The article by Tulloch outlines some of the issues associated with the intersection of PPGIS and VGI using two case studies. I found this article to be an interesting starting point but I wish there had been more of a general overview of some of the concepts inherent in VGI. I look forward to tomorrow’s lecture.
Some of the issues the author discussed I thought were most pertinent were the issues of “volunteered” geographic data and the issues of participation. I have used quotation marks on volunteered because of the issue raised by Tulloch regarding individuals who have GPS units constantly transmitting geographic data unbeknownst to them or perhaps against their will. While I found the term “geoslavery” inappropriate I understand that to many this type of data collection is a serious breach of privacy.
On the issue of participation (a common theme for many of our class discussions) I find the issues present within VGI and PPGIS to be compelling. I suppose one of the largest issues is whether all voices are being heard. Worse, what if the shift towards a greater reliance on VGI makes some forms of knowledge ineligible for collection and thus, validation, scrutiny, and incorporation.
Relating to other presentation topics one can see the issues associated with Ontologies, Big Data, and Metadata being quite pertinent.
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