Esri have been working away on ArcGIS 10 for a while now and it has been released for some time including not only the desktop and server applications but radically overhauled mobile and web platforms. Taking the online first, the old Esri online services have been updated and now exist as ArcGIS.com. This web presence includes all manner of tools for working with spatial data, including sources of data, web mapping tools and even an online version of ArcGIS Explorer providing basic GIS functionality. It is also possible to upload datasets (and publish them with controllable levels of access) and consume data from any ArcGIS Servers. There’s even some archaeological data on there in the form of the archaeological record for Ireland and Northern Ireland; England are sadly lagging way behind on this front with English Heritage currently providing only text based and basic locational data via the Heritage Gateway.

Integration between the ArcGIS.com and ArcGIS Desktop v10 is tight which makes uploading/downloading data straightforward and the ability to publish datasets to the cloud to share amongst others either using the web-based maps or desktop GIS promises to make dissemination and data sharing much easier for more people. This combined with the inclusion of ArcExplorer providing basic GIS functionality is a welcome additional set of resources to the ArcGIS family. There are of course a few issues, notably the dependence on ArcGIS Server which is problematic for most archaeologists who do not have access to such technology (it’s too expensive!) so increased integration with standard OGC geoweb services such as WMS and WFS will be welcome when/if it arrives.

As a test, I have created a map using the WMS data provided by the British Geological Survey and basemaps provided by Bing. The data is available in the ArcGIS.com catalogue here and can be found by searching for BGS. Unfortunately, WMS itself does not appear to be directly supported but as the BGS use ArcGIS Server to distribute their WMS layers, I have connected directly to their server instance using their developer notes. Anyway, I’m sure Esri will build on this platform and we can look forward to support for the full range of geoweb services.

View Larger Map

Use the control provided or the + and – keys to zoom in and out. Pan around using the mouse or arrow keys. View the larger map to be able to switch between the various types of Bing maps available.

This map is also accessible on iPhones and iPods courtesy of the new ArcGIS for iOS application. Whilst not (yet) offering a fully functional GIS, this is a brilliant way of viewing maps published using ArcGIS.com including the BGS/Bing map presented above.

So, well done Esri, keep up the good work!

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Time’s up for the Ordnance Survey…?
2. Could do better…
3. Research

Stonehenge

The BBC have just reported that in addition to the dramatic cuts to public services, the Con Dem coalition have cut the government funding for the Stonehenge Visitor Centre Project. I imagine the project will now be cancelled as it is unlikely that English Heritage, Wiltshire Council, the Highways Agency or indeed anyone else will be able to stump up the twenty odd million needed.

A great shame, another opportunity missed. To be honest, like Mike Pitts, i thought I was dreaming when I saw the news; bad case of deja vue… Since I’ve been working in archaeology, I’ve worked on two major projects aimed at sorting out Stonehenge which have looked at many, many options and there were previous projects before that. Just think of all the time and money that has been spent to date on the various iterations of road routes, visitor centre plans and assessment/evaluation work, all of which has come to nothing.

Given the enormity of the national debt, surely funding for this project is a drop in the ocean. The Con Dems are truly scratching around down the back of the sofa for any coppers to be found. And what is most galling is that the bankers who caused all of this mess recieved such large bonuses again this year, out of money British tax-payers provided, they could probably club together and pay for a new visitor centre (if they had an ounce of social responsibility between them).

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Secrets of Stonehenge
2. Stonehenge world heritage status at risk as tunnel plan is shelved – Times Online
3. Stonehenge panoramas

Stonehenge panorama

Following on from my last post, I’ve prepared a couple more panoramas from my Stonehenge photographs. Again, these were prepared using Microsoft ICE and then uploaded to Photosynth. The first is a partial panorama of the henge and the stone circle. The second is a 360 degree panorama taken from the walkway where the Avenue meets the henge.

This panorama shows the complete monument rather well I think; in addition to the world famous stone circle, the earlier bank and ditch of the henge is prominent.

The Avenue is an interesting component of the monument and the viewpoint for this panorama looks directly down its path as well as back towards the circle.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Photographs and then some!
2. Secrets of Stonehenge
3. Stonehenge excavations

Woodhenge Panorama

First there was photography. Then came digital photography. Now, Microsoft have some neat tools for doing amazing things with digital photographs and I’ve combined my love of photography, geeky things and prehistoric archaeology using some of their gadgets.

Firstly, there is ICE (Image Composite Editor). I’ve used this to produce a 360 degree panorama of photos taken at Woodhenge. I’ve been creating panoramas for a decade now, my Avebury panoramas being captured 1999-2000 using an early Agfa digital camera, a tripod and Photovista. A tripod was vital, matching wasn’t perfect, and colour balance was poor but now, using ICE, pretty much any images can be used and the software will simply match, stitch and colour balance them to produce almost magical outputs.

The panorama above comprises 25 portrait oriented photographs taken freehand whilst standing on the central post at Woodhenge. It was then uploaded to Photosynth from where it is embedded. Lovely isn’t it

Photosynth is the other neat gadget from Microsoft. It’s been around a while now and as well as featuring on CSI used to solve crimes as part of their forensic toolkit, it is great as a platform for exploring archaeological sites. I’ve been meaning to have a go for a while now and finally got around to it, using a rather famous pile of prehistoric rocks near where I live as a testbed.

This synth comprises 150 photos and contains some highlights (the Avenue, Heelstone, tenon joint and Bluestones). One of the rather clever things Photosynth does is to use the geometry inherent in the photos to create a simple point cloud of measurements. This shows the plan view of the stones really well and I have then geolocated the photosynth based on this point cloud and aerial photography.

