Exactly. It's been an interesting journey for me - coming from a hard-core software development mindset and delving into the deepest levels of cartographic and GIScience research in academia. I spend alot of time just scratching my head over how things are done.
A major source of the head-scratching is because cartography and GIScience (and thus GeoViz) typically come out of Geography. Departments of Geography typically fall within Schools of Arts and Science and sometimes even within a School of Social Science. Within a typical university, the School of Engineering will maintain their own IT support staff. The rest of the university is "ruled" by a more general IT support staff. The more general IT support tends to have stricter rules about what you can do with a computer. It makes a certain amount of sense -and if you've ever had to do tech support, it's pretty clear. -Eric On Fri, Jun 13, 2008 at 12:38 PM, R E Sieber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Tell me about it. I'm currently developing a cyberinfrastructure for the > humanities. No disrespect to the humanities but they don't know about > computers. And it is a constant battle to get access. > > Renee > > Eric Wolf wrote: > > You miss my point - it's not that the NSF reviewers lack appropriate > > rights - it's that researchers outside of schools of engineering and > > departments of computer science frequently fight battles with IT > > security that can cause things not to work smoothly. I've experienced > > it many times. > > > > I know it's hard to believe. I'm constantly dumb-founded by the inane > > hurdles I have to go through in order to just do my work. I spent over > > a decade in the private sector developing software. This is the kind > > of problem that usually resolved in seconds outside of academia. > > However, inside academia it's a constant battle. And just when you > > thought you had everything working, someone changes policies and your > > demo doesn't work. > > > > But as I think more about it, the real reason the NSF is asking for > > stand-alone HTML is to provide a blind review process. > > > > -Eric > > > > On Fri, Jun 13, 2008 at 12:13 PM, Randy George <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> wrote: > > > > Hi Eric, > > > > > > > > But… isn't that a compelling reason to just provide a link? > > > > > > > > The review committee only needs a highspeed link, a computer with > > a sufficiently modern GPU, and a decent projector. All the > > installation is out of their hands. The link points at an SGI or > > Deep Blue or whatever AWS Hadoop, Beowulf cluster … needed at the > > other end, no admin rights required. > > > > > > > > randy > > > > > > > > *From:* [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>] *On Behalf Of *Eric Wolf > > *Sent:* Friday, June 13, 2008 11:00 AM > > > > *To:* [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > *Subject:* Re: [Geowanking] National Science Foundation > > Visualization Challenge > > > > > > > > One of the reasons for the limitations is to ensure that the > > content can be judged - but not because NSF lacks the facilities. > > If you've ever tried to say, get a development server set up in an > > academic environment outside of an engineering school or CompSci > > department, you'd know the challenges. > > > > I'm currently dealing with this problem in my work. I'm supposed > > to be exploring ways to contribute to OGC specs on behalf of The > > National Map. To do this, I want to make code changes to servers > > and clients that implement OGC - like GeoServer and OpenLayers. > > But I'm not allowed to have admin or root access on my workstation. > > > > Another possible reason is that NSF usually tries to use a blind > > review process. If they have to point a browser to your website, > > they know who created it. > > > > -Eric Wolf > > > > On Fri, Jun 13, 2008 at 10:49 AM, Randy George > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> wrote: > > > > Hi Renee, > > > > Curious, I took a look at the NSF link. I would have guessed > > "interactive > > graphics" would fit geowanking more than "info graphics." I think > > you are > > right, though, about the winning entries. I wonder if it has > > something to do > > with NSF's limitations. > > > > For example here is the acceptable formats list for media: > > "Interactive and Non-interactive Media: > > Preferred animation formats: NTSC Beta SP, DVC Pro. > > Digital formats such as QuickTime, Flash, AVI or MPEG are > > acceptable. > > Digital files should be copied to CD-ROM(s) or DVD." > > > > Or this: > > "Q: May we use an online URL as an entry? > > A: No. We can't rely on Internet connections during the > > review/judging process. Save the relevant html and any associated > > media > > locally and then burn it to a CD-ROM or DVD." > > > > Hmm ... Is this "Visualization Challenge" or challenged > > visualization? I > > thought interactive media would include internet, browser, portal, > > online > > communities, virtual 3D worlds, OGC WPS pipes etc. I somehow doubt > > it can > > fit on a cd-rom or dvd. What is HTML without httpd? Perhaps NSF > > could rent a > > more up-to-date venue for their review process with a reliable > > highspeed > > connection. > > > > The judges appear stuck in an earlier media generation. Perhaps a > > case of > > Kuhn meets McLuhan? If NSF wants to stimulate innovation they should > > consider moving 'media' ahead a decade or two. > > > > randy > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>] On Behalf Of R E Sieber > > Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 1:32 PM > > To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > Subject: [Geowanking] National Science Foundation Visualization > > Challenge > > > > This may be of interest to some. > > > > Science and engineering visualization challenge (National Science > > Foundation) > > > http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/scivis/index.jsp?id=challenge > > > > Frankly, I find their winning entries uninspiring in terms of new > > technologies (e..g, look at their FAQs, which are incredibly snarky). > > However, winning in one of these categories -- I'm guessing the info > > graphics one would be right for geowankers -- would look very good on > > one's resume. > > > > BTW, it is open to international entries. > > > > Renee > > > > Some of science's most powerful statements are not made in words. > From > > the diagrams of DaVinci to Hooke's microscopic bestiary, the beaks of > > Darwin's finches, Rosalind Franklin's x-rays or the latest > > photographic > > marvels retrieved from the remotest galactic outback, visualization > of > > research has a long and literally illustrious history. To > > illustrate is, > > etymologically and actually, to enlighten. > > > > You can do science without graphics. But it's very difficult to > > communicate it in the absence of pictures. Indeed, some insights can > > only be made widely comprehensible as images. How many people > > would have > > heard of fractal geometry or the double helix or solar flares or > > synaptic morphology or the cosmic microwave background, if they > > had been > > described solely in words? > > > > To the general public, whose support sustains the global research > > enterprise, these and scores of other indispensable concepts exist > > chiefly as images. They become part of the essential iconic > > lexicon. And > > they serve as a source of excitement and motivation for the next > > generation of researchers. > > > > The National Science Foundation (NSF) and Science created the Science > > and Engineering Visualization Challenge to celebrate that grand > > tradition-and to encourage its continued growth. In a world where > > science literacy is dismayingly rare, illustrations provide the most > > immediate and influential connection between scientists and other > > citizens, and the best hope for nurturing popular interest. > > Indeed, they > > are now a necessity for public understanding of research > developments: > > In an increasingly graphics-oriented culture, where people acquire > the > > majority of their news from TV and the World Wide Web, a story > > without a > > vivid and intriguing image is often no story at all. > > > > We urge you and your colleagues to contribute to the next competition > > and to join us in congratulating the winners. > > > > Judges appointed by the National Science Foundation and the journal > > Science will select winners in each of five categories: photographs, > > illustrations, informational graphics, interactive media and > > non-interactive media. The winners will be published in a special > > section of the Sept. 26, 2008 issue of the journal Science and > Science > > Online and on the NSF Web site. One of the winning entries will be on > > the front cover of Science. In addition, each finalist will receive a > > free, one-year print and on-line subscription to the journal > > Science and > > a certificate of appreciation. > > > > Entries for 2008 are being solicited now. We urge all researchers and > > science communicators to participate in this unique and inspiring > > competition. > > _______________________________________________ > > Geowanking mailing list > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > http://lists.burri.to/mailman/listinfo/geowanking > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Geowanking mailing list > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > http://lists.burri.to/mailman/listinfo/geowanking > > > > > > > > > > -- > > -=--=---=----=----=---=--=-=--=---=----=---=--=-=- > > Eric B. Wolf 720-209-6818 > > PhD Student CU-Boulder - Geography > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Geowanking mailing list > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > http://lists.burri.to/mailman/listinfo/geowanking > > > > > > > > > > -- > > -=--=---=----=----=---=--=-=--=---=----=---=--=-=- > > Eric B. Wolf 720-209-6818 > > PhD Student CU-Boulder - Geography > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Geowanking mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.burri.to/mailman/listinfo/geowanking > > _______________________________________________ > Geowanking mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.burri.to/mailman/listinfo/geowanking > -- -=--=---=----=----=---=--=-=--=---=----=---=--=-=- Eric B. Wolf 720-209-6818 PhD Student CU-Boulder - Geography
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