More notes from the recent ESRI User Conference -- In a presentation titled “Implementing GIS on the web”, Clint Brown provided a Tuesday AM wake-up discussion on what’s happening in the web world and what opportunities are being created.
Brown reminded us that at Web 2.0, our second generation web tools and organized access to information has proliferated. The term mashups, is relatively new to the web world but old news to the us in the GIS space… we’ve been mashing up data forever! Keep in mind though, the web is the platform to build a mashup world. I enjoyed Clint's reference to GIS mashups as "Smashups".
Interesting [and accurately in my opinion], Brown conveyed how to the web community, and the bloggers, it’s not GIS but rather, it’s web mapping with the citizens as censors providing the content – citizen censors - and in the future everyone will contribute their own content and search will organize it. BUT, users require an authoritative information framework. A framework to:
Understand and exploit observations
Analyze observations
Visualize what it means
Give observations meaning.
Addressing the geo tech professionals, Brown pointed out how "your role is about building and sharing a framework"... We need a framework, not just a list of layer.” Obviously, what Brown was referring to is the geodatabase (interesting to note, I head several times during the week that we need to move to the geodatabase rather than SHP files. Given the number of times this topic arose, many users are obviously content with layers of information stored as files (SHP) rather than jumping head-first into developing a geodatabase - a direction you are encouraged to move towards.
Recall though that everyone is talking about using Google maps and virtual earth… as a result, user expectations are changing. Most GIS apps will need to support this, particularly as the use expectations have changed. So, making your Geo information consumable on the web is important. Users want and need to build and serve: GIS apps, digital base maps, operational layers, tasks and tools in the GIS applications. As a result there are many application choices to deal with: ArcExplorer, mobile, web map, Javascript/Flex web apps (new at 9.3), or ArGIS desktop.
Brown was quick to point out that programming via the new Javascript API is so simple, “if you know html you can use this”. Ideal for simple implementations, easy to program (you can focus on your content), lightweight. Brown offers up the following tips for the developer: - Once you chose your application, you design and select your basemap… one map for each scale, each map becomes a group layer in your ArcMap TOC. - Build on exist framework like ArcGIS online, Google Microsoft, Other GIS depts. - Be sure of the tiling scheme you select to use… e.g. A Virtual Earth basemap may be using a different coordinate system. I found it interesting that we seem to be grappling with the same user issues (like various coordinate systems, datums, scales) that we frequently dealt with 10 yeas ago. As a tip, see also planning a map cache in the ArcGIS online help resource center.
A reference we heard many times during the week was that ArcGIS at 9.3 enables users to simplify, streamline and share. As you can see, a number of new tools are now available to help you share your data and your geodatabase with others. See below for some helpful resources.
Esri devMeetUps - locate a developer meetup taking place in a city near you
ERDAS Webinars - Register for a free, online webinar from ERDAS
ILMF 2012 - International LiDAR Mapping Forum, Denver, Colorado, Jan 23-25, 2012
Esri Dev Summit - The Esri Developer Summit (DevSummit) brings together developers and GIS professionals from all over the globe. March 26-29, 2012, Palm Springs, CA
Where2.0 - where the people working on and using location technologies come together to explore best practices and emerging trends in software development, tools, business strategies, and marketing. April 2-4, 20112, San Francisco, CA
See more 
