Q3-2006
July-Sep 06
Dear Readers:
I hope everyone is enjoying the summer and warmer weather that it brings. Though I am not a fan of the heat I do enjoy all the outdoor activities that the summer allows. This summer I will be getting out of the heat for a while as I will be vacationing in Alaska. Before I get lost in the pleasures of the summer I bring to you the third edition of the SWIGIS newsletter. In this issue we have an article from fellow member Esther Mandino.
As always if you would like to contribute to the SWIGIS newletter send your article to : noemi@swigis.com. Also please forward this newsletter to anyone who would be interested in it.
Thanks for your ongoing support and I hope everyone has a wonderful summer!
Noemi
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Simple Google Maps by Esther Mandeno
It all started out as an idea. I work with a couple of local non-profits on occasion. I volunteer my time helping them manage their datasets and provide digital, static maps for public outreach programs. Recently, while navigating their websites, I noticed that these local non-profits were providing geographic data in tabular or simple text format with no geographic reference for the data user. I thought: I could do better than that! I envisioned a simple map interface to enable a visitor to easily pan and click on map features for information.
A little background about myself: I operate a tiny GIS business out of my home office in Truckee, CA. I work primarily in the ESRI and AutoDesk environments. My clients consist of environmental professionals and civil engineers. I am not a web designer, know next to nothing about JavaScript and have never had the opportunity to learn about serving maps and GIS data over the internet. I am, however, resourceful and I’m always on the look out for anything free.
So my problem sounded simple. I mean, the solution seemed simple. We’ve all seen hundreds of examples online of dynamic maps served using ArcIMS or some such software. However, I found that these software and hardware configurations proved daunting and expensive for such a simple problem. I wanted an almost FREE option for my non-profit clients. They would have no funds for initial or ongoing costs. I looked into MapServer (http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/). This option seemed very plausible and fairly straight forward. My problem: I couldn’t provide a dedicated server for this use. So then I looked into Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/).
Google Maps and the Google Map API allow anybody to embed a Google Map on their own websites using JavaScript. You can even overlay your own data. Wow! What a great solution. Google comes through again! But wait, don’t get too excited. What’s JavaScript?
There are limitations to using Google Maps. Primarily, it is still in its beta stage. The code is constantly changing, does not support some simple function (like displaying polygons) at the moment and is severely limited by data size. In addition to those limitations, if you are a GIS professional, JavaScript is probably not on your list of skills. Yet, another scripting language to learn. Despite all that, I did find using the Google Map API fairly straight forward and have been able to find a relatively free solution to serving simple and small GIS datasets over the internet. If you’d like to see what a novice like myself was able to produce, please check out my test webpage at: http://www.digitalmappingsolutions.com/map.htm. For the more experienced, you can do some pretty nifty stuff. Check out these sites:
http://particletree.com/gmaps/workoutTracker.php
The Google Maps API is designed for website developers and not GIS professionals. But that’s not a reason to scoff at the technology and go back to our beloved GIS applications. With a little help and learning, anyone can easily provide location based information over the internet.
If you’d like to know more, visit these websites:
http://www.google.com/apis/maps/
http://www.econym.demon.co.uk/googlemaps/index.htm
http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Maps-API
You can also contact me at anytime.
Esther Mandeno
(530) 582-4117
mandeno at digitalmappingsolutions.com
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Jobs/Internships
BURLINGTON COUNTY GPS/GIS INTERN POSITION
DEPARTMENT: County of Burlington, Engineering Department
ADDRESS: P. O. Box 6000
1900 Briggs Road
Engineering Dept
Mount Holly, NJ 08060
CONTACT PERSON: Mukesh Patel
Principal Engineer-Civil
mpatel@...
(856) 642-3800
TITLE: Geographic Information Systems Intern
DESCRIPTION: The person in this position will be assisting the County
Engineering Department using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to
collect locations of County bridges, pipes, culverts and traffic
signals. This will include field verification of features and
associated data such as pipe measurements. Other responsibilities
may include file searches, data entry, processing and mapping the
data using ArcGIS 9.1 Desktop.
PREREQUISITE SKILLS:
-General understanding of geography, cartography, maps and
fundamentals of GIS
-Experience with ArcView Desktop GIS knowledge and/or experience with
GeoDatabases helpful but not necessary
-Knowledge of Global Positioning Systems fundamentals
-Experience with Trimble ProXR and GeoXT GPS units helpful
-Valid NJ drivers license
PREFERRED MAJORS (NOT REQUIRED):
Geography, Cartography, Environmental Studies, Computer Science
WORKING HOURS: Up to 35-hour workweek
SALARY: $10 per hour
TERM: July to September 2006
BURLINGTON COUNTY GIS SPECIALIST 3 POSITION
DEPARTMENT: County of Burlington, Department of Information
Technology, GIS Section
ADDRESS: Burlington County Department of Information Technology
P.O. Box 6000
49 Rancocas Road, Room 111
Mount Holly, NJ 08060
CONTACT PERSON: John A. Jablonski
Director of Information Technology
jjablonski@co.burlington.nj.us
(609) 265-5125
TITLE:Geographic Information Systems Specialist 3
DESCRIPTION: The County of Burlington maintains a centralized GIS
servicing numerous County departments. The person in this position
will assist in day-to-day operations of the GIS such as creation,
maintenance, and documentation of data as well as technical support
and training for County GIS users. Other responsibilities may extend
to project and application development as well as making
presentations. Initial duties will include producing maps and
updating the County's parcel layer. This is an entry-level to
intermediate position depending on experience.
PREREQUISITE SKILLS:
- General understanding of geography, cartography, maps and
fundamentals of GIS
- Proficiency with ArcGIS 9 including map production, data editing
and geoprocessing
- Familiarity with geodatabases
- Experience with Global Positioning Systems preferable
- Experience with ArcView 3.3 helpful but not necessary
- For intermediate level applicants, experience in one or more of the
following: HTML, JavaScript, VB, VBA, ArcObjects
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree
RESIDENCY: The applicant must either be a Burlington County resident
or be willing to move into the County within one year.
WORKING HOURS: 40-hour workweek
SALARY: Starting at $34,871
STARTING DATE: Immediate and flexible
COMPENSATION
AND BENEFITS: -
Holidays: 14 paid holidays
- Annual Vacation:
o 1 year and up to 5 years: 12 days
o After 5 and up to 12 years: 15 days
o After 12 years and up to 20 years: 20 days
o After 20 years and over: 25 days
- Sick days: 12 days per year
- Health benefits after 3 months of service: Non-contributory
comprehensive medical and an optical plan
- Dental benefits: 80/20 family dental plan for preventative,
diagnostic and basic benefits
- Personal leave: 3 days per year