EOM April 2005 > THE VIEW FROM HERE

Adena Schutzberg

Irecently received an e-mail message from a GIS professional who attended a meeting that included a discussion of data sharing. He wrote: "The discussions ended up going down such a familiar jaded dead end. GIS has become a class struggle between yuppie have counties and data poor have nots. The poor are willing to share what they have for the greater good, while the rich continue to ascribe to atmospheric cost recovery scams from public tax money funded data collection programs, whining proprietary use. I was disgusted, it is pathetic. For the sake of the country get the data in the hands of the first responders who can really use it."

I know from my discussions with others in the field that the e-mail writer is not alone. Discussions, frustrations, and perhaps a bit of hopefulness are part of ongoing work at many formal (URISA, GITA, OGC, GOS, NSDI, GSDI) and less formal venues.

December's tsunami in Southeast Asia raised the issue of data sharing once again. While many datasets were shared quickly and often freely by satellite imagery vendors, government agencies and individuals all over the world, no one would argue we have the issue solved. Geospatial (and other) software and hardware providers stepped up to lend, discount, or outright give products to those who needed them. Many vendors and service providers also provided training and other services, here in the United States or in the affected regions. Volunteers from the user community offered their skills and financial contributions to ensure the technology they know can help, will, in fact, be used in the best way possible.

Still, there were gaps. I point these out not to be critical of the efforts but to suggest topics for discussion when there's not an emergency.

There was no centralized portal for spatial data on the event. The United States' Geospatial One-Stop added a special channel for data on the tsunami and one Canadian company set up

a portal. Still, based on statistics I've seen, many people were searching Google for "tsunami maps" and the like. This is not just a problem for events such as these, but part of a larger issue: we do not yet have a standards-based central registry for geospatial data. Each time I raise this question with senior players in the industry I get the same answer: "We are not sure who should host it." I'm hopeful we can work that out; so far as I can see, it's a political and perhaps cost issue, rather than a technical one.

There was no centralized portal for volunteers. I received an e-mail right after the event asking about how to volunteer GIS skills during the relief effort. Several GIS/geospatial U.S. volunteer efforts sprung into action to review existing offers of service and find new volunteers in particular geographies. As you read this, it's likely some of those volunteers are processing data at home or in country. Still, a searchable central database (or network of linked databases) of opportunities and volunteers (and how to donate to the geospatial relief efforts) might make the process smoother.

Data sets are not available/missing metadata. Just a few examples: A recent published letter to the Prime Minister of Canada noted that while it was great that satellite imagery of the areas affected was available online, most of it was not georeferenced and hence unusable for making mapping products. Other commentators have used the event to question why some datasets are being held under wraps by governments as a matter of security.

All of these issues have one thing in common, and that's really what I'm driving at: they need to be addressed not just for extraordinary events like the recent tsunami or 9/11, but rather every day. Let me take that one step further: the tools used for an emergency should be the same tools (desktop, Web, handheld, phone, etc.) professionals use everyday. Why should there be extra stress and extra chances of error introduced in emergency situations by new hardware, new software, new sharing protocols, new data searches? In a sense, everything geospatial professionals do day by day, in terms of using technology or creating metadata or sharing datasets, prepares them for the day the emergency occurs. And, it just might be tomorrow.

About the Author
Adena Schutzberg was the editor of EOM at the time she wrote this editorial and edited this issue. Matteo Luccio has since succeeded her in the position.

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