Anyway, I’ve got lots more images taken at the weekend I’m currently putting together so will post more as I do. I’d be really interested to here from other people having fun with this cool technology also.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Stonehenge panoramas
2. Avebury panoramas

Oh, The Rose, The Dead Red Rose by greg hefner

I recently criticised Conservative policy in the run up to the general election but that’s not to say the Labour party is the answer to all our prayers; having been in power for thirteen years, the optimism of the early days has long gone. The red rose of Labour has well and truly wilted…

Higher education and vocational training

One of the darkest stains on New Labour’s record is the mess they have made of higher education provision. Starting off by continuing the Conservative agenda and effectively abolishing student grants to be replaced by student loans and subsequently top up fees was a terrible decision. Combined with the spurious target of 50% of school leavers going to university, this has led to a a culture of debt amongst students and a general lowering of standards in order that more people can go to university. I would instead argue that 100% of school leavers should have the opportunity to go to university, with their places earned on merit and awarded to those who achieve the highest standards; the economy surely does not need 50% of the workforce to have undergraduate degrees and reduced numbers would also mean more funding for fewer university places.

A corollary of this is the impact on vocational trajectories. By emphasising academic routes into the workplace, this appears to denigrate more vocational routes. This is fundamentally wrong as it firstly unfairly raises expectations amongst young people with regard to academic courses and secondly fails to appreciate that there is nothing inherently better about academic qualifications over and above vocational qualifications. The idea that a university degree automatically qualifies someone for a ‘better’ job is simply not true.  And by turning many schemes which were formerly practical based, workplace learning schemes into lecture based college/university courses, many graduates are not suitably equipped to enter the workplace; theoretical knowledge is often best supported by practical experience.

There is a place for all and there are many routes to a successful career, one size does not fit all and the steps Labour have taken during their term in office have not helped build the diverse, skilled workforce needed by the country. Furthermore, it has produced a generation who have been led into massive debt, which relates to my next point.

An end to boom and bust…

Dependence on debt, an increased gap between rich and poor and grand, sweeping statements about having overcome historical trends towards economic cycles all demonstrate an approach to financial matters which is cavalier at best and one which, for the most part, the old Labour party would not recognise. Appreciated, the old Labour party was far from economically competent and led the country into some of its darkest times since the Second World War during its time in office during the 1970’s, when the trades unions had the country in a choke hold, but at least it had aims to foster an egalitarian society not based around financial gain alone. Unfortunately, much of what New Labour has overseen can be seen as a direct continuation of Thatcherite policies centring on generation of personal wealth and the idea that this will trickle down through society. What has actually happened is that obsession with the accumulation of personal assets by whatever means, including over reliance on debt, has actively contributed to one of the worst economic crises in history; this combined with deregulation which allowed the banking system to run rampant has led to the gap between rich and poor getting wider and wider on Labour’s watch. So much for socialist ideology.

Change

Change seems to be a major topic at this election and Labour have equally been bandying about their plans for change. At a time when public faith in politicians is at an all time low, this seems like a good strategy, but Labour have had thirteen years to implement meaningful electoral reform and have achieved virtually nothing. Not only this, but in the wake of the expenses scandal, they have actively blocked attempts at reform alongside the Conservatives. Who would have seen that one coming from a party which has always supported reform of the House of Lords in favour of a fairer system, one not based around antiquated hereditary rights to rule.

Sleaze & War

And finally, after years of Conservative sleaze (and who does it better), 1997 should have been a turning point, a moment when a socially responsible party took the helm and set an example. Instead, we’ve had dodgy property deals, various Mandelson episodes and finally the whole expenses fiasco.  Labour had the chance to be so much more, to set standards for people to aspire to but this was not to be.

Furthermore, Labour did absolutely nothing to engage with world problems until post 9/11 at which point the country was led into two simultaneous wars, the second of which of dubious legitimacy and almost certain illegality. Acting as Bush’s lapdog did nothing to enhance the reputation of Great Britain in the international arena, the man obviously being an idiot being directed by some of the most abhorrent right-wing politicians ever to have influence over the United States, approving torture techniques and rendition thanks to imaginative interpretations of long standing international conventions.

Wilted

So, given the polls, it looks doubtful that Labour will be returned to government. These last thirteen years have been a great opportunity wasted and worse than that, it has opened the doors for a Conservative victory, something that will further exacerbate social difference, increasing the gap between rich and poor and threatening essential services such as health and education. Well done New Labour.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. ‘Big Society’ or ‘Back to the Future’…?
2. Question Time

Victorian era tea by Thiophene_Guy

Well, the manifestos are published and everyone seems to be pushing ‘fairness’ and ‘change’. None more so than the Conservatives and they have unveiled their grand vision of the future: Big Society. This seems to be superficially about empowerment of local people, reducing tax burdens and getting the populous more involved in society and government. Lift the lid, however, and therein lurks the same old Tory party. Change, yes, but not necessarily change for the better…

Setup your own school

Their plan for improving schools is to allow people to setup their own schools using government funding. Great idea in principle, it seems, but what about the practicality of this?

Well, in areas where there are struggling schools, there are unlikely to be the necessary skills and resources to go about setting up new schools. All that will happen is those able to help themselves will do so, diverting funding away from the less privileged which is arguably where it needs to be directed if we are to equalise opportunities for children and young adults. Many of the public schools in this country originated as schools set up by those who could afford education for their children at a time when there was no state provision; so are the Tories looking to replicate this historical episode but this time creating a new set of elitist public schools using government funding…? If they were in any way serious about improving outcomes across the board and not just for the lucky few, they would look to bringing back quality vocational paths and meritocratic higher education rather than allowing some parents to create new schools and further increasing social division.

