And they don't know a UDDI from an ODBC (sorry, my current conference call). Working with the humanities is different from working with the GIScience (of which I'm deeply embedded). At least, GIScience knows something about computing. Some of the members of the community are cs/software engineers. But most come out of geography. And we don't know cs. More importantly, we don't understand cs (whether formally or informally acquired) so we don't understand how people can move facilely among the buzzwords and architectures. We get stuck with our map metaphors and our traditional GISs, which never served us that well in the beginning (I know I'll catch heat for that but, come on, what's up with all the compromises we had to make on geospatial modeling?).
What's interesting to me is that at the same time we strive for ever higher levels of abstractions, we simultaneously get stuck in the nitty gritty. Which ports are open; what does your cell phone provider allow? It's a strange contrast but this two level approach makes it hard to stay on top of the technology. Hard to blame us for delegating everything to our sys admins. Renee Eric Wolf wrote: > 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] > <mailto:[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]> > > <mailto:[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]>> > > [mailto:[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]> > <mailto:[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]> > <mailto:[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]>> > > [mailto:[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]> > <mailto:[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]> > <mailto:[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> > > http://lists.burri.to/mailman/listinfo/geowanking > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Geowanking mailing list > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > <mailto:[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]> > <mailto:[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 > > _______________________________________________ > 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
