[CivicAccess-discuss] Authenticity, accuracy and reliability of - non authoritative map sources

[Tracey P. Lauriault]

Thanks Jason!


On Sun, Dec 27, 2009 at 6:27 PM, Jason Darrah <Jason.Darrah at edmonton.ca>wrote:

>  Love your post, Tracey.
> Re-read it twice.
>  ------------------------------
> *From:* civicaccess-discuss-bounces at civicaccess.ca [
> civicaccess-discuss-bounces at civicaccess.ca] On Behalf Of Tracey P.
> Lauriault [tlauriau at gmail.com]
> *Sent:* December 21, 2009 9:54 AM
> *To:* civicaccess discuss
> *Subject:* [CivicAccess-discuss] Authenticity, accuracy and reliability of
> - non authoritative map sources
>
>  I have had the great privilege lately of speaking with a number of
> officials at our fine statistical agency and our mapping agencies.
>
> A common theme is how managers, who are no longer subject matter
> specialists btw, think our agencies should just let google do the work for
> them.  They are also hearing from political leaders who think they can save
> money by simply letting google do the mapping and citizens do the analysis.
> I even heard an ADM some time ago suggest we should just let pixar make our
> maps, just let disney do it! Meanwhile, the subject matter specialists
> (cartographers, geomaticians, statisticians) are working doubly hard to do
> their jobs and to keep their bosses and leaders alert to the reasons for
> maintaining the public service of producing reliable and accurate maps and
> data.  We also hear open data advocates say the similar things, such as, why
> not just let google make the maps, or we no longer will need journalists
> once the data are free, and can't citizens just do the analysis?
>
> The idea of letting only the private sector and citizens do our data and
> mapping is becoming ubiquitous and give me the willies!
>
> *First*, a private sector shop like googlemaps does not have the mandate
> to serve a nation and its citizens.  Just recently googlemaps removed the
> ice layer in the arctic.  It seems that the bathymetric lobby was very
> strong.  That is all fine and nice, however, that means people homes were
> wiped off the map.  So not only are lived on ice spaces melting away due to
> climate change, peoples stories and mashups disappeared because navigators
> want their data shown and well the Inuit did not lobby.  Googlemaps is doing
> like most, it is demonstrating its equatorial bias, and not focussing on
> un-populated areas, is posting the images it has and relies on the dbases it
> has access to.  Who would map the north if not for our own mapping
> agencies?  Who would map rural areas? Who would keep data up to date, ensure
> we have access to historical data, and who would ensure the data are
> accurate, precise and reliable?  Today I read the following:
>
> Defunct Names on Online Maps -
> http://www.mcwetboy.net/maproom/2009/12/defunct_names_o.php.  Entire
> neighbourhoods are wrong and these are available on googlemaps.
>
> *Secondly;* we cannot rely on the private sector to do and share some
> analysis.  For instance, when was the last time we saw a company do a study
> on homelessness, poverty, and immigration, brown sites, etc.  Do you let the
> mining industry alone report on its clean practices (see Ecojustice Case -
> http://www.ecojustice.ca/media-centre/press-releases/court-victory-forces-canada-to-report-pollution-data-for-mines).
> We also do not see the state do enough of that kind of analysis either, nor
> does the academic sector in Canada.  We also, cannot expect citizens, to do
> all of that work consistently.  We all see it, fads, we take an interest, we
> do a little something, we say something about it, then we get bored and move
> on.  The problems to be studied however, do not disappear.  But, if the data
> were more accessible, easier to find, were of good quality and reliable,
> with less restrictive licensing and at no cost, we might see more stories
> being told with them.  But that does not mean, that stories about those on
> the margins would be told more by regular citizens, as those are not the
> cool stories, but they might get told more by advocates and NGOs who have
> the mandate to stick to the issues.
>
> Personally, I want my state agencies to gather good quality, reliable,
> authentic and accurate data to do their business of governing, and I want
> them to share those data at no cost, make them easier to find, with
> unrestricted user licenses or creative commons licenses with citizens.
>
> We need only think of how the private sector failed to provide universal
> broadband in this country and to recall that the private sector needs a
> business case, the same is true for private sector owned satellites that aim
> their cameras at populated rich places, or how we cut the CBCs budget and
> see less Can Con, or how the media discusses public security by reporting
> crime, or reports homelessness without discussing the financial insecurity
> that was manufactured by a dismantling of Canada's social system.
>
> Should we store all of our national data in a private sector offshore
> storage cloud? Ah, I think not!  Is the Internet our data archive?  Well it
> ain't doing a great job!
>
> We have much work to do as citizens to participate in this thing we call
> democracy, and suggesting that private sector do our mapping and our
> statistical analysis is a dangerous idea indeed.  Flippant remarks like we
> do not need an official mapping or statistical agency or investigative
> journalism are very irresponsible and short sighted.  We need them to do
> their job, share and we need to do our job, and that is to use that
> information to inform public policy.
>
> That is what participative democracy is.
>
> --
> Tracey P. Lauriault
> 613-234-2805
> https://gcrc.carleton.ca/confluence/display/GCRCWEB/Lauriault
>
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-- 
Tracey P. Lauriault
613-234-2805
https://gcrc.carleton.ca/confluence/display/GCRCWEB/Lauriault
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