Control you own police force

Another part of the policy is to make police forces accountable to elected representatives. The idea being that this will make the police more directly accountable to the communities they serve. Again, sounds like change and on the face of it, could be for the better. Until we lift the lid…

Firstly, our police are accountable to the panels of people to whom they must answer, panels which include elected representatives. Importantly, these panels include non-elected specialists who are not at the beck and call of the general public. If policing policy is entirely populist, responding to the current whims of anyone or any group with an axe to grind, then long term strategy will be replaced by knee jerk policing where one priority is replaced by another priority, and all the essential behind the scenes work that police do will be diminished in favour of the latest high profile crime: As priorities are constantly juggled according to the flavour of the month, everything will ultimately become a priority, hence nothing becomes a priority.

I’m all in favour of community interaction and simply having community officers known to the community and capable of reporting and responding to community needs fulfills an important role, but to put elected officials in direct control of policing rather than leaving it to senior police officers and their specialist advisors is to invite longer term problems.

Get involved!

Community involvement is a central tenet of the Big Society and again, the spin put on this is all about empowerment, reducing top-down government and rebuilding a functional society. All good aspirational notions. But once again, the reality lurking beneath is very different…

Volunteer work is undoubtedly a good thing; it is good for social cohesion and gets things done that otherwise would not get done. More of this is undeniably good. However, when talk of this is combined with cuts to local government services, it is plain to see that the plan here for cutting government spending relies on getting the public to do things which are currently the job of local government. Many support structures, facilities and services already depend on volunteer contributions but cannot survive without some contribution from government. And to expect the individual members of society to undertake a broader range of activities necessary to support society is a retrograde step; remember, the reason we have local government is so that it can manage on our behalf the things we expect to be done communally. In other words, this increase in volunteer contributions is nothing more than a cynical ploy to make it possible to make cuts in government with charities and volunteer organisations being expected to pick up the strain .

The National Health Service

The Conservatives are now apparently the party of the National Health Service. This seems like a dramatic change of policy given the years of underfunding and attempts to dismantle via privatisation experienced throughout the last Conservative government. Enough said.

Big Society or Big Con…?

So, overall, this push for change from the Conservatives is just wrapping for the same old bigoted, outdated policies which favour the rich and those able to take advantage of the policies on offer. Unfortunately, whilst the wrapping is superficially attractive, there will be dire consequences for many groups in society. Yes, some people will benefit, but these policies will do nothing to increase social cohesion or help to improve British politics. This is Cameron trying to do a Tony Blair / New Labour style shift towards the centre but without actually moving away from the very traditional right wing stance which is essential to maintain the Conservative power base. Interestingly, this style is apparently very popular with a number of young people; I can only assume that this is in part due to the years of the last Conservative government being history for them rather than a vivid memory of mass unemployment, the decimation of our social housing infrastructure , education for the rich through the abolition of student grants and lack of funding for state schools, the erosion of quality NHS provision and bubbles of inflation which led to incredible interest rates; all this coupled with incredible profits for the few and the start of the burgeoning gap in between the poor and the super rich.

I for one wait with trepidation…

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. It ain’t all smelling of roses…
2. Stonehenge Visitor Centre RIP. Again.

comfort me with apples by monkeyc.net

Amongst all the pre-election political ranting, posturing and point-scoring, an argument from Theresa May stood out today. Yes, social cohesion, the financial problems faced by the country and the so-called war on terror are all big issues but May claimed on Radio 4 that binge drinking and anti-social behaviour can be reduced by targeting what she referred to as high strength ciders. Now, as I’m partial to the occasional glass of appley nectar, typically a fine cider such as Aspall’s, Westons Vintage or one of the Thatchers varieties, all of which clock in at over 7% alcohol, I take issue with this in a big way.

May has completely missed the point and obviously wouldn’t know a Katy from a Frosty Jack. Binge drinkers and drunk teenagers are unlikely to have been anywhere near any cider, high strength or otherwise. They will have undoubtedly been drinking the noxious fluid marketed as ‘white cider’ something which is only nominally related to cider. Cider and scrumpy are made from apples, pressed and fermented to form a wholesome beverage, one of your five-a-day. Added ingredients may include the odd bit of straw or a wasp if drinking some of the rougher scrumpy’s but that’s about it. White cider is at best chemically concocted from apple waste products mixed with alcohol produced from sugar; at worst it has never been anywhere near an apple with the flavour coming from artificial flavourings. I would go into more detail but there is an excellent article by James Crowden which sums it all up quite eloquently.

If politicians are in anyway serious about tackling drink related problems and want to do this by reducing access to high strength alcoholic drinks though increased taxes, a good place to start would be with these incredibly cheap yet potent white cider drinks commonly referred to as cider: Leave proper, natural ciders alone. An argument for some kind of trading standards definition of cider could help with this so that Diamond White, Frosty Jack’s and their ilk cannot be sold as cider; they could be called apple flavoured loopy juice or whatever, I really don’t care as long as it is clear that they are not cider. It’s easy enough to tell proper cider from imposters by the amount of apple juice used, which should ideally be properly pressed and not cheap imported concentrate; by all means crank up the tax on such rubbish if you feel that will help solve anti-social behaviour. Decent cider is already expensive whereas these imposters retail almost as cheap as bottled water, being cheap to produce via industrial chemical processes.

So, politicians, if you want my vote, get to the bottom of issues and ensure you understand them before making cheap political points. But more importantly, hands off my cider!

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Last orders…?

Put the needle to the record by tricky

Not quite law yet,  but with cross-party support from the three main parties, it looks like the Digital Economy Bill soon will be. Unfortunately, being driven by the small-minded folks in the record and film industries shouting loudly about lost profits (not the Welsh band though), the bill is far from being what creative industries and the public need, rather it looks like being a massive missed opportunity and another example of the law being dragged into disrepute. To quote Mr Bumble, the (proposed) law is an ass.

