Stephen Berry of Clark County, Kentucky GIS (ph. 859-737-9255 or email: info@ccgisonline.com or www.ccgisonline.com) has posted a position on the college career management website. The county is to the east of Lexington and the county seat is Winchester.
The position assists with the development and maintenance of the countywide GIS program, including collecting and maintaining GPS data.
Minimum education is high school diploma supplemented by GIS course work.
Salary is $20,000-22,000
Deadline is December 1, 2008
I'll post a link as soon as I can get one...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Data Sources
Here's a list of data sources that I've come across over the past few years.
I haven't checked each one to make sure they work, so if you see a busted link, let me know. If you have some really cool data source that's free, let me know. Thanks.
I haven't checked each one to make sure they work, so if you see a busted link, let me know. If you have some really cool data source that's free, let me know. Thanks.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Laser Scanner Demo This Monday!
Carol Hill has set up the following:
Monday, October 27, 2008 from 2-4pm in JL345 or Oakley307
Joel Douglas of Faro Technologies will be here to demo a 3D Scanner.
He was here last year outside the multiplex and there was a lively discussion about them at the Purdue Survey School last Spring because they are so new and everyone is trying to figure out if they are worth the money.
In capable hands, the units have the ability to obtain a ton of spatial data in a brief period of time. The challenge is making sure that the data isn't junk and also taking all that data and putting it into a useful format. Two of the projects that I heard discussed were airport runways and urban highways that needed to be land surveyed but couldn't be shut down. Not safe environments for traditional human powered surveying, but these scanners could get the data from limited vantage points.
There are two different types of 3D scanners (long and short distance, basically) and require some experience as they are susceptible to extremes in temperature, etc.
Monday, October 27, 2008 from 2-4pm in JL345 or Oakley307
Joel Douglas of Faro Technologies will be here to demo a 3D Scanner.
He was here last year outside the multiplex and there was a lively discussion about them at the Purdue Survey School last Spring because they are so new and everyone is trying to figure out if they are worth the money.
In capable hands, the units have the ability to obtain a ton of spatial data in a brief period of time. The challenge is making sure that the data isn't junk and also taking all that data and putting it into a useful format. Two of the projects that I heard discussed were airport runways and urban highways that needed to be land surveyed but couldn't be shut down. Not safe environments for traditional human powered surveying, but these scanners could get the data from limited vantage points.
There are two different types of 3D scanners (long and short distance, basically) and require some experience as they are susceptible to extremes in temperature, etc.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Adams County GIS Position
thanks to Rebecca
Adams SWCD is accepting applications for our newly created GIS Coordinator position. This is a full time position.
All who are interested may call the office at 937-544-5121, email further questions to allan.cluxton@oh.nacdnet.net, or stop by the office at 807 NE MainSt. #B, West Union, OH 45693 between the hours of 8 a.m and 4:30p.m, Monday through Friday.
Job description and application are linked.
Deadline is November 3, 2008
Anita Conaway
Administrative Assistant
Adams SWCD
807 NE Main St. #B
West Union, OH 45693
937-544-5121
Adams SWCD is accepting applications for our newly created GIS Coordinator position. This is a full time position.
All who are interested may call the office at 937-544-5121, email further questions to allan.cluxton@oh.nacdnet.net, or stop by the office at 807 NE MainSt. #B, West Union, OH 45693 between the hours of 8 a.m and 4:30p.m, Monday through Friday.
Job description and application are linked.
Deadline is November 3, 2008
Anita Conaway
Administrative Assistant
Adams SWCD
807 NE Main St. #B
West Union, OH 45693
937-544-5121
Monday, October 13, 2008
GIS Skills Survey
Via the GIS Lounge, is a link to this survey by New Urban Research. You can take or leave the survey, since they don't really say what they're doing with the results; what is interesting is the compiled list of GIS tasks.
I don't think that it's the be all, end all, but it is a pretty good list of primary GIS concepts, techniques and skills that you may want to copy so that you can map your progress.
I don't think that it's the be all, end all, but it is a pretty good list of primary GIS concepts, techniques and skills that you may want to copy so that you can map your progress.
Potential Internship
Drew mentions that there might be an internship possibility primarily working with GPS mapping at a nearby US government facility that includes a 664 acre lake. If you are interested in knowing more, let Drew or me know.
Ohio Government Positions
Justin directs us to this link of Ohio State Government positions search- both paid and unpaid (internships). It's statewide and department wide.
