Dr. Roger Tomlinson among other things wrote a book entitled “Thinking About GIS”. He still attends the ESRI International User Conference and does book signings. I have made efforts to interview Dr. Tomlinson a couple of different occasions. But the “Meet The Authors” sessions have always been concomitant with the Survey Special Interest Group. This year I again observed the long line at the book signing table and adjourned to attend to my assigned duties.

 

After that session I returned to the Exhibitor Pavilion where I encountered Dr. Tomlinson apart from the madding crowd leaving the (Spatial Outlet) Book Store. That’s when it got weird. He walked up to me and said “Aren’t you that famous Cartography writer?”. I quickly explained it was surely a case of mistaken identity. But if I had achieved any level of “fame” it was due in no small part to my assimilation of his seminal works.

 

Since the conversation included just the two of us I exercised all of my forbearance to not find a way to turn it into a gauche photo opportunity. So, I didn’t “frame” Roger with my lens (this time).

 

As I continued on my “rounds” through the Exhibitor Pavilion I recalled this wasn’t the first time a bizarre incident like this has occurred. A few years ago Jack Dangermond did the same thing. I wrote a piece then I titled “You Don’t Know Jack” (title since co-opted by Al Pacino and company).

 

But the chance encounter cemented a piece of advice I received from my grandmother many years ago: “If you want to be successful, make everyone around you feel like he is the most important person in the room.” I suppose the great ones all understand that.

In 2010 the “buzz” at the Summit was “The Cloud”. In 2011 a very different cloud appeared on the horizon. This cloud is far less amorphous. It not only has a shape, it has a name. LightSquared. It appears to be dark and ominous and portends stormy weather for the survey community.
 
Without being too dramatic, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say this is perhaps the most important meeting I have ever attended. A year ago when Curt Sumner announced he was merging the ACSM Conference with the ESRI Survey Summit the announcement was met with a few whimpers, but mostly a deafening silence. What Curt wanted was a louder voice. How prescient that seems at the moment.
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The recent announcement by GISCI that they are reviewing and updating their certification process comes as no surprise to those of us who have been following the evolution of GISCI. All good professional organizations should seek to improve their product.
 
In an article I wrote for POB in 2010 I pointed out that one of the main criticisms of the GISCI (GISP) process is that it does not require a written examination. GISCI has entertained the prospect of a written exam in the past. And as part of this review the written exam issue is again at the center of things.
 
Unlike a Land Surveyor Exam, the GISCI is not limited to any single state. That has been a primary concern in the process of deciding what to test. The geographical issue of where to test can be overcome on one level by administering the exam on line.
 
The Geospatial Technical Competency Model is a recent attempt by the U. S. Department of Labor to standardize the examination. (Think NCEES). This is what GISCI proposes to develop its Exam(s).
 
GISCI is inviting comments on their web site. http://www.gisci.org. Now is a window of opportunity for all interested parties to provide input to this process.

There were many sessions devoted at the ESRI Summit to the Parcel Fabric and this is a topic near and dear to any Surveyors heart. The land cadastral framework, fabric parcel or just plain quilt. It matters not what you call it but we all know it's how lots and parcels fit together. It's second nature to us when doing a survey to explore records dating back to the beginning of time it seems.

I particularly enjoyed Dr. Nancy Von Meyers session on the National Land Parcel Database. It seems that the parcel map and those that use these maps have matured to a point where the accuracy is showing the sometimes flaw in the maps. more...

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As I filter through the piles of notes from the conference and begin to formulate where I see the industry heading then you might wonder how I arrived at the title subject. The ties that bind started many years ago when two Surveyors began posting on a bulletin board. One from California and one from Oklahoma. These two very different men somehow had both arrived at similar conclusions even with the 1300 mile geographical difference. more...

As I peer into the crystal ball, armed with information supplied at the ESRI conference I found one thing that seems certain to explode in the coming years, if not just in months. Maybe it's already here. Mobile computing is growing up and expanding services that will impact how we receive our information.  And in many cases how we may wind up supplying our information. more...

What a variety of sights, sounds and experiences. A marvelous experience from all the disciplines in our geospatial world. And this world is growing tighter and smaller day by day. more...

In 2008, the hottest topic at the ESRI User Conference was Global Climate Change.
 
In 2009,  “Share your work,” “Twittering” and “tweeting” were all the rage.
 
In 2010 it’s “The Cloud” or Cloud Computing.  ArcGIS was online last year. But this year the message is not subtle.

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I had eagerly been anticipating this trip to San Diego and the ESRI Summit for months. This was my first time to attend and thanks to MLB and the POB they made my trip possible. It was also very educational.

Michael guided me on what I could expect but then turned me loose to follow the sessions that were of interest to me, and the POB asked me to blog about my perceptions. Michael, a veteran of these summits, said that it would be interesting to see things with a fresh set of eyes.

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