Firstly, laws must be enforceable. An unenforceable law is a bad law. Relying as it does on the threat of having the internet disconnected at the behest of copyright holders is an untenable basis given what has been stated regarding access to internet access being a right not a privilege. Thankfully, the ISPs seem to be resisting pressure on this front and appear to be taking a stance that disconnection will only occur under the direction of a court order, ie in extreme cases where a case has been demonstrated to and supported by a court of law.

Secondly, laws must be beyond reproach. The law is there to serve the people, the rights of individuals and the common good, it is not there to protect the money making, self serving interests of a few corporate fat cats. It is true there needs to be a recording industry in some form but current moves are simply about self-preservation and stifling innovation rather than reshaping cultural industries for the new millennium. Allowing the record and film industries to largely draft their own legislation solely to protect their own current interests is a sure way of bringing the law into disrepute. As has happened with industries in the past, times change and industries need to keep pace with change, the law cannot be used to flagrantly support the status quo (not Rossi & Parfitt!) in favour of a small (but powerful) minority group. Imagine if the original Luddites had managed to get legislative backing to protect their industry and ban mechanical looms or if manufacturers of steam engines had done similar at the advent of the internal combustion engine.

I am not, however, arguing here for a complete breakdown in the creation and provision of music and film. Anarchy is not the way forward. Taking music as my main interest, it is possible to see that the ‘industry’ can play a useful role in promoting artists and supporting live shows, expensive activities which often need serious financial backing. But that does not require the behemoths of yesteryear and they cannot expect to make the vast piles of cash as before. The industry has been in the fortunate position of controlling the means of production and had total editorial control, hence could dictate how material would be created and sold but with technological advances, this has changed and those days have gone. Recording equipment is relatively cheap and easy to come by with a variety of venues in which bands and artists can record, not to mention bedrooms, attics, cellars and outbuildings countrywide. Publishing electronically removes the need for pressing factories. So what is the role for the big corporations in the new millennium? Rather than stifling innovation and access to music, sticking with business models that have existed as long as the recording industry and based around outdated technology, the industry should shrink dramatically and focus on activities which directly benefit artists and their fans.

An interesting statistic came out on tonight’s Panorama: people who download music via file sharing services tend to spend more on music, almost twice as much in fact. I would support this anecdotally in that music fans I know use file-sharing as a way of finding new music but nothing beats owning a piece of vinyl or a CD complete with the inlays and artwork. Having greater access to music encourages sales of music not the opposite despite what industry representatives like the BPI argue. File-sharing is simply the modern equivalent of taping vinyl, CDs and the radio, putting together mixes of favourite songs and sharing them with like-minded people, activities which help to get artists off the ground and have done for decades. True, sales of the latest manufactured disposable Syco pop dross may be in decline (although I note with sadness the return of the Stock and Waterman combo and can’t help wondering whatever happened to Aitken…) but real music produced by real musicians is as popular as ever and new acts are finding that they can use technology to break through whilst experienced acts can use technology to break free from the shackles of  major labels.

As Ludacris said:

Knowing he could rap
No one lift a hand
So he went about his bidness
And devised the plan
Made a CD then he hit the block
Fifty thousand sold, seven dollars a pop

Artists like Ludacris, Kate Nash and the Arctic Monkeys have all made a name for themselves through sheer talent and then subsequently been picked up by record labels. Their fan bases were arguably expanded by the promotion and exposure given to them by major labels but it was not major labels who gave them their break. Their live gigs are definitely facilitated by major labels, scale and finance being important factors, but they were gigging successfully before getting their deals. So there is still a place for the big players, it’s just not the same place they are comfortable with and used to, nor are there the untold millions available through restricting access to the cultural resource and exploiting artists and the public alike. And instead of moving forward, the Digital Economic Bill looks like fossilising this already dying industry; rather than being the panacea touted by the BPI and others, it will only serve to alienate fans and hinder development. The chorus to track 3 on the Prodigy’s Music for the Jilted Generation album springs to mind. Thankfully, music and musicians will survive in one form or another but I fear for the wider ramifications of this crass proposed legislation.

Share/Save

No related posts.

Open by Justin Marty

I’ve been mulling over the nature of Open Data, Open Source and just general openness for a while now and, on the whole, these are admirable concepts. Access to data and software can only bring benefits for the most part. I detest control exerted through access to information in particular, with rigid top down hierarchies being top of my list of pet hates. Access to government information, for example, can only improve the way governments do business. But there has always been something niggling in the back of my mind and that is the need for confidentiality and privacy in some circumstances. I detest the argument that if you have nothing to hide, there is no need for such protection, an argument frequently used when talking about the draconian use of DNA databases and the growing desire by governments and organisations to amass data about people. And this week, in the week that data.gov.uk went live (a fantastic resource providing open access to government data), I’ve seen a couple of stories which reinforce the need for a pragmatic approach to information; one size certainly does not fit all and not everything should be open all hours. If we are going to open things up, there are implications which need to be carefully examined.

Firstly, a case on the Victorian Society website of the owner of a listed building who submitted a planning application. Replete with plans and high quality photographs, the application number was duly published in the local newspaper and the detailed submission, including the photographs, made public by the local authority. Within ten days, the obviously empty house had been burgled, the thieves using the address as published and the photographs as a guide. Numerous period fixtures and fittings were taken, presumably having been identified as easy pickings from the photographs which showed the house obviously vacant midway through renovations. Surely, this is a case of too much information being placed in the public domain.

Secondly, an interesting article on Open Access to scientific publications. Whilst I love reading a vast range of material on all sorts of topics, largely via Google Reader, it must be appreciated that online publication is not free; there are still costs associated with publishing online and these must be bourne somehow. One suggestion is to move towards an author pays model with publications free to end users, a model that could have severe implications for heritage publications if the costs are too high. And of course, a world full of poor quality articles from rich authors who can afford to publish, with excellent articles from those who cannot afford to pay the publication costs falling by the wayside is indeed a more ‘open’ world for end users but a diminished world at the same time.

