Looking Ahead to Madison

State Street Madison
Originally uploaded by puroticorico.

While most of our focus is, appropriately, on the NSGIC Mid-Year Meeting at Annapolis in just under a month, here's a chance for a brief look ahead to the 2007 NSGIC Annual Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.

The FlickrBlog this morning includes an entry on the most active city-focused groups of photographers on the photo-sharing site. Madison's group is right up there near the top of the list.

With a population of just 221,551 (only the 83rd largest city in America), the Madison, Wisconsin Flickr group has 473 members (or one member for every 468 citizens).

So, those thinking about attending the Annual Conference (and you should) can get a preview of the views to be seen around the conference site.

This also raises the question of NSGIC shutterbugs. I'm known as a picture-snapper at conferences, and there are others who help take photos to record our gatherings. We can always use more, though. Are you an amateur photographer as well as a GIS pro? We might need your help.

RAMONA 2.0 Released!

As we noted in January, the new and improved Version 2 of RAMONA has been released.

The latest version of NSGIC's GIS inventory tool includes a few upgrades and improvements, including faster and more dependable web-hosting, enhanced tools for both the users and the state-level administrators, and improved integration with the federal government's Geospatial One-Stop (GOS).

State GIS Coordinators interested in adding their states to the Ramona network should contact Jill Saligoe-Simmel.

A Slight Correction on the NSGIC Mid-Year Conference Flier

It has come to our attention (that is, Dave Brotzman noticed) that the gorgeous glossy flier advertising the NSGIC Mid-Year Conference (you will be there, right?) listed an incorrect phone number for the Doubletree Hotel (and that's where we'll be, so this is somewhat important).

The correct number is 888-231-0044. We had put that as an "800" number. That's understandable, we're all more used to "800" numbers.

But you'll want to dial 8-8-8.

Now There are No Excuses: We Know What "Metadata" Means!

Today's Word of the Day, at Miriam Webster, is "metadata."

metadata • \met-uh-DAY-tuh\ • noun
: data that provides information about other data

Let there be no mistake.

"______________ For the Nation" Watch: Elevation

A story from the Associated Press on the Boston Globe web site focuses on cal by the NRC for an update of elevation data across the US:

The National Research Council yesterday proposed an "Elevation for the Nation" program to produce up-to-date data.

The story reports on the effort by FEMA to move from paper to digital Flood Maps, but notes that the basic elevation data behind those Flood Maps are in some cases decades out of date. And it explains, very briefly "Lidar."

Via All POINTS BLOG.