Locatum

After a couple of years away I am returning to the OS Partner event this year, partly to present (of which more anon) and partly to participate in a community for the most part silent on the challenges and opportunities likely to emerge from the OS's new business strategy. Far be it from me to lift the skirts on my presentation but if you were at the MapInfo User Group you'll have a sense. Somehow I have ended up in the technology innovation stream but as technology presentations tend to err on the dull side (or the "look at me" side which can be just as irritating) but that will only be the jumping off point to endeavour to link partners, strategy and technology. As has been said this week on GeoReport (currently the site is down but typically found at www.geoplace.com ) responses to the survey over whether government should fund geographic data collection specifically yielded some (to some) surprising comments of the kind that feed the debates that will I am sure i

Last week, Force 7 in the Solent, Sunsail 37 underfoot and a scratch crew - sounds like things could go wrong - far from it, with a 4th in one race (12 starters) - and a great time had by all and but for a few salt splashes pretty dry all things considered - credit to the skipper there. Roll forward to sunday just gone and as you may have noticed it has been a windy old week and their were white horses on the lake at Theale. Enough to bring a smile to a sailor's face, 5 ears now in (on?) the RS400, the good ship "Yellow Peril", should be quick and fun. Oh dear - great start, lousy decisions, huge gust - swim. It didn't get any better in the afternoon and were soon ensconced in the bar.....

Is it just me or does there seem to be a flurry of geoweb and overlapping cultural-political goings-on? Some of the more visible ones: - reports into our surveillance society - http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/detailed_specialist_guides/surveillance_report_final.pdf http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmhaff/58/58i.pdf http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/practical_application/surveillance_society_full_report_2006.pdf http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/practical_application/surveillance_society_appendices_06.pdf for the brief versions: http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/practical_application/surveillance_society_public_discussion_document_06.pdf http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/practical_application/surveillance_society_summary_06.pdf - Firefox 3.5 chooses Google LS (Latitude) over Skyhook's Geode ( http://www.techcrunc