The Participatory Geoweb - students

StudentMeetingUBCO2009

mcconchie — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:47:15 +0000

Attendees:

Jon Corbett, Patrick Allen, Pamela Tudge, Korbin Da Silva

Schedule of tasks accomplished:

Monday August 17, 2009:

Tuesday August 18, 2009:

Wednesday August 19, 2009:

Back to Student Exchanges

StudentMeetingNotes20090819UNBRandyPhoneConf

mcconchie — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:15:05 +0000

Student notes will go here

http://www.4shared.com/file/126649619/d8f07914/vgi2.html

Back to Student Meeting UNB 2009

StudentMeetingNotes20090818UNBRandyPhoneConf

mcconchie — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:14:28 +0000

Student notes will go here

http://www.4shared.com/file/126649610/a12cc1b0/VGI_discussion.html

Back to Student Meeting UNB 2009

StudentMeetingNotesArgooMap

mcconchie — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:53:36 +0000

Notes from Aug 13th Geiode Student Meetings

Morning: talk with Claus Rinner re Argoomap

Initially Patrick gave a quick demo of the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program map (http://occp.bc.ca/) that UBC-O is developing. Based on Google Maps. Will allow embedded images, video in the discussions. There will also be icons for discussions about the map overall. It will be preloaded with polygons for the regional boundaries, that people can converse about.

Re: Argoomap:

Steven showed us a demo of the current software. Interesting point: a comment can reference other markers, and one message can have multiple points associated with it.

Some questions:

Nick: Is there a reporting feature? for flagging spam for review, etc...

Patrick: Is there a printing out feature?

Nick: Does the organization have an archiving mandate? That's an issue for the city of Toronto, it is obligated to archive comments for open houses, etc. ...and that’s hard to satisfy if they're trying to do engagement over facebook, for example.

Steven: In the interviews, people asked about mass import... that shouldn't be that hard to do geocoding, kml or shp import...

They didn’t want discussions in the sidebar initially but it was cumbersome to follow threads in text bubbles. Patrick: I found this important because I personally find it a lot easier to follow the discussions and find discussions in the sidebar – versus searching through all the bubbles and opening them etc.. – representation issue

Claus presented some of the origins of Argoomap (and argumentation maps in general)... from a white paper he’s working on. Began in urban planning in Germany, a digital version of the public comment process. Based on "argumentation" theory from computer science, but didn't get as far as automatic reasoning in the case of maps.

One case study: just published this month in EnvPlanB... Queen St. W community organization "active 18" (..no longer active.) A student distributed flyers: 16 ppl registered, 12 participated. They looked at how many threads were created, replied to. Looked at web log to monitor when people usually login, (weekends) and where from (home), summer least use. Lots of messages talked about places, but didn't link to the map. The questionaire responses all said they were experienced computer users, but didn't know how to zoom (because it used a GIS-style interface), so that motivated Claus et al. to go to Google Maps. [Alan: Is this the name change from Argumap to Argoomap?]

Another case study: a student looked for geographic mentions in a non-geo Ryerson discussion forum (about the Ryerson master plan?) then copied them into Argoomap. So you can look at structure not only in space, but within thread, but also across threads. Even sometimes links between places on the Ryerson campus and the U of T campus (people saying UofT's nicer, older)

Do messages need different “types”? "pro" or "con" messages... "new idea" message type?

Kawarthas case study... underlying map is sparse, so will discussion be sparse too? [Alan: in BC, spread linearly along highways & mountain valleys?]

So who is going to be using Argoomap? Live Green Toronto, for one. Claus: had a talk with Randy & Yolanda about using it for observations... so perhaps Argoomap is overkill for that? But they want people to be able to comment on observations, so maybe it will be appropriate.

Patrick: Would we be able to load existing base layers in a clickable way? The people we work with have all their own mapping programs... they'd love to have discussion on top. Our Okanagan Ecosystem map for example is using Map Guide

Claus: could our tool load these maps as a layer? perhaps WMS only...

Patrick: in our Map Guide we have already made a request to get the bike commuter routes from city of Vernon, for example... we’d have to make a new request to get that data, so if we could use it straight off the Map Guide site we wouldn’t have to make a new request.

Claus: We found that discussions based on vector data is challenging because we needed two different colors for highlighting... for whether there are messages attached, objects referred to... etc. So rendering and clicking lines and polygons becomes problematic... easier to keep discussions linked to point markers.

