Another (American) comment/reminder on the 'garbage in, garbage out'
adage.
FH
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of John Day
Sent: 05 April 2009 21:28
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MapHist] Re: [IP] Can You Believe That Online Map Data?
Not exactly historic. But given recent conversations perhaps of
interest. From an unrelated list.
> Can You Believe That Online Map Data?
>
> http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000535.html
>
>Greetings. There's an excellent piece in the L.A. Times today
>discussing how geocoding errors can result not only in clusters of
>inaccurate data being displayed within online maps, but also in the
>spread of that bad data to other databases and systems. Of course,
>all manner of critical factors and decisions concerning services,
>privacy, and so much else can end up being based on such data:
>
>http://latimes.com/news/local/la-me-geocoding-errors5-2009apr05,0,59662
85.story
>
>This "garbage in, garbage out" truth should be obvious, but we all too
>often tend to look at colorful online maps and just assume that
>they're accurate. Yet the underlying assumptions of the mapping
>system designers play a major role in the results when geocoded data
>in particular is in error or cannot be interpreted properly.
>
>A map, like a picture, may be worth "a thousand words" -- but that
>doesn't necessarily mean that those words are always a reflection of
>reality.
>
>--Lauren--
>Lauren Weinstein
>[log in to unmask]
>Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
>http://www.pfir.org/lauren
>Co-Founder, PFIR
> - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
>Co-Founder, NNSquad
> - Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
>Founder, GCTIP - Global Coalition
> for Transparent Internet Performance - http://www.gctip.org
>Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
>Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
>Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
>Twitter: LW1
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