Finally, following on from the second point, there is the Ordnance Survey, who are currently undertaking a consultation on their future after recent revelations. I wholeheartedly agree that an open access model for spatial data would be beneficial for the most part, especially for the heritage sector where funds are limited. Crucially though, the quality of the mapping must be maintained; simply updating OS holdings costs an arm and a leg and if their income stream is decimated, my concern is that quality will suffer. Other commentators, such as Richard Fairhurst, see other considerable problems arising from any open release of certain OS products. It is certainly not as straightforward as some of the posts on campaign blogs/websites such as Free Our Data make out.

So, whilst I am a firm believer in openness, I temper that with the observation that having everything accessible for all and for no cost is not the best way to proceed in all cases; not all information should be available in this way. And some information such as genetic sequences of the population at large should not be collated in the first place let alone be made available, even to those such as law enforcement agencies. Information is a vital resource in this digital world and it’s creation, use and provision of access to it need to be considered carefully on a case by case basis. Most definitely not open all hours in all cases.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Now we’re getting somewhere!
2. Free our data: New study casts doubt on Ordnance Survey’s copyright control @ SocietyGuardian.co.uk
3. Time’s up for the Ordnance Survey…?

The Linking Open Data dataset cloud by Fenng

Exciting news for UK data this week as the new UK data website, www.data.gov.uk, had its official launch. It’s been in beta for a while but is now fully functional and open for business, providing access to a range of datasets. Importantly, as well as the more traditional download of files in formats such as Comma Seperated Variable (csv) text files, the site promises to provide information in the form of Linked Data. This is a massive advance towards the semantic web with data freely available to be used and reused by all manner of web apps, promising virtually limitless potential; graphed, mapped, and mashed up in a myriad of ways.

This news follows hot on the heels of the consultation document on the future of Ordnance Survey data which promises to make more high quality map resources far more widely available. So in addition to having access to government data such as crime, education and health statistics, we will soon (assuming the consultation goes the way it ought to) have access to basemaps to plot it all on and administrative area boundaries to analyse by.

Of course, this is not the end of the story, just the beginning. Whilst the Linked Data approach works well for simple discreet datasets such as numeric/statistical publications and the accessibility of map data is largely a political issue, there is still some way to go before much more complex datasets will be available in this way; Whilst many datasets can be provided as Linked Data and mapping can be delivered as WMS/WFS, both providing mechanisms for exposing data and making it interoperable, there are a couple of big outstanding issues pertaining to cultural heritage information.

Firstly, the semantic clarity with which we record and have recorded information. Concepts are frequently complex and compound and often indistinct or inconsistent; the notion of period (eg Bronze Age) for example encapsulates a spatial element and a temporal element. For resource discovery, disambiguating the colour bronze from the material bronze may be essential; not all bronze (material) objects are bronze (colour) whilst some non-bronze (material) objects are bronze in colour. What one expert refers to as a bronze knife is to another a bronze dagger. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg with the variation  in classifications used, levels of atomicity in recording schemas and the legacy of how heritage datasets came into being. So simply converting a digital site archive or other archaeological record to a pile of RDF triples, providing URIs and exposing the data will not magically take us into a world of semantically interoperable heritage data but it is possible to see how it will/can work for some heritage datasets such as eg Oasis records, records of archaeological activities, events and publications or many of the discreet project archives lodged with the Archaeology Data Service (ADS) with some care and attention to detail. There will undoubtedly need to be some additional mediating frameworks to facilitate access to data, conceptual frameworks such as ontologies capable of rationalising semantic conflicts and terminological differences, but such frameworks are being developed/implemented (for example the CIDOC Conteptual Reference Model) and can help to resolve some of the semantic issues associated with heritage data.

The other major obstacle for much heritage data is politics. Currently, the primary sources of archaeological data for sites and monuments are the Historic Environment Records (HER) or Sites and Monuments Records (SMR), typically held within local authorities. Increasingly, these resources have implemented strict data licensing conditions and charge for supply of data. This is not only counter to the whole open data concept but the income streams generated by restricting and controlling access must be appealing to local authorities as a way of making heritage resources self funding rather than being a drain on limited resources. The result of this is that local authorities are going to protect what they see as their intellectual property which has monetary value. Sound familiar? Where HER/SMR data is made more freely available it is typically through local authority online portals in order than control can still be exerted over the data both with respect to content, modes of presentation and interaction. Even the Heritage Gateway, the exemplar of opening up heritage data which has tremendous potential and is an amazing resource, only provides limited access to partial datasets from participating originators with individual originators retaining control over what is presented and how. Why can’t we all have access to the data within the held by HER/SMRs and indeed the National Monuments Record (NMR) using similar techniques as are being used for other government datasets, aiming towards heritage.data.gov.uk as successor to the Heritage Gateway…?

So, it looks like attitudes towards government data are changing; data will become more openly available, leveraging recent developments such as Linked Data and heading some way towards a semantic web of sorts. With any luck, heritage data will get carried along and we will start to see more opportunities for novel heritage research off the back of this. But, the semantics of heritage data are by far more complex than anything emerging to date and will provide us with considerable challenges to make this information truly interoperable so one day we can indeed have a semantic web of the entire corpus of knowledge regarding how we got to where we are today.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Free our data: New study casts doubt on Ordnance Survey’s copyright control @ SocietyGuardian.co.uk
2. Awards for the Presentation of Heritage Research, 2007
3. Time’s up for the Ordnance Survey…?

