One of our greatest fears, both collectively and as individuals, is to be ignored and to not have our voices heard. With the advent of Web 2.0 we live in a day and age where the average citizen feels more empowered and better equipped to participate in the decision making processes that shapes their lives. The participatory Geoweb has brought a digital dimension to location-specific participation in public process – one that previously on existed solely in physical realm.
‘Doing Public Participation on the Geospatial Web’ is a sobering review of the intersection of participation and the Geoweb. By taking a step back and working through theories, then the realities we face this piece has quieted my overenthausaism and prompted me to more critically examine the PGeoweb. Have we placed too much trust in a flawed tool that won’t fix our problems effectively? I think we have, at the very least I have. Perhaps an illusion of participation is far more dangerous than none whatsoever.
It’s a beautiful thing that anyone, anywhere can make a contribution to online fora – but I would argue that more research is required to better understand the implications of this dramatic shift. Furthermore digital divides and inequities in access to the web must be considered. Though Web 2.0 has sped ahead, we cannot forget that we will always live in a physical world and social change will always have a physical core component. This research speaks volumes to the “is GIS a Science?” debate, showing that it really is.
– Othello