Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Fw: GIS Education
Hi Suchith, all.
A geo-ethics discussion is always a good thing!
I hope the geoethics list decides to have an open, public archive soon.
It is my view that ideally we discuss geo-ethics as a really broad
community - and I also see that not everyone on this discuss list wants to
get involved all the time.
So it is necessary to be able to link important geo-ethics conversations
from, for example, this list as needed.
After all, all of us doing geospatial stuff are involved in the ongoing
conversation about the ethics of our work, whether we think we want to be
or not ;)
For some input to a geo-ethics conversation, I helped author a book chapter
a few years ago which attempted to lay out some ideas about what ethical
geo-data means - a "Good Data Manifesto". It tries to cover a lot of
ground! It is surrounded in a free, open book by other stellar authors
writing about ethics and data:
https://networkcultures.org/blog/publication/tod-29-good-data/
While a lot has changed since 2018/19 I hope that book is useful reading.
Of course these works always carry the biases of their authors, and reflect
examples we've had time to find and consider ;)
Kind regards,
Adam
On Sat, Jul 30, 2022, 18:56 Suchith Anand via Discuss <
discuss@lists.osgeo.org> wrote:
> For those interested in GeoEthics can join the OGC GeoEthics maillist at
> https://lists.opengeospatial.org/mailman/listinfo/geoethics
>
>
> Best wishes
>
>
> Suchith
>
>
> --
> *From:* GeoEthics on behalf of Suchith
> Anand via GeoEthics
> *Sent:* 30 July 2022 08:25
> *To:* geoeth...@lists.opengeospatial.org <
> geoeth...@lists.opengeospatial.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [GeoEthics] GIS Education
>
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
>
> I received email from some colleagues requesting more information on the
> Trademark of “Science”. So for openness and transparency , I would like to
> provide more information.
>
>
> I am not a native English speaker, so my apologies if anything got lost in
> translation. Please feel free to ask me if you need any further
> information.
>
>
> I am a Geographic Information Scientist. Geographic Information Science
> (GIS) is my scientific discipline. I am now writing an article on Education
> which is also looking into the Ethics of Digital Feudalism in GIS
> Education. I am inviting advice and guidance from colleagues as I have many
> questions that I do not know answers. Hence I shared my ethical questions.
>
>
>
> I came across example of a vendor trademarking “the Science of Where” in
> the GIS/mapping domain and using this to promote their
> brand/products/services.
>
>
> https://trademarks.justia.com/871/92/the-science-of-87192660.html
>
>
> Is it Ethical to market/promote any vendor brand/products/services as “the
> Science ” of whichever area of study ? Is Science in that subject area
> “owned” by the Vendor who has trademark rights? For example if vendors
> start trademarking and marketing their brand/products/services as “The
> Science of Climate Change” , “The Science of Where” etc etc? If so, what
> are the implications for credibility of Science?
>
>
>
> Are there any guidelines for Scientific Associations (esp. if they are
> members of the International Science Council ) for taking sponsorship from
> vendors who promote their product/brand/services as “The Science of
> “whatever” topic !?
>
>
> I am a member of the GEO Data Ethics Working Group (The WG was closed
> this month by GEO Secretariat due to “resource constraints” ) where I have
> been raising the issue of vendor sponsorship for Group on Earth
> Observations (GEO) conferences, projects etc and the need to have clear
> guidelines.
>
>
>
> I will appreciate advice and guidance from colleagues on this. Thanks.
>
>
> Best wishes
>
>
> Suchith
>
>
>
> --
> *From:* Suchith Anand
> *Sent:* 26 July 2022 17:34
> *To:* geoeth...@lists.opengeospatial.org <
> geoeth...@lists.opengeospatial.org>
> *Subject:* GIS Education
>
> Dear colleagues
>
>
> I am now writing an article on GIS Education and I will appreciate your
> advice and guidance.
>
>
> Is it ethical for GIS Vendors (Vendor X or Y , it doesn’t matter) to
> trademark/sales/market their products/brand/services as “the science”? It
> might be a profit /sales/marketing strategy for the vendors to help
> increase market share for their products, add more credibility for their
> brand/products/services etc . But what will be the affects for the
> credibility of science and scientific community in the future?