Cider glasses by Miss604

This week, the government announced a cunning plan to reduce binge drink and related social problems: make alcohol more expensive. Now that truly is cunning, almost worthy of Baldrick himself. As someone who is partial to the odd tipple, I have to admit I find this plan absolutely ridiculous: The price of good quality cider is already high, reflecting the cost of manufacturing, and to artificially raise the price even more can only damage the industry. Furthermore, raising the price per unit of alcohol will adversely affect spirits and stronger drinks such as cider (coincidentally my favourite tipples!). Grmph.

Appreciated, there are big social problems, many drink related, but simply restricting availability is not the way forward; remember prohibition in the USA and how well that worked out, creating far more and varied social problems than those the initiative was meant to solve? As far as alcohol related social problems go, there are two main issues as I see it. Firstly, supermarkets selling unbelievably cheap alcohol as a loss leader to encourage people into the stores, taking a considerable portion of the market from pubs. Secondly, the rise of the soulless chain pubs and the focussing of these in city centres, creating modern day gin alleys.

Taking the first point, it is incredulous that supermarkets can sell bottles of lager for as little as 35p each. But then, the industrial scale of manufacture of such ‘beers’ and other drinks/potions and the chemical ridden processes involved mean that the concoctions of alcohol, water and additives are dirt cheap to make. Much ‘cider’ for example has never been near an apple. Pubs have lowered their prices, diversified their drinks range and gone promotion crazy to try and hold their own against this competition.

Turning to pubs, I grew up and live in the sticks where the local pub is the hub of the community. Yes, the drink flows freely but there is some level of shared responsibility amongst what is best described as a community of regulars; pretty much self policing with an occasional word to the youngsters (or older customers!) from the landlord as needed. Compare this to the situation in towns and cities where the chain pubs aka drinking holes dominate and the bar staff rarely know anyone present. Furthermore, the insistence by the licensing authorities that these pubs are gathered in town and city centres so as to make policing easier (by means of an obvious police presence in a small area and extensive use of CCTV) has further taken business away from more traditional pubs that used to be found scattered throughout our conurbations. Not to mention the powder keg that is the end of the night when hundreds of drunk folk tumble out and squabble for the same taxis and kebabs.

So, my vote is not to try social engineering using such a blunt instrument as artificial price fixing. Instead, lets try to get back to the concept of community pubs serving fine quality drinks at market value. Remove the licenses from the booze warehouses that are the chain pubs; anywhere where bouncers are needed on the door is not the sort of place I want to have a drink nor do I want to buy lurid coloured, cheap chemical concoctions. A combination of reasonably priced quality drinks served by a landlord who knows his customers (and when they’ve had enough) to customers who know each other, it being their community. And in an environment that is conducive to social interaction.

Just some thoughts from someone who enjoys a drink but has become seriously middle aged all of a sudden…

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Time for the apple to bite back…

Ordnance Survey triangulation station by Wessex Archaeology

Not only are we getting somewhere but news this week suggests we will have access to all kinds of map goodness to find our way and see what’s around us! First, the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) decided to start giving away their data in the public interest as announced at a recent conference. Then the Guardian’s Allegra Stratton reported yesterday (18/11/09) that moves are afoot to make more UK geospatial data freely accessible, including (wait for it) Ordnance Survey data. This was followed tomorrow (not sure how that works but the article is dated 19/11/09!) by another article in the Guardian by Charles Arthur with some more details. The long and the short of it is that the ‘mid-range’ series of maps from the OS will become freely available for both commerical and non-commercial use. Crucially for us archaeologists, that means the 1:10,000 map series we all know and love and currently pay through the nose for, unless we are privileged enough to have access to Edina Digimap or are working under an OS Subcontractor License.

Talking about Gordon Brown’s statement, Chairman of Ordnance Survey, Sir Rob Margetts said:

As Chairman of Ordnance Survey, I am delighted that the Prime Minister and John Denham have today made these proposals about releasing for free some of Ordnance Survey’s data to support innovation, accountability and growth. I  also very much welcome the commitment made by Government to contribute to the cost of this. This on-going commitment is fundamental to maintaining the sustained quality of Ordnance Survey’s data that has made the organisation a world leader in its field. The Board of Ordnance Survey will work very closely with Government, as well as our customers, partners and others to ensure that the proposals are fully developed for consultation and implementation next year.”

So what does that mean…?

The details are still to be fleshed out but note Margetts said some. I anticipate the data to be made available will be the 1:10,000 raster series. It’s not clear which, if any, vector products would be made available given that LandLine is no more and MasterMap is more detailed than the 1:10,000 scale cut-off, but anything is better than nothing: Some or all of Codepoint and BoundaryLine look to be included which will be useful for some, albeit limited, archaeological purposes. There is also no mention at this stage of other useful OS products such as LandForm, such terrain data being used to place archaeological data into its landscape context, perform analyses such as viewshed/visibility analysis and generate derived products such as slope, aspect and hillshade maps. Historical map data is also not mentioned yet and given that the digital georeferenced products were produced in conjunction with Landmark and are sold at a premium, I doubt we will be seeing such data becoming free anytime soon.

It will be interesting to see how this map data is delivered also. An enterprise (ie chargeable, commercial licensed) version of the OS OpenSpace platform called OpenSpace Pro is now at Release Candidate stage and it is possible that this could be a mechanism for delivery. Some standard WMS/WFS type webservices suitable for inclusion in desktop GIS software would be a useful addition though. And the range of data available through OpenSpace exceeds that being put on the table for open access, although notably does not include the 1:10,000 raster series.

Derived data anyone…?

The derived data issue, which meant that OS claimed ownership of all data produced using its maps claiming it to be a derivation of their intellectual property, should also become a thing of the past. Archaeological data held in Sites and Monuments Records, Historic Environment Records, the vast majority of published sources containing locations derived from OS maps not to mention user generated content created using the OpenSpace platform will be able to be freely distributed, copied and reused without any interference from the OS. The need for the kinds of licensing restriction currently being put in place by many Local Authorities and other repositories to cover themselves against possble legal action from the OS, which I have discussed previolusly, will be no more. This alone is a massive breakthrough for archaeological research.