Now there are attempts to rewrite Argoomap from scratch in more simple, structured way. Want to and will develop further, want to keep simple as possible. Aaron (Sani?) is working on this version. Will be more object-oriented, purely Java Script based (instead of current version with uses PHP). The current version is also stuck on an older version of Google’s API and is too hard to change.

The Argoomap version on sourceforge is being worked on in Germany by the original developer. Not the same version that Steven is working on. Claus hopes to replace this with the new totally rewritten version in aug/sept... this would be the official default version.

Also, someone's forked a version at Western, too... allows flipping between a more analytical view.

Currently people are building off Argoomap from different versions – not well organized at this point. Claus suggested this is not necessarily a bad thing... as academics we should be focusing on case studies and usage issues, not developing a perfect software package that works for everybody.

Alan agrees: duplication of effort and reinventing the wheel is bad, but we also shouldn’t get bogged down in over-engineering a new solution if we don’t have to, either.

Suggestion: perhaps focus on separating content from software? If we develop several different software projects, at least aim for some standard database fields supported by all of them. This way no organization is tied down to a specific program (or version of a program)... they could dump the discussions and load them into a different program? This also could help us test how much of the success or failure of particular Geoweb projects depends on the software or on the community itself... So, just an XML dump of the discussion?

Claus: Some minimum set of database fields that each project can choose to support... references can be complicated. Can message ID occur with multiple marker IDs, vice versa... lookup table. So you can have one message with multiple markers, for example. Object IDs would have to link into kml, shapefile... On the social/qualitative side... it’s beneficial just to be able to preserve the content of the messages beyond the life of the tool.

Alan: who needs to be involved in this creation of a data model? UBC, MUN, UBC-O, Ryerson...

Alan guesses he’s going to be taking the lead on this, unless anyone else wants to.

Claus: doesn't think it's a bad thing if we have several different projects going... and keeping projects alive: on the one hand as academics we'll always be here to support... and there’s also the benefit of making things open source. At least communities don’t have to pay software licensing to keep the software running (although they still need to worry about having some person to administer things)

Patrick: communities that get $40K one time funding to set up and atlas, then in 2 years its obsolete..

Alan – referred to Mapstraction - http://www.mapstraction.com/. It’s like a layer between your code and the Google API. The end user won’t notice the difference, but you can easily switch from Google to Yahoo or Microsoft or Open Street Map if you need to, without rewriting all your code.

Some discussion of how this type of program may help use discussion tool over different map programs (ie cmn atlases or local gov map programs) versus importing data layers into the discussion tool. What software is necessary to include other base layers in the discussion? Do the actual vector-based objects need to be imported, or just a static map in the background?

Back to Student Meeting Ryerson 2009

StudentMeetingNotesLiveGreenToronto

mcconchie — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:48:12 +0000

Afternoon: Meeting with Mike Peppard – Citizen’s Environment Watch - part of Live Green Toronto

Live Green Toronto is the city’s attempt to put all of their ecological initiatives under one umbrella. The city sent out an RFP to env. nonprofits... The winning consortium included Centre for Social Innovation, Citizen’s Env’t Watch, Ontario Conservation Council…

ArgooMap will be used as a sustainability atlas, guided by an animator group (informal moderators), under umbrella of Live Green Toronto - with leaders funded by City of Toronto for 5 years – now half way through first year.

What was initially to help city reduce green house gas emissions will now be a general sustainability atlas as resource to gathering/sharing information that facilitates community exchange on sustainable practices – starting a green roof, starting a community garden in a city park, etc.. enable the public to do its own organizing and in 5 yrs users can continue to use map and self populate/manage without major city involvement and without community animators.

Find resources, links, virtual café, etc..
Centre for social innovation, big initial player – building a knowledge and capacity toolkit – to engage env’l org and help develop capacity of orgs to engage public

Live Green Toronto is moving forward as a City led initative, with the intention of being a city project. To be a success – has to have gained trust by yr 5, people can get what they want from using it and it is getting supported, monitored and fed by the community – the users without heavy drain on city resources – or at least considered efficient use of resources.

Animators will help provide info in early stages and introduce community to it, engaging users.

Getting 5 years of funding to develop and ensure longevity of map offers huge benefit to potential of its success. Plans in this time to build on lessons and improve tool – increase use. Report at end of 5 yrs to city on what they need to do to maintain and manage the site.

