RE: Use Cases and Requirements for Standardizing Web Maps

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Phil Archer [mailto:phila@w3.org]
> Sent: October 1, 2015 05:30
> To: Rushforth, Peter (NRCan/RNCan)
> Cc: 'public-sdw-comments@w3.org'
> Subject: Use Cases and Requirements for Standardizing Web Maps
> 
> Dear Peter,

Hello Phil,

Thank you for your email, nice to hear from you!

> can you please comment on how
> you see the relationship between what you're doing and the SDW WG's
> work?
>
> As I see it, yes, there is overlap, but there are also distinctions. The SDW WG
> is explicitly not chartered to create map rendering technologies and so the
> <map> element that you're focussing on is out of scope for the SDW WG.

I will try to clarify the distinction between the groups, that I see.

I asked early on about the scope of the SDW group, and did not receive the 
impression that the <map> element might be in scope.  I can understand that, 
even though the <map> element is clearly a type of spatial data intended for 
the Web, the SDW group seems to focus on Linked Spatial Data, in the 
Semantic Web sense.   Simply put, Linked Data is beyond my understanding.
I respect it, but I don't understand it.   

On the other hand, I think I do understand the idea of linking spatial data 
for the Web, in the sense of simple hyperlinks, and it is really important.  
For some years now,  I have been encouraging the spatial data community 
to understand and adopt Web architecture [0] more directly [1].  People
generally don't recognize Web architecture for the subtle, global miracle that it is.

I think Web maps have the potential to unlock the value in the vast quantities
of existing spatial data that will otherwise be zipped up and gradually forgotten 
as link rot on the Web.  The barrier to unlocking that value needs to be lowered
so that even Grade 6 kids can put our maps in their Web page.  Then we'll be 
starting to talk!

> The Community Group process is there to be used exactly as you are doing
> so: gathering ideas and seeing what might need future standardisation -
> thank you. However, it is notable that there is at least some overlap in what
> you're doing and the OGC/W3C WG [2] that, like your CG, came out of last
> year's workshop.

I was very excited and proud to participate in the W3C/OGC Linking Geospatial Data 
workshop last year.  As you mention, the ideas some of us discussed
there gave rise to the Maps For HTML Community Group [2].  

However, it seems that ideas are not worth the paper they are written on.  
There are other Community Groups which have come and gone dormant [3][4][5][6] 
in this space, I believe because of the lack of implementation.

So, the Maps For HTML Community Group has set out on the path recommended 
by the W3C and its membership, to prototype and promote the concept of 
maps and linked spatial data for the Web, with a determination to not go quietly into
that good night ;-).

> In the last 48 hours, a couple of people have pointed me to your document
> at [...]

The Use Cases and Requirements document [7] is my attempt to summarize the 
discussions about the <map> element, held at the Linking Geospatial Data workshop.  
Comments are welcome.  Our objective is to lay out some practical ideas, and iterate 
on those ideas through implementations, with communications through the CG 
resources (email), and especially on Github [8].

Once these ideas have been properly socialized (prototyped and discussed), 
through the Maps4HTML CG and subsequently through the Web Incubator CG (in
which many browser representatives participate), I hope we will be in 
a position to take them to the HTML WG as a proposal.  But that's the
future, and we don't know what it holds, really.  Proof of concept through 
implementations, first and foremost.

> Even so, it would be good to have some liaison/communication between the
> two groups.

I would be happy to keep the SDW group informed of progress in the Maps4HTML CG 
if that is desired, and I will endeavour to relate developments in the SDW that I 
become aware of to the work of the Maps4HTML CG. And indeed, new members 
to the Maps4HTML CG are always welcome, especially if they think there is some 
overlap between the groups, they can judge for themselves.

Sincerely,
Peter


Peter Rushforth

Technology Advisor
Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation / Earth Sciences Sector
Natural Resources Canada / Government of Canada
peter.rushforth@canada.ca / Tel: 613-759-7915

Conseiller technique
Centre canadien de cartographie et d’observation de la Terre / Secteur des sciences de la Terre
Ressources naturelles Canada / Gouvernement du Canada
peter.rushforth@canada.ca / Tél: 613-759-7915

[0] http://www.w3.org/TR/webarch/ 
[1] https://portal.opengeospatial.org/modules/files/details.php?m=projects&a=view&project_id=451&tab=0&artifact_id=36029 
[2] https://www.w3.org/community/maps4html/ 
[3] https://www.w3.org/community/geometryapi/ 
[4] https://www.w3.org/community/carto/ 
[5] https://www.w3.org/community/places/ 
[6] https://www.w3.org/community/svgmap/ 
[7] http://maps4html.github.io/HTML-Map-Element-UseCases-Requirements/ 
[8] https://github.com/Maps4HTML

Received on Thursday, 1 October 2015 15:43:14 UTC