Good Luck
Good Luck
Thursday, October 9, 2008
4H, GIS and ESRI
ESRI has announced grants for local 4-H programs.
The 4-H is encouraged through the grants to work with the local GIS community or taken another way, if you are a member of the local GIS community, here's a chance to reach out to your local 4-H group, get some money and have some fun (watershed, farm management, land use- there are a lot of possibilities...).
Also, there are 3 levels of grant funding, from intro to intermediate.
Link to ESRI Grant Announcement
The 4-H is encouraged through the grants to work with the local GIS community or taken another way, if you are a member of the local GIS community, here's a chance to reach out to your local 4-H group, get some money and have some fun (watershed, farm management, land use- there are a lot of possibilities...).
Also, there are 3 levels of grant funding, from intro to intermediate.
Link to ESRI Grant Announcement
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Forest Service Job in Nelsonville
Scott points out this job for the USFS in Nelsonville. Link to USAJobs posting is below. It might be a 13 month position initially with more time added?
Department: Department Of Agriculture
Agency: Forest Service
Sub Agency: Please do not send mail.
Job Announcement Number:ADS08-R9WNF-2420D (P-AS)
Natural Resource Specialist
SALARY RANGE: 45,040.00 - 58,557.00 USD per year OPEN PERIOD: Monday, October 06, 2008
to Monday, October 20, 2008
SERIES & GRADE: GS-0401-09/09 POSITION INFORMATION: Full Time Term, not to exceed 13 Months
PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 09 DUTY LOCATIONS: 1 vacancy - NELSONVILLE, OH
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: US citizens
USAJobs Link to the description and links to the application and further information.
Also, there seems to be a good chance that ODNR will be posting some GIS positions in the near future. I'll put those up as soon as I hear something.
Good Luck
Department: Department Of Agriculture
Agency: Forest Service
Sub Agency: Please do not send mail.
Job Announcement Number:ADS08-R9WNF-2420D (P-AS)
Natural Resource Specialist
SALARY RANGE: 45,040.00 - 58,557.00 USD per year OPEN PERIOD: Monday, October 06, 2008
to Monday, October 20, 2008
SERIES & GRADE: GS-0401-09/09 POSITION INFORMATION: Full Time Term, not to exceed 13 Months
PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 09 DUTY LOCATIONS: 1 vacancy - NELSONVILLE, OH
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: US citizens
USAJobs Link to the description and links to the application and further information.
Also, there seems to be a good chance that ODNR will be posting some GIS positions in the near future. I'll put those up as soon as I hear something.
Good Luck
Monday, October 6, 2008
National Park Service data clearinghouse
I tripped across this site at the NPS website (looking for something else, of course).
I checked into Isle Royale page and there was an extensive amount of info, from the helpful, like trails and orthos, to the facinating, like geologic faults on the Isle (of course, there may not be any and it maybe a data layer that conforms to some requirement that all parks have geologic faults data layers- get back to me once you check it out!). I'm working on getting permission to take the GPS Apps I class up there to field check the data this Fall.
Awesome NPS data site
I checked into Isle Royale page and there was an extensive amount of info, from the helpful, like trails and orthos, to the facinating, like geologic faults on the Isle (of course, there may not be any and it maybe a data layer that conforms to some requirement that all parks have geologic faults data layers- get back to me once you check it out!). I'm working on getting permission to take the GPS Apps I class up there to field check the data this Fall.
Awesome NPS data site
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Projection Basics that Every GIS Professional needs to know
Buried in the help files in ArcGIS is this gem called Projection Basics that Every GIS Professional Needs to know.
This is a link to the 9.2 version, but I doubt it will change radically with new versions...
This is a link to the 9.2 version, but I doubt it will change radically with new versions...
Saturday, October 4, 2008
perennial electoral map link
With less than 4 weeks to go until the election, all blogs that discuss GIS, spatial data or geography have to post at least one link to an electoral map (it was added at the last minute to the bailout/rescue/bag-o-cash bill that was passed yesterday).
The NY Times (don't knock it if you haven't read it) has a particularly good one. Not only does it have expert predictions, there is also a tab to a map that lets you make your own prediction (Rep & Dem only). However, I don't think it lets you split the electoral vote in Maine & Nevada?, which are not winner take all states.
In addition, you can relive 2000 and 2004 presidential electoral vote totals, if you care to...
