[Freegis-list] Re: Cooperative mapping project proposal

[Don Dietrick]

Hi Brett,

Sounds like a great project.

I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be making modifications
to the OpenMap LinkLayer so that it will be able to use the Link
Protocol a little differently than the html document specifies in order
to allow the layer to receive graphics and then transmit them to the
server.  This might be of interest to you with this project.

Currently, the Link Protocol breaks any transmission up into sections
that can be transmitted in any order.  Although the protocol doesn't
limit when sections can be transmitted, the document suggests that
certain sections are 'query' oriented, and that other sections are
'responses' to those queries.  I'm planning on changing the language in
the document to lesson this tone - but no changes to the protocol will
be needed.

The change to the LinkLayer will involve sending a Graphics Response
section, which is a Graphics List, without the server asking for it. 
This will allow the LinkLayer to receive graphics from the drawing tool
being developed for OpenMap, and then transmit those graphics to the
server.

Just wanted to let you know what's coming.  I wan't sure how this might
affect your architecture for the project.

Cheers,

Don

Brett Matson wrote:
> 
> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I am an undergraduate engineering student currently working
> on my final year thesis at the Australian National University.
> I have decided to attempt a project that involves setting up
> a web-enabled GIS that will enable people to contribute their
> own spatial data obtained from a GPS receiver. The aim is to
> establish a user-driven effort to map the world (or at least
> parts of it). The result will be free, digital thematic maps
> containing geographic and temporal data on any land features
> that people care to map. This may include natural landmarks,
> cities or even McDonalds restaurants in your local area. The
> justification for this project may be as simple as having
> some fun but their may be other more significant reasons that
> arise after further consideration.
> 
> Clearly a project such as this will have many issues relating
> to both technology and system security. Matters such as
> tagging data with the author to facilitate removing data that
> is found to be non-genuine have been considered. I’m hoping
> to get some opinions on how such a project would be received
> by the GIS/GPS community and any advice you may have on how
> it could be done.
> 
> After having done some initial research, I have decided that
> the best way to set this system up would be to use the OpenMap
> package with a Link Layer to display ESRI shape files. The
> ShapeLib library could then be used to add GPS data to the
> existing map via a CGI program. Meta-data would be stored
> in PostgreSQL database.
> 
> Any questions, comments or advice would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Brett Matson
> 
> --
> [To unsubscribe to this list send an email to "majdart at bbn.com"
> with the following text in the BODY of the message "unsubscribe openmap-users"]