>
>
>
> If any Vendor is “sponsoring” Scientific conferences or education
> initiatives ("free" licences etc) in return for promoting the vendor
> products/brand as “the Science” in the conference website etc , what is
> its impact for the discipline? Is it ethical? If so, what happens when
> then the vendors can use this framework “sponsorship “ model for promoting
> their product/brand as “The Science” and advance the vendor Education
>
[OSGeo-Discuss] Fw: GIS Education
For those interested in GeoEthics can join the OGC GeoEthics maillist at
https://lists.opengeospatial.org/mailman/listinfo/geoethics
Best wishes
Suchith
From: GeoEthics on behalf of Suchith Anand
via GeoEthics
Sent: 30 July 2022 08:25
To: geoeth...@lists.opengeospatial.org
Subject: Re: [GeoEthics] GIS Education
Dear colleagues,
I received email from some colleagues requesting more information on the
Trademark of “Science”. So for openness and transparency , I would like to
provide more information.
I am not a native English speaker, so my apologies if anything got lost in
translation. Please feel free to ask me if you need any further information.
I am a Geographic Information Scientist. Geographic Information Science (GIS)
is my scientific discipline. I am now writing an article on Education which is
also looking into the Ethics of Digital Feudalism in GIS Education. I am
inviting advice and guidance from colleagues as I have many questions that I do
not know answers. Hence I shared my ethical questions.
I came across example of a vendor trademarking “the Science of Where” in the
GIS/mapping domain and using this to promote their brand/products/services.
https://trademarks.justia.com/871/92/the-science-of-87192660.html
Is it Ethical to market/promote any vendor brand/products/services as “the
Science ” of whichever area of study ? Is Science in that subject area
“owned” by the Vendor who has trademark rights? For example if vendors start
trademarking and marketing their brand/products/services as “The Science of
Climate Change” , “The Science of Where” etc etc? If so, what are the
implications for credibility of Science?
Are there any guidelines for Scientific Associations (esp. if they are members
of the International Science Council ) for taking sponsorship from vendors who
promote their product/brand/services as “The Science of “whatever” topic !?
I am a member of the GEO Data Ethics Working Group (The WG was closed this
month by GEO Secretariat due to “resource constraints” ) where I have been
raising the issue of vendor sponsorship for Group on Earth Observations (GEO)
conferences, projects etc and the need to have clear guidelines.
I will appreciate advice and guidance from colleagues on this. Thanks.
Best wishes
Suchith
From: Suchith Anand
Sent: 26 July 2022 17:34
To: geoeth...@lists.opengeospatial.org
Subject: GIS Education
Dear colleagues
I am now writing an article on GIS Education and I will appreciate your advice
and guidance.
Is it ethical for GIS Vendors (Vendor X or Y , it doesn’t matter) to
trademark/sales/market their products/brand/services as “the science”? It might
be a profit /sales/marketing strategy for the vendors to help increase market
share for their products, add more credibility for their
brand/products/services etc . But what will be the affects for the credibility
of science and scientific community in the future?
If any Vendor is “sponsoring” Scientific conferences or education initiatives
("free" licences etc) in return for promoting the vendor products/brand as “the
Science” in the conference website etc , what is its impact for the
discipline? Is it ethical? If so, what happens when then the vendors can use
this framework “sponsorship “ model for promoting their product/brand as “The
Science” and advance the vendor Education agenda to the student and user
communities ? Are there any guidelines on vendor lobbying in GIS Education
initiatives?
What is the ethical impact of this for the discipline as a whole? What is
the impact of this for Humanity?
Are there university policies and code of conduct to follow if any
academics/researchers are funded by any vendor (for example, through GIS vendor
funded faculty posts , research funding by any GIS vendors)? Can academics
and researchers publish articles on GIS education promoting the vendor products
(either directly or indirectly)?
I am interested to learn more on what policies and curriculum are universities,
educators adopting to reduce Digital Feudalism in GIS education? Do your
courses cover topics on data rights, digital citizenship ?
I will appreciate your advice and guidance. Please send your reply to
suchith.an...@nottingham.ac.uk
You might be interested in the Data Values article that myself and Kathryn
Bailey wrote , which looks into the Ethics of Digital Feudalism in Earth
Observation (EO) data. I thank the Global Partnership for Sustainable
Development Data (GPSDD) and Data Values initiative for inviting us to write
this article.
More details at
https://datavaluesdigest.substack.com/p/how-digital-feudalism-hurts-farmers
Best wishes
Suchith
Dr Suchith Anand
Senior Adviser to Governments and International Organisations | Scientist |
Board member | Governance | Policy |