The NY Times (don't knock it if you haven't read it) has a particularly good one. Not only does it have expert predictions, there is also a tab to a map that lets you make your own prediction (Rep & Dem only). However, I don't think it lets you split the electoral vote in Maine & Nevada?, which are not winner take all states.
In addition, you can relive 2000 and 2004 presidential electoral vote totals, if you care to...
new kml viewer
This in from Planet Geospatial this morning (and no I'm not in my pajamas)
Earth Atlas is a Google Earth viewer that operates within a browser window. No more worrying about whether your user has Google Earth loaded on their own workstation.
In addition to preloaded KML data layers, you can also upload your own KMLs. I'm not sure if you can host your KML files on your own server and link to Earth Atlas so that others can see the same views, but time will tell.
While you can view KML files in GoogleMaps, the interface here looks pretty nice.
Link to the Earth Atlas blog.
Update:
from the Earth Atlas blog, you can create links to load data from other servers directly into Earth Atlas...
Other KML/KMZ files can be visualised by adding a link in the left panel, or directly in the Earth Atlas URL:
http://earthatlas.info/?kml=http://www.nature.com/nature/googleearth/avianflu1.kml
Earth Atlas is a Google Earth viewer that operates within a browser window. No more worrying about whether your user has Google Earth loaded on their own workstation.
In addition to preloaded KML data layers, you can also upload your own KMLs. I'm not sure if you can host your KML files on your own server and link to Earth Atlas so that others can see the same views, but time will tell.
While you can view KML files in GoogleMaps, the interface here looks pretty nice.
Link to the Earth Atlas blog.
Update:
from the Earth Atlas blog, you can create links to load data from other servers directly into Earth Atlas...
Other KML/KMZ files can be visualised by adding a link in the left panel, or directly in the Earth Atlas URL:
http://earthatlas.info/?kml=http://www.nature.com/nature/googleearth/avianflu1.kml
Sayings from the Chairman
Via the Ministry of Information at ESRI, this interview of Jack Dangermond, CEO (& owner of the privately held company) from this online source ...
ESRI has been growing annually at about 10-15% worldwide for many years, and in 2008 the company is growing at a rate of 17%, said Dangermond, adding that this "is counter intuitive to the whole stock market and economic downturn."
"People are investing in information infrastructure in advance of their actual construction infrastructure - like water, highways or other sorts of things," he said, adding that this is being done "very wisely because GIS [geographic information system] is not simply to manage data, but to help design."
In terms of the global financial turmoil, Dangermond said "people today are very nervous about what is happening on Wall Street and what I am more concerned about is ecological sustainability and global warming issues on the planet, because they are not something that you can go to the bank and borrow more money from. The real sustainability issue and the real economic foundation is nature's capital, it is not artificial money capital."
Regarding ESRI's growth, the executive said "we are very positive about the future, and not because it means something from the business perspective, but because people are starting to listen and understand what we have been saying for many years about the necessity to approach problem solving considering all the external issues, like polluting water and not having to pay for it, or destroying wetlands or other natural resources that sustain all of us."
"GIS is unique as a technology because it helps people design infrastructure by using what we like to call the 'geographic approach,'" he said, adding that this means "taking all the different considerations - social, environmental and physical, as well as economic - and overlaying the data and then modeling it and saying this is where we should go or this is what we should do in a kind of holistic approach."
ESRI has been growing annually at about 10-15% worldwide for many years, and in 2008 the company is growing at a rate of 17%, said Dangermond, adding that this "is counter intuitive to the whole stock market and economic downturn."
"People are investing in information infrastructure in advance of their actual construction infrastructure - like water, highways or other sorts of things," he said, adding that this is being done "very wisely because GIS [geographic information system] is not simply to manage data, but to help design."
In terms of the global financial turmoil, Dangermond said "people today are very nervous about what is happening on Wall Street and what I am more concerned about is ecological sustainability and global warming issues on the planet, because they are not something that you can go to the bank and borrow more money from. The real sustainability issue and the real economic foundation is nature's capital, it is not artificial money capital."
Regarding ESRI's growth, the executive said "we are very positive about the future, and not because it means something from the business perspective, but because people are starting to listen and understand what we have been saying for many years about the necessity to approach problem solving considering all the external issues, like polluting water and not having to pay for it, or destroying wetlands or other natural resources that sustain all of us."
"GIS is unique as a technology because it helps people design infrastructure by using what we like to call the 'geographic approach,'" he said, adding that this means "taking all the different considerations - social, environmental and physical, as well as economic - and overlaying the data and then modeling it and saying this is where we should go or this is what we should do in a kind of holistic approach."
