Portal talk:Cartography

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Subject: Cartographic modeling

Testing * 1 * 2 * 3 * ...is this thing on?

I really like Geography and have been a mapper since the 50's. I'm very excited about the emerging GIS technologies, especially the open source variety. I recently discovered and am getting ready to explore the wiki-aware GIS organizations:

• OpenGIS
• GeoTools
• WikiMapia
• OpenLayers
• ...many more...

I've started a case study for my local community called Paducah2020, which includes a conceptualization of a series of interactive WikiMaps that depict the Tennessee Valley Divide begining in my hometown and current place of residence – Paducah, USA.

The project begins by digitizing two USGS topographical maps that show the divide clearly. Layers and layer algorithms will be added and subtracted to and from a software model to systematically "build and unbuild" the built environment. Combining time-referenced geodata, the local public record, archives, archeological findings, and other creative endeavers, the abstraction is being designed to reveal a retroactive timeline of Paducah's development.

Funding for field work is procured through a generic quazi-commercial sister project that has been primed up at COMMUNITY.WIKIA.COM and at the Purchase Area Watershed Mapping Project, both hosted at Wikia.

I'm hoping that other folks along the divide (which goes through eight U.S. states) will discover these efforts. This could of course take years. But I'll plod along alone as long as it takes. I expect however, that the general topic of Cartography should populate steadily. Wikiversity will take a while to gather steam, but if you should find this topic abandoned, please jog my memory. CQ 20:40, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

Shared maps as learning objects

I have a shared map here and some local participants. The closest confluence point is latitude:37 longitude:-89 and we'll be adding USGS benchmarks soon. An interesting point is The Monkey which is a very tall TV tower at Monkeys Eyebrow that can be seen for miles within the study area, a large portion of which is a wildlife refuge.

For Ecology studies, we are looking at the local creek systems Humphrey and Clanton which flow together here and empty a short way downstream into the Ohio River. A big problem in our county is that some farmers plow, plant and cultivate right up to the sides of the creeks causing severe soil erosion. We hope to enter into a self-funding campaign to use the research materials to organize locals into a transition community comprised of Transition Towns.

A nifty way to get people (younger and older) interested in the mapping adventure is through Geocaching, Benchmarking, Orienteering and lots of other fun stuff. GPS navigation devices are getting better and less expensive. I think we will be able to craft learning objects in the form of shared maps that employ these types of emerging technologies that can become Open Education Resources. --CQ 15:22, 19 July 2009 (UTC)