“Do I need to know GIS if I’m making GIS data?” You might think the answer is obvious to everyone. Of course you need to know GIS (geographic information systems) if you are making GIS (mapping) data. But some people think they can just mark up a Google map and suddenly have good boundary data. And believe it or not, some commercial providers of map data eschew the “GIS culture” and say that traditional mapping techniques actually hinder the production of data. Both are very wrong.
These attitudes are rooted in some misplaced beliefs:
Lie #1: I can just draw on top of Google Maps, right?
First off, this is probably illegal – not because Google would come after you. But because Navteq or Tele Atlas (their major data suppliers) would. If you use their streets to create a product, that’s a derivative product and you owe them licensing fees. Period.
Lie #2: Nobody Cares About Topological Correctness (even if they know what it means)
Topological correctness simply means that the map data passes a series of fundamental GIS quality tests for usability and gives the data a “clean” stamp of approval. The problem with a lot of public map data is that there are fundamental errors: self-intersects, overlaps, slivers, small gaps, etc. Even if high-end GIS systems are used to create such data, there’s a high potential for such errors. If you aren’t even using GIS practices, then you can be sure these problems will be compounded. When your users get faulty results, they’ll start really caring about topological correctness.
Lie #3: Map Data Should Be Free
I’m not sure where this concept comes from. Anything that another person creates should never be free unless they created it in their capacity as a government employee. I guess I’m out of touch with this whole sentiment – I think our country is a better country when people are compensated for their creations and anyone who feels entitled to get something for nothing is hard for me to relate to. Morality aside, it’s clear that high-quality map data is not free, only the error-ridden, haphazard data is free. That said, innovative companies can and are figuring out ways to provide alternative licensing models so that you can more fairly equate value to price.
Lie #4: My Gramma Can Create Map Data
My gramma can do lots of great stuff. So can my kids. But I wouldn’t dare trust map data creation to anyone other than a trained professional. Professional training, professional tools, professional processes and professional attitude.
Lie #5: GIS Thinking Just Restricts Your Creativity
I’m not sure why you would want your data company to be “creative” – maybe “innovative”, but really you just want the results to be of value. And high-value map data requires highly engineered data creation processes. The most “creative” thing you want as a user of map data is a company that finds creative ways to get you what you need, not to come up with new paradigms that you can’t integrate.
Lie #6: Make it once and you’re done
Data changes over time. Sure, county boundaries are pretty stable, but ZIP Code boundaries shift all the time. And carrier route boundaries are spastically changing. Even city boundaries and neighborhood boundaries evolve faster than you might think. So, if you do make data, you need to be committed to keeping it current and accurate. Anybody who thinks this data is static will be in for a rude awakening when your competitors license data from a company that updates its data frequently.
Lie #7: Offshoring is the way to get great map data
Ah, yes, the canonical answer to all things data. “Let’s get some people in a foreign country to compile this for us.” I’m not saying that pure data businesses shouldn’t consider some element of offshoring. But how can a foreign team accurately describe something as fuzzy and local as neighborhood boundaries in the US? And for more complicated datasets, the amount of time you’d spend managing and QCing your offshore team’s work would be tremendous – far more expensive than licensing great data from the start.
Lie #8: You don’t need to be a mapping company to make good data
Ok, this is actually true. If you have enough money and talent, you could build your own data. But even though Google, Microsoft, Mapquest, Nokia, TomTom, etc. could do it, they don’t. They’ve tried but failed compared to companies with focus. The latter two are buying companies that do nothing other than map data. And then there’s Zillow who tried to do this in their spare time and had to admit defeat and call on the general public to fix their data for them.
About the Author:
The author, Darrin Clement, works with Maponics, which focuses on map data licenses for neighborhood boundaries and ZIP Code maps. You can find out more at http://www.maponics.com. |
Added: Sat Sep 13, 2008 12:53 am GMT 