Where next…?

So it seems a massive U-turn is about to take place with the OS being led by the nose from their position of ‘open data being untenable’ supported by mysterious secretive internal reports and no real evidence to ‘open data is the way forward’ supported by the Prime Minister himself. Perhaps the British Geological Survey will join the movement and make their data freely available…? To be honest, I thought hell would freeze over before the OS released any data for free so I am now in an optimistic mood and waiting for the next amazing installment.

UPDATE: 19/11/09

Ed Parsons has responded and there is an article in the Times from Tim Berners-Lee and Nigel Shadbolt providing some contextual background, these last two gentlemen reporting on the matter for government.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Free our data: New study casts doubt on Ordnance Survey’s copyright control @ SocietyGuardian.co.uk
2. OS OpenSpace
3. Time’s up for the Ordnance Survey…?

Glow Farm by TahoeSunsets; a Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR)

This week the government announced it’s plan for solving the upcoming energy crisis: More nuclear power stations. A list of proposed sites was published and various spokespeople were extolling the green credentials of nuclear power. Eh? New one on me. The usual arguments centre on plenty of cheap power, almost limitless amounts; rarely does one hear that nuclear power is the new green icon. It’s true that nuclear power wins hands down when compared to coal or other fossil fuels in terms of carbon dioxide output but that is to look at one part of the picture in isolation. There are a few other factors which need to be discussed.

Firstly, there is the safety aspect. There is some interesting reading on this topic from the industry themselves who are quick to point out there have only ever been two major accidents: Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. Fair enough, a small number but not insignificant as anyone who remembers either incident will recall.  Yes, incidents are few but when they occur they can be very severe with international reach, unlike incidents at other forms of power station. Add to this the higher incidence of childhood leukemia near nuclear plants, Sellafield reprocessing plant for example, and it is hard to say that nuclear power is clean or green.

Secondly, there is the waste. There are still no plans for dealing with the amounts of waste generated and it was only in 2005 that a government report was recommending various forms of burial as the way forward. So nuclear power may be considered green if we gloss over the fact that it generates toxic waste which cannot easily be dealt with and has enormous potential for environmental harm.

And finally, the cost. Building new nuclear power stations is not cheap, running them is also not cheap but the real cost comes with decommissioning. British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) are already suffering from the costs of decommissioning the UK’s current plants so the idea that a commercial enterprise can run nuclear power stations as a profit making venture seems ill founded. The tax-payer will end up subsidising nuclear power in one way or another; if private companies run the plants then a proportion of this revenue can be seen to be flowing into the hands of private individuals.

So, I am not objecting to this latest proposal out of irrational hatred of nuclear power, rather I am objecting to the ’spin’ that is being put on this initiative and the way in which only part of the story is being put forward by the government. It’s true, at current rates of consumption we will need more energy and with dwindling stocks of fossil fuels, we need other options. There is also the greenhouse effect and the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. But these need to be weighed against other issues and suddenly leaping from a no-nuclear standpoint to a pro-nuclear standpoint, wrapping up the shift in policy in pseudo-green credentials smacks of more New Labour double talk, especially when taken in conjunction with the proposed streamlining of the planning system as being all about empowering local communities (rather than steam-rollering opposition, which seems to be more like it).

On the subject of the planning system overhaul and the proposed nuclear developments, Caroline Lucas, the leader of the Green party, said in the Guardian: “Bypassing the planning system in this way is bad news for democracy and for the environment. A key democratic right is for the public to have a say on how their area is developed. Decision-making about where we get our energy from, and the long-term costs associated with nuclear, should be opened up to more accountability, not less.” Indeed. We need an open and honest debate about these issues with solid scientific advice as the basis and public participation. But I was forgetting, this government wouldn’t recognise good scientific advice or what to do with it anyway, as Dr Evan Harris MP (Lib Dem, Oxford West & Abingdon) most eloquently pointed out in the Guardian.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Time for the apple to bite back…

“No problem, you’ll just owe us for the remainder of the contract” came the response. Huh?

“We’ve been with you for years, we’d just like to leave” we pressed.

“Yes, but you have an 18 month contract which you will need to complete…”

Now I have some experience of such ridiculousness, having formerly been a customer of the devil spawn that is British Telecom; they once tried to tell me that I would need to pay a cancellation fee for moving house, which received short shrift, my previous house move having counted as a renewed contract in their eyes rather than simply a different location for my previous longstanding contract (a very similar argument to this current Orange debarcle… ). They refused however to acknowledge mis-selling a broadband contract or refund some exhorbitant charges, insisting that they had fulfilled their stated notification requirement by writing to some random .bt email address about excessive usage rather than the email address I provided them with; conveniently, any recordings of the salesperson stating this had been ‘lost’ and of course, being a phone based contract, there was no paperwork to speak of. BT will never recieve a penny from me ever again; I refuse to deal with such companies.

Anyway, I digress into another tale of woe with a telecommunications company (ie there a trend here, given experiences with BT, Virgin and now Orange…?).

Back to the case in hand and Orange are insisting that despite our long-standing patronage, we must pay up the end of our contracts. Now there is a lot of dicussion online on this topic (eg here and here) but there does not seem to be a consensus. I appreciate the argument from the phone companies that folks just can’t leave contracts early but there needs to be some form of escape, especially in rural areas where there is simply little coverage (remember 99% coverage means coverage of the population rather than geographical area ie big cities and some other bits). And the idea that I would choose my house based on mobile phone coverage is simply laughable!

So, to conclude, I do hope Orange show some decency and accept that sometimes people sometimes need to leave for good reason. And longstanding loyalty deserves some recognition. My partner and I are not trying to profit by our moving network, we simply want to move to a network that works where we live. The saga continues…

Share/Save

No related posts.