Issues – how it is going to be archived, keeping backups, place hosting/serving, - some consideration of these points within annual reviews – but will be housed by city

If using web 2.0 like facebook, they don’t have control over archiving, city could be affected if facebook no longer provides service and city loses discussions, poor reflection on the site and city’s responsibility to maintain that information..

People self-screening, flag offensive messages – will community check, validate and update data as anticipated?

What about language issues? Can ArgooMap support discussions in multiple languages, allow user to only view in one language?

Initially focus on a geek camp project to develop components of the site – competition and money prize to develop features wanted. Now considering keeping geek camp to dealing with data , and hire out to develop features wanted from the site, to ensure cohesive plan to achieve what they have determined they need from it versus not being able to count on getting at what they want, and having a series of random actions with nobody able to coordinate a direction and outcome.

Plans now to seek some additional funds to help with map development – ie – google funding

Live Green Toronto’s (?) advisor (Tanya) is looking at opening city data. Toronto & Region Conservation Authority has amazing data, too. The site will technically launch in Jan 2010 with at least a few datasets, and then wither will be an open source data competition, perhaps in the Spring 2010.

No real objective of sustainability map – started with great ambitions but they have backtracked and now starting with simple product to build on. The tool will keep evolving, keeping things fresh.

Determining what data layers to have available initially, as plan is for map to be populated by users, but feel important to start with some base info.. Thinking that if data gets overwhelming – may divide into themes – solar etc.. Default bundles of layers?

Search functions needed – want ability for postal code entry, to find relevant policymakers to contact?

A CiviCRM (? City CRM?) will also be built, which could link into the sustainability map. Event management being one tool that would be available, for example.

Models referred to as reference for Sustainability map project: - Transition Towns in UK, Eco Quartier in Montreal, and their use of neighborhood storefronts.

What stands out in Live Green Toronto is their phased approach:
Currently 4 regional animators (North, South, East, West Toronto)
Then (after 2 years?) a second level of project-based animators.
Finally (after 2 more years?) intensive animators... larger city wide campaigns.
Also in parallel, Acorn is working in select low income high density areas. Live Green Toronto does not try to overlap there.
For businesses who want to participate there will be a membership card system; they will sign a green pledge of some kind.

Back to Student Meeting Ryerson 2009

StudentMeetingNotes2009-08-13ArgooMap

mcconchie — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:25:34 +0000

Student Meeting Notes will go here

StudentMeetingUNB2009

mcconchie — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:42:47 +0000

Attendees:

David Coleman, Botshelo Sabone, Nyaladzani Jairo Nkhwanana, Alan Mc Conchie, Randy Skinner (via phone)

Schedule of tasks accomplished:

Monday August 17, 2009:

discussed overlap between milestones

Tuesday August 18, 2009:

Phone conf with Randy (broad VGI concepts, our specific milestones) (notes)
developed white paper outline

Wednesday August 19, 2009:

Second phone conf with Randy (technical focus) (notes)
assigned white paper tasks, deadlines
further discussion of possible links with GEOIDE Project IV-23

Outcomes:

Outline of white paper to be authored by Bots, Jairo, Alan and Randy.

Back to Student Exchanges

StudentMeetingRyerson2009

mcconchie — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:53:17 +0000

Attendees:

Claus Rinner, Patrick Allen, Steven Chung, Alan Mc Conchie, Nick Weigeldt

Schedule of tasks accomplished:

Wednesday August 12, 2009:

Thursday August 13, 2009:

Morning: meeting to discuss status of ArgooMap (notes)
Afternoon: meeting with representative of Live Green Toronto (local affiliate) (notes)

Friday August 14, 2009:

Nick, Patrick and Alan met to discuss our milestones

Saturday August 15, 2009:

Patrick and Alan discussed longevity of previous participatory mapping projects (CMN)

Back to Student Exchanges

Winners at the GEOIDE conference

admin — Sat, 30 May 2009 05:08:12 +0000

Congratulations to our student team members, Britta Ricker from Mc Gill University, and Insoo (Steven) Chung from Ryerson University, for winning the Delegates' Choice Award for the Best Poster Presentation at the GEOIDE Annual Scientific Conference.

OurStudents

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:04:38 +0000

A list of our undergraduates, masters and doctorate students working on the project.