Friday, October 3, 2008
GIS is for...whiners?
No doubt about it, learning GIS concepts and software can be both eye opening and hard. As I tell my GIS grasshoppers, in 11 weeks, they not only crash learn a new software, they are also learning a new way to view the world (one based on location and geography, instead of words). Contrast that with having a lifetime to learn how to read and write and at least 4 or more years to learn Word. It's going to have it's challenging moments.
So, I expect some whining or appeals for sympathy or begging for mercy, it's part of the territory. But when it happens every week for 11 weeks, it is wearing on the teacher, the whining student and the class. What people in the whine death spiral don't realize is that they are creating a mental block that prevents them from seeing the value of what they're learning or frankly, enjoying anything.
What I find is that students who whine a bit, laugh a bit, focus a bit and grab a root and growl every once in a while, get through it. What makes it rewarding is that they also learn to see the world in a new way that they can apply to their careers or communities. And once in a while, they even become GIS/GPS majors!
So, I expect some whining or appeals for sympathy or begging for mercy, it's part of the territory. But when it happens every week for 11 weeks, it is wearing on the teacher, the whining student and the class. What people in the whine death spiral don't realize is that they are creating a mental block that prevents them from seeing the value of what they're learning or frankly, enjoying anything.
What I find is that students who whine a bit, laugh a bit, focus a bit and grab a root and growl every once in a while, get through it. What makes it rewarding is that they also learn to see the world in a new way that they can apply to their careers or communities. And once in a while, they even become GIS/GPS majors!
Shortcuts
In ArcMap, keyboard shortcuts are a good thing- if you remember to use them.
The suggested shortcuts below come from the help files, where you can find even more.
While we live in a mouse driven, carpal tunnel world, Windows also has general keyboard shortcuts, like Ctrl + C to copy & Ctrl + V to paste. They are worth learning for speed and for variety to ease the pressure on hands and wrists. I'll save the discussion of old school command driven ArcInfo versus new school mouse driven ArcMap for a crankier day.
Anyway, to whet your appetite
ArcMap Shortcut key>>>Editing function
Z key>>>Zoom in
X key>>>Zoom out
C key>>>Pan
B key>>>Continuous Zoom/Pan
V key>>>Show vertices
Esc>>>Cancel
Ctrl + Z>>>Undo
Ctrl + Y>>>Redo
Spacebar>>>Suspend Snapping
The suggested shortcuts below come from the help files, where you can find even more.
While we live in a mouse driven, carpal tunnel world, Windows also has general keyboard shortcuts, like Ctrl + C to copy & Ctrl + V to paste. They are worth learning for speed and for variety to ease the pressure on hands and wrists. I'll save the discussion of old school command driven ArcInfo versus new school mouse driven ArcMap for a crankier day.
Anyway, to whet your appetite
ArcMap Shortcut key>>>Editing function
Z key>>>Zoom in
X key>>>Zoom out
C key>>>Pan
B key>>>Continuous Zoom/Pan
V key>>>Show vertices
Esc>>>Cancel
Ctrl + Z>>>Undo
Ctrl + Y>>>Redo
Spacebar>>>Suspend Snapping
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
in memoriam
I wanted to note the tragic accident that claimed the life of Jacob Webb last Friday. Jacob had just started the GIS/GPS program and while we did not have a chance to know him well, his enthusiasm about the opportunities starting the school year and the program were very present. Our thoughts are with his family and the two Hocking students who were with him and are in critical condition.
Link to the News Herald obituary and comments from those who knew him well.
Link to the News Herald obituary and comments from those who knew him well.
strategy versus tactics
It's been in the news a lot, so for the record (from wikipedia, who else):
Strategy: long term plan of action to achieve a specific goal.
Tactic: a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz OR a specific action that advances toward the goal defined by the strategy.
The example the business dictionary gives is that the Board of Directors determine the strategy and department heads figure out the tactics that subordinates will carry out to achieve that overall goal.
BTW. you can use Ctrl-Tab to switch between tabs in the Firefox browser- very handy.
Strategy: long term plan of action to achieve a specific goal.
Tactic: a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz OR a specific action that advances toward the goal defined by the strategy.
The example the business dictionary gives is that the Board of Directors determine the strategy and department heads figure out the tactics that subordinates will carry out to achieve that overall goal.
BTW. you can use Ctrl-Tab to switch between tabs in the Firefox browser- very handy.
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