Slides on Slideshare:

Presentation on Vimeo:

Strode College Archaeology Conference 09 – Paul Cripps. from Henry Rothwell on Vimeo.

Paul Cripps of Wessex Archaeology (www.wessexarch.co.uk) speaks on the subject of infomatics, HER/SMR storage and access, and covers a considerable amount of ground concerning information technology in relation to archaeological data.
Well worth a look.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. It’s been a long time…
2. heritage.data.gov.uk …?
3. The Guardian; technology

Word getting above it's station...

Share/Save

No related posts.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Time’s up for the Ordnance Survey…?
2. KML comes of age

If you like these Avebury panoramas, do also check out Pete Glastonbury’s website where he has more from around Avebury also Stonehenge.

Also related to the Avebury landscape is my masters dissertation, now available on Slideshare. This goes into more detail regarding the landscape and the ways in which people in prehistory interacted with it, with some ideas regarding how the complex of sites and monuments came to be.

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Avebury Panoramas
2. Stonehenge panoramas
3. Photographs and then some!

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Video
2. Skankin

The summer solstice this year was apparently the biggest since the exclusion zone was lifted nine years ago, with access again managed by English Heritage: The BBC reported 36,500 revellers in attendance although given the way in which people were being counted, the real figure is almost certainly lower than this (counting was done by stewards on entry to the stones, so as people travelled back and forth to the campsite, they were presumably counted more than once).

The mood of those attending was largely good and I for one had many interesting and varied conversations with a variety of folks and even enjoyed a bit of dancing inside the bluestone circle, the latter not being something one can do everyday! There were folks from all over Europe and further afield and it is great to see so many people coming to see the event. I walked in from Durrington (avoiding the traffic carnage!) and couldn’t help but be moved by the people streaming in towards the circle from all directions, making me think of our ancestors who would have travelled along similar lines for soltices past: A truly inspiration feeling and one which really provides a sense of place.

The druids were there to welcome the dawn and the traveller community were well represented as ever. I really love the way in which Stonehenge represents so many different things to so many people from such diverse backgrounds: There are few events in the modern world which attract such a variety of people from all walks of life. Of course, there was a small contingent of ignorant yoof causing trouble, particularly at the buses in the morning, but this is the way of most such events these days, and it was more selfish, drunken bad behaviour than anything serious. I guess this is simply the way of the world these days: Even Glastonbury is no longer the preserve of the caring sharing hippy… And it is this minority which gives cause to the police presence…

The police, despite being present in numbers, were largely restrained although their heavy presence at the entrance, including dogs, and the use of metal-detectors and searches was intrusive to say the least but again, some level of intrusion seems to be the norm at any kind of public gathering these days. Thankfully, they were all wearing their ID numbers unlike at the recent G20 protests even if most of them had obviously forgetten how to smile, at least on the way in where intimidation was the order of the day: all the police I chatted to and saw around the circle were actually quite jovial, picking up on the good vibes from the crowd. I did hear a funny conversation between a visitor and one of the search teams as we passed through the security barriers which revealed they weren’t quite sure what they were looking for! I would guess from the police comments reported in the Guardian that illegal drugs were top of the list, hence the dogs but a tip for next year would be to watch out for large flares, at least one of which was sneaked in and caused mayhem in the circle when lit amongst the crowds…

The much talked about spy-in-the-sky seemed to be largely ineffective, with limited battery life (it kept disappearing, presumably for new batteries) and the laser-pointers aimed at it by the crowds can’t have helped it’s surveillance operations! From a geek point of view, I was rather jealous of the pilot: what a job flying such an amazing machine around (even if it does represent the rather repulsive surveillance obsession the authorities seem so keen on). I guess this was more of an intimidation tool than anything else, a bit like the zero-tolerance policy towards drugs which was patently untenable, much of the crowd enjoying, ahem, herbal cigarettes judging by the smells around the site.

The stewards did a fair job of keeping folks from climbing the trilithons but seemed resigned to letting people clamber on the smaller stones, a marked change from previous years and one which really ought to be remedied: The stones are not just important archaeological remains and of religious significance to some but are also home to a wide range of lichens which, taking years to grow, are very sensitive to damage.

One major problem, as in previous years, were the transport links. The roads became impassable and the police response was simply to close them and turn people away. The view in the morning was one of carnage with abandoned cars littering the surrounding roads where people trapped in the logjam had simply left their cars and walked to the henge. Yes, it was possible to get a bus between the event and Salisbury but the bus company certainly made a tidy profit, charging £6 for a single and £9 for a return ticket. Given that other similar sized (free) events such as the BBC One Big Weekend in Swindon earlier this year seem to manage the volumes of people and traffic, is it really that hard to implement some way of getting people to and from the event and ensure there are adequate numbers of stewards in the right places…? But of course, the difference being the solstice is an event which the authorities really don’t like like or want to happen, memories of the 1980’s festivals still influencing decision making. The use of tactics such as the bold statements about zero-tolerance to drugs accompanied by searches and sniffer dogs, the use of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, rumours of police horses being deployed for the first time since the Battle of the Beanfield and the alcohol restrictions, not to mention the rather under-resourced management of essentials such as the roads and public transport in favour of large number of uniformed officers on patrol all suggest the authorities would rather we simply weren’t there. Lessen the enjoyment and perhaps folks won’t return or be put off in the first place. Appreciated, English Heritage and the National Trust don’t want visitor numbers to increase but I for one am not keen on these rather insidious means of discouraging people, especially when all this security still fails to stop idiots bringing large flares into the event.

So, overall a wonderful experience once again but I have to wonder what will happen in the years to come…

Share/Save

Related posts:

1. Stonehenge world heritage status at risk as tunnel plan is shelved – Times Online