Alan Mc Conchie, almccon@interchange.ubc.ca

2nd year PhD student, UBC Vancouver.

Supervisor: Brian Klinkenberg

Role on the project: Implementing a system for volunteered observations of invasive plants in British Columbia. Also, coordinating across all of the project's nodes to investigate the societal implications of the Participatory Geoweb.

MSc Thesis: "Mapping Mashups": http://graphspace.com/McConchie_2008_thesis.pdf

Bookmarks: http://delicious.com/almccon

Zotero bibliography: http://zotero.org/almccon

Academia.edu: http://ubc.academia.edu/AlanMcConchie

pmallen@telus.net, 2nd Year Phd Student, UBC - Okanagan

Supervisor: Jon Corbett

Interests: PPGIS for conservation planning, facilitating collaborative approaches to tackling planning issues

GEOIDE 41 milestone: Reviewing the sustainability of Geoweb tools and applications, do they contribute to long-term effectiveness and efficiency for users

Korbin daSilva: (korbin.dasilva@mail.mcgill.ca) 3rd year B.A. Honours Urban Systems Geography at McGill University

Supervisor: Dr Renee Sieber

Interests: Urban infrastrcure, GeoWeb programming and empowerering non-programmers to create GeoWeb tool

Current work: Guided introduction to GeoWeb programming for non computer scientists

2nd year MSc. Envs. candidate, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Supervisor: Dr. Yolanda Wiersma. Interests: Landscape ecology, taxonomy, physical geography, HTML development, GIS model development, geocaching, graphic design website design, and being with my family. Current thesis: Predictive mapping and distribution of Erioderma pedicellatum on the Island of Newfoundland Desired Project 41 Goal: To enable public users to add, modify and discuss wildlife sightings and data online in a dynamic website format.

e72y1@unb.ca

2nd year, MScE GIS, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton

Supervisor: Dr David Coleman

Interests: VGI, Crowdsourcing, PPGIS, Trust, Credebility

Current Thesis: Assessing the Credibility of VGI contributors and Trust in their contributions

Steven Chung (insoo.chung@ryerson.ca),

1st year Policy Studies PhD, Ryerson

Supervisor: Chris, Pamela, and/or Claus

Research: Study of the integration of New Media technologies, specifically Web 2.0 and Geoweb, in government for climate change action (tentative).

Nick Weigeldt, (nick.weigeldt@gmail.com) M.Pl. candidate, Ryerson University

Supervisor: Dr. Pamela Robinson

Research: How the content, data and ideas offered by citizens via Web 2.0 technologies generally and Geoweb applications specifically are ultimately used by the research or specifically to the urban planning field in which my research and experience is based, the municipality or other governance structures by whom the outcomes of the participation is either sought or presented to.

Current Master's Research Paper Topic: The Utility and Feasibilty of Online Geoweb Tools in a Greenbelt Farmer-Generated Census of Agriculture

With the Greenbelt Foundation as a client/partner

Supervisor: Claus Rinner

Research: Supports argoomap development.

(jacqueline.young@ryerson.ca), MSA candidate, Ryerson.

Supervisor: Claus Rinner

Research: NSERC-funded with an MRP in community health planning (unrelated, except that Ryerson partner organization is interested in using online mapping of health services).

(smunshi@ryerson.ca), BSc computer science candidate

Supervisor: Claus Rinner

Research: undergrad work-study student (3rd-year) who is helping steven for his case study by revising current argoomap version -Goal is to have a bug-free version to upload on sourceforge (a project deliverable) before the end of summer!)

(blake.walker@ryerson.ca), BA geographic analysis candidate, Ryerson

Supervisor: Claus Rinner

Research: NSERC-funded summer student (2nd-year) who is conducted GEOIDE related research for Rinner. Attended a live green toronto meeting; looked at PPGIS literature, and may become more involved in the project in the fall.

Jian's Zhou's picture

(jianmcgill@gmail.com), MSc geography candidate

Supervisor: Renee Siebesr

Research: climate model integration with digital earth, etc.

(Current and Former students)

Bots, o90ra@unb.ca, Britta Ricker, brittaricker@gmail.com, Pamela Tudge, ptudge@gmail.com ,

Undergraduate summer internship

Supervisor: Renee Sieber

Undergraduate researcher

Supervisor: Gail Chmura

Research: developed web content analysis for evaluating degree of interactivity on climate change-related websites.