Elwood offers us an introduction to the challenges of geo-visualization and the integration of data. One of the major issues facing geo-visualization is the sheer amount of data that are being generated, which is also very heterogeneous. Considering the vastly increasing amounts of data, I can’t help but be under the impression that there is a sense of urgency for the cause of more effectively “incorporat[ing] spatial knowledge into digital environments.” Perhaps this urgency comes from the notion of a group of researchers time-consumingly creating a universal ontology, as was seen in last weeks readings. As the data pile up, the time required to unite all of it also increases.
But, is there a sense of urgency? As stated by Elwood, data are being created in an increasingly dynamic manner, which can be used in very diverse ways. She also discusses the use of metadata, so perhaps providing this will be key will be to ensure that future use of all this data will not be hindered. This will likely be a difficult task, as it is hard to imagine what type of information will be needed for future ontologies. Like MacEachren and Kraak posit, however, creativity as well as efficiency is spurred by these connections. Therefore, it is not necessarily urgent for us to figure this all out now, but we’re probably missing out on some interesting connections and revelations.
– jeremy