But I tell you, nothing sells to suites better than those dopey zoomable-layered maps
Isn't that a lot of what this industry is about. Why did we go from mainframe to windows - so we could point and click and scroll and look at nice graphics. I'm not so sure the public really wants a list. The challenge will be in designing a map centric site that is intuitively navigable and provides all the information needed. Oh yeah, and they will want to add their own data to it without knowing how, just push a button and whalla, instant map (I guess that's where web agents will come in). Even though a list would give them the same information.
Take a look at www.geographynetwork.com. ESRI, I like to call them the Microsoft of GIS, is trying to be the Napster of GIS. Of course you have to buy their software but they are putting a lot of stock in the P2P model. And they are thinking one step further. Why bother downloading the stuff, just use it as is, right of the web.
I think the fact that a thread on spatial data is on slashdot just goes to show how much geospatial data a ready to explode. I don't know about visualization but maps will become pervasive in all types of applications. And not just at realtor.com, mapblast.com or you county assessor's web page but anywere the location of you data is valuable information.
Slashdot Mirror
Isn't that a lot of what this industry is about. Why did we go from mainframe to windows - so we could point and click and scroll and look at nice graphics. I'm not so sure the public really wants a list. The challenge will be in designing a map centric site that is intuitively navigable and provides all the information needed. Oh yeah, and they will want to add their own data to it without knowing how, just push a button and whalla, instant map (I guess that's where web agents will come in). Even though a list would give them the same information.
Take a look at www.geographynetwork.com. ESRI, I like to call them the Microsoft of GIS, is trying to be the Napster of GIS. Of course you have to buy their software but they are putting a lot of stock in the P2P model. And they are thinking one step further. Why bother downloading the stuff, just use it as is, right of the web. I think the fact that a thread on spatial data is on slashdot just goes to show how much geospatial data a ready to explode. I don't know about visualization but maps will become pervasive in all types of applications. And not just at realtor.com, mapblast.com or you county assessor's web page but anywere the location of you data is valuable information.