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Speaking to Mapmakers About Our Social Machines

Details: 06 December 2012 | By Bruce Joffe | 1886

Joffe Bruce Good data, more data, more accurate data; these are not sufficient to solve our world's social and environmental problems. With these data, we can map the polygons of poverty like we map political preferences or climate change, but they are not sufficient to explain the social mechanisms that create and maintain poverty. Without understanding and changing the social mechanisms of reward and punishment that perpetuate poverty, we won't reduce or eliminate the vast disparity of wealth that thrusts pain and stress upon so very many people. We might "clean up" one or two areas mapped by poverty polygons, but really, we are simply moving more affluent people in and pushing the least powerful out.

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WHAT DO WE REALLY VALUE?

Laser Scanning Provides a Uniquely Detailed Map

Details: 21 November 2012 | By Alistair MacDonald | 1112

MacDonald Alistair The European LiDAR Mapping Forum (ELMF), which takes place in Salzburg from 4-5 December 2012, is all about innovation and step change in a market which benefits all sectors of the population. The Conference’s objectives are simply to spread the word about the latest advances in the laser scanning and mapping market, launching new technologies and improving techniques through hearing about real life projects and the lessons learned.

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So What Do You Do? On the Need for a Professional Geo Identity

Details: 06 December 2012 | By Erik Shepard | 5487

Shepard Erik2 “So, what do you do?”—it’s the dreaded question whenever I meet someone new. Dreaded because I can’t really sum up what I do to myself, let alone to someone else. How I answer often depends on my level of investment with the person.

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Dr. Shepard's remarks are on target and most timely. I especially like seeing t...

Trimble Addresses Radical Change at 6th International User Conference

Details: 13 November 2012 | By Matt Ball | 2343

Berglund Dimensions-300x225 Steve Berglund, president and CEO of Trimble, addressed the audience at Trimble Dimensions this week in Las Vegas. This is the sixth user conference, with more than 3,000 people from more than 80 countries. Berglund indicated that over the years, the message for the keynote has focused on the fact that technology is cool, technology is dynamic, and technology will improve how you do your work. The same message is true today, with more emphasis on moving from discrete task productivity to enterprise and workflow productivity.