X-Envelope-to: gis-l@UBVM.BITNET
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Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
Date:         Fri, 2 Oct 1992 16:28:00 GMT
              <GIS-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From:         STGG8004@IRUCCVAX.UCC.IE
Subject:      Nominations for a GIS Hall of Fame

Folks,

On one level, I guess this is a bit of trivia. At the same time, it does
have more serious aspects. I have recently been re-reading the American
Cartographer special issue on the transition from Analog(ue) to Digital
Cartography, and was thinking in particular about the role of key
personalities in the early days of GIS (and today I guess, though the
people involved are different). Thus arose the following little brain-teaser.
May I invite you to consider this (hypothetical) scenario:

Imagine that a GIS "Hall of Fame" is being set up, to honour and recognise
those who pioneered and gave the most valuable contributions to the GIS
tools, techniques and concepts that we take so much for granted today.

Who would YOU nominate for inclusion in the honours, and why? I am as
interested (in fact probably more) in the "unsung heros" of GIS as much as
in those who have achieved larger degrees of publicity (self-generated or
otherwise).

-----------

Leading on from this, we hear a lot about different "generations" of computer
hardware. But what about GIS software - and GIS developers? Are we still in
the "First Generation" of GIS products? Or the Fiftieth? And ditto with the
developers - there are some people, notably the Harvard Lab "set", who one
can identify as representing a distinct "generation" of GISers. But are we
now moved on to the subsequent generation? This is not just a trivial question,
because

(a) I would suggest that the first generation were those who pioneered
GIS, but that now we do indeed have a "second generation" working in the
field, people who grew up with GIS, thus taking it much more for granted,
and perhaps having different psychlogical approaches to computers in
general and spatial data handling in particular;

(b) different generations of people may often bring with them different
generations of ideas and concepts, thus helping the field to progress; but

(c) these later generations may equally become entrenched in fixed paradigms
and concepts, until a rank outsider comes along and shakes up the playing
surface once more....

Comments invited.....(as if you didn't have better things to do :-)

Darius

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Darius Bartlett,                        Darius Bartlett,                   |
| Department of Geography,                Roinn na Tireolaiochta,            |
| University College,                     Colaiste na hOllscoile,            |
| Cork, Ireland.                          Corcaigh, Eire.                    |
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| EARN     : <DJB @ IRUCCVAX.BITNET>     |  Voice: (+353) 21 276871 ext 2835 |
| Internet : <DJB @ IRUCCVAX.UCC.IE>     |  Fax  : (+353) 21 271980          |
| Heanet   : <DJB @ VAX1.UCC.IE>         |  Telex: 76550 UNIC EI             |
| PSI      : <027244054000330::STGG8004> |  Foot : Upstairs and turn left    |
| Lat/long : 51 54 N, 8 30 W             |  Note : "Usual disclaimers apply" |
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