GIS and GPS - acronyms explained

On Wednesday morning, Agi (with Gustav interpreting) introduced us to Geographical Information Systems and Global Positioning Systems and the differences and potential synergies between them. GPS comprises basic data in the form of co-ordinates, to which secondary data (e.g. photos, text, video, music) can be attached. GIS is a data processing system that can be used as an analytical tool linking data to spatial dimensions. Layers of data from different sources can be brought together into the GIS system. The practical application of GIS is not difficult – smartphones with apps (such as mytracks) can be used to upload data (such as routes or points of interest) to online maps such as Google Maps or OpenStreetMaps. There is more to GIS/GPS than SatNav and community use of this technology is growing.

After Agi’s briefing we made a short film of her being interviewed about GIS and GPS to get us familiar with the equipment and roles in film-making, as preparation for making our own films later in the week.

In the afternoon we worked on recording and uploading GPS tracks. You can see our first effort in Dabas, with photos here.

One of the film teams later recorded the locations of Dabas' recycling bins on Open Streetmap, which you can find by searching for 'Dabas, Hungary' on the site.

The workshop's comments:

Tool Title: Participatory GIS
Description
Affordances	Requirements	Notes
·         Very visible results ·         Opens up areas to a wider audience ·         New skills for participants ·         Very good useful information in a second ·         Easy to transmit information eg cheap free ·         Community development ·         Maps are already there, it is easy to use it ·         Can combine and integrate other technologies ·         Own value discovering (community level) ·         Visual representation of spatial dimension ·         Visual representation of trends over time ·         Easy access for general public ·         Lots of possibilities for community use ·         Puts people on the maps ·         Alternative public sphere ·         Increased social capital & social involvement ·         Techno yoga ·         Allows the sharing of information to diverse audiences	·         Devices (GPS, maps, intranet etc). ·         Equipment – intranet ·         ICT Skills & smart phone ·         Smartphone ·         Multiple technical skills ·         Technology is today available and cheap ·         Mobile, computer, intranet ·         Information evaluation and control tools eg complications over conflicting issues and cases ·         Interested people ·         Reassurance re intrusions into people’s privacy ·         Hardware ·	·         Reminiscent of the “transect walk” ·         Useable tool ·         Much easier than you would think ·         GIS is easy! Don’t be afraid ·         Easy to work with but it takes too much time ·         We should have more people using it ·         Exciting and developing technologies ·         I am surprised by its simplicity and quite enthusiastic about it.
Resources/References