-line.
> PREEMPTIVE ANSWER - I decided not to use OpenOffice Writer because although
> it is very easy to create documents, maintenance and derivatives are
> difficult to create. Essentially ODT files need to be disassembled then
> reassembled with every derivative (consider the actual structure). This
> places huge barriers to ongoing maintenance of this type of resource. In
> HTML, files can be updated by duplicating the directory, replacing the
> images with updated ones, then the text updated accordingly. Side-by-side
> editors like Diffuse or Goggle Translate can be easily used to do this
> without worrying about the HTML tags. This option is a bit like using a
> structured document without the rigidity.
> I am currently preparing an introduction, packaging the data and preparing
> notes on how others can contribute to the project if they want.
> PREEMPTIVE ANSWER - I decided not to house it under the OSGeo framework
> because as a self confessed control freak I like freedom when developing a
> resource. Freedom to chop and change anything without holding a meeting to
> ask permission. I also wanted an easily accessible domain and the ability to
> create a webpage outside the existing OSGeo wiki structure. At least at the
> outset I was going to keep the resource on my company webpage although I
> might look into creating a new domain once I settle on a new name or another
> option if one become available.
> Postscript - I h ad not intend to pilfer your handbook idea. I came to the
> OSGeo-Edu Group after being invited by Cameron Shorter after he became aware
> of my 'tutorial project'. Obviously the need for this type of resource has
> resulted in a number of disparate people/groups considering the development
> of a handbook. As I have teased out the various issues that I have
> encountered I have posted my thoughts on the mailing list for input by
> others. I intend to continue with my resource, at least until I complete
> what I set out to do, but have structured my work to ensure that the
> resource will not be lost to the broader community if I loose interest or
> unable to continue my work (see Note 5). Once I have a palpable base I will
> upload to my webpage and let people know via this list.
>
>  Cheers Simon
>
>      Simon Cropper
>      Botanicus Australia Pty Ltd
>      PO Box 160, Sunshine, Victoria
>   & nbsp;  W: http://www.botanicusaustralia.com.au
>      T: +61 (03) 9311 5822. M: 041 830 3437.
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Edu_discuss at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/edu_discuss
>
>



-- 
Tim Sutton - QGIS Project Steering Committee Member (Release  Manager)
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