5 replies to this topic

[loulouk]

Hi there,

This is a bit of a 'discussion' needed post. I used to be a GIS geek once upon a time but changed jobs to do web front end stuff. I still try and keep my hand in a bit and as a result was asked by HP to write something on mapping. It turned into cloud vs desktop and I came down, because of my history, very firmly on the desktop side because I have a massive problem with copyright retention and also scaling and accuracy of cloud mapping.

The article is here. So far, anyone reading that article who knows nothing at all about GIS is going to get quite a one sided argument. A valid one, I hope, but there will be situations I've not thought of because I've not experienced them where cloud might be better. At the very least, a quick read and some feedback would be appreciated. I can be found on Twitter as @loulouk if you need to check I'm real ;O))

Edited by Hans van der Maarel, 12 July 2011 - 03:04 AM.
made link clicky

[Hans van der Maarel]

My main issue with the cloud is the sheer volume of data I sometimes need to churn through. Pulling that across standard internet connections can be a major time consumer (e.g. a 5 Gb ECW file). Aside from that, copyright and security issues are a factor too.

I'm not sure I see the point in your story though. What is it exactly that you're trying to tell us? Who's your intended audience?

[jrat]

I agree with Hans I am not sure that I know what your article is trying to say. I seems to be jumping around a lot. I also think that you are missing a large part of cloud computing and are commingling online map providers with GIS in the cloud. ESRI seems to be pushing more and more to cloud computing. Their approach is to use scalable storage in the cloud in which versions of ARCServer are loaded. This provides the processing power of the cloud and the geoprocessing environment. Also Arcgis online and arcexplorer online are power full tools that allow authorship of maps and data online. True I am not sure of the copyright implications using these tools. I think that your article started out with a limited view of the entire industry by pairing down our professions in to two types of maps. Now my response has been choppy so maybe I am not a qualified critic.

[Hans van der Maarel]

I think it's fair to say both desktop and cloud GIS have their respective strengths. For collaboration with a large number of people, who are geographically separated, cloud beats desktop. OpenStreetMap for example.

[loulouk]

I think it's fair to say both desktop and cloud GIS have their respective strengths. For collaboration with a large number of people, who are geographically separated, cloud beats desktop. OpenStreetMap for example.

Hey - intended audience is a CTO who has no knowledge of GIS at all, but only knows that 'mapping' or to them 'visualising data through maps' is becoming more popular as it becomes apparent people i.e. managers find it easier to consume mass data through visual aids.

I wasn't intending to reduce an entire profession down to 2 types. I know there is far more to it than that. But with 1500 words to provide a generic introduction to 'mapping' and how it can help a CTO it's tricky.

I think, also, that the 'choppy' poster makes an interesting point. I am trying to explain some very complicated concepts quickly and simply. This article is intended to be an introduction to a sequence of articles which would have investigated the subject in much more depth. However I am unsure if those articles will ever be commissioned.

I really appreciate the feedback. Thank you. I er...might run the next one past you lot before sending it off next time. I don't want to misrepresent a group of people I have rather a lot of respect for.

[Sab]

Cloud is just a buzz word atm. GIS has been around for a while (through WPS which is OGC standard.)
http://www.opengeosp...g/standards/wps

In Free and Open Source world, there are numerous implementation of WPS:
http://www.zoo-project.org/
http://pywps.wald.intevation.org/

You can even interact with THE CLOUD through your desktop GIS (WPS-client in QGIS)