DATA | INTERFACE | COMPUTATION

All digital projects need data and a means to manipulate that data. GIS as both a hard- and soft-ware interface has many, many proprietary formats and new interfaces can even be developed independently using existing software tools.

The biggest difference between spatial applications is the manner in which data, software, and hardware are organized. Some for-profit groups keep everything in a big, expensive, but powerful and consistently supported package. Other projects piggyback on either proprietary data or software; suplementing it with components from the public domain. Still other projects utilize both data and software publicly available from large providers/ aggregators and adapt them to specific purposes.

The fragmented nature of contemporary GIS tools and cultures present either serious obstacles or rich oppoprtunities to integrate a comprehensive sense of natural relationships into our developing technology. These case studies are intended to outline the development and distribution of geo-locational mapping technology online. They are not exhaustive critiques of particular projects of methods.

MapJunction is an open source platform relying upon the MapServer data developed by the University of Minnesota.

This type of project is, in many ways, the most essential to developing the sense of nature in online tools. MapJunction has developed a suite of tools to collect, andalyze, and publish online maps, photos, video, and other files. These tools bring the adaptability of proprietary GIS software within reach of all internet users.

MapJunction was used to develope the Boston Atlas as well as a number of other state and county atlas projects in New England. This would seem to indicate the potential for specialized projects to easily access government databases in their own, customized interfaces. While most data can be downloaded or purchased in hard copy, it is not easy at this point to have real-time interaction between different mapping programs.

MapJunction has no explicit motivation to engage perceptions of nature. It does however, provide valuable tools to the general public to analyse and manipulate many forms of GIS data. Just like it's proprietary counterpart ESRI, the opportunity and responsibility is up to the end user.

just about everything

requires moderate technical ability, minimal training, minimal support network, un-developed partnerships with existing data providers.