Category: Technology

Science applied and made active

making the same mistakes with IT changes

I have been reading a book called: ‘Plundering the public sector – How New Labour are letting consultants run off with 70 billion of our money’ by David Criag and Richard Brooks which I find very worth reading especially for me details of the expensive failures of various government IT projects and how the same … Continue reading “making the same mistakes with IT changes”

I have been reading a book called:
‘Plundering the public sector – How New Labour are letting consultants run off with 70 billion of our money’ by David Criag and Richard Brooks which I find very worth reading especially for me details of the expensive failures of various government IT projects and how the same mistakes were made again and again. But the book also goes much further than just mistakes made to detail how Consultants often act against the interest of government departments they give advice to; all backed up with quotes from those involved and from wide range of reports and sources.

One could make a good set of check lists for those in organisation that are undergoing process/organisation and information system changes, from examples featured in this book.

mapping futures

2 weeks ago a street mapping party used Infoseed as a base, to go out and record GPS traces to add to Open Street Map. I like this project creating more open distributable free information. I have not got a GPS device myself. I might get one at start of next year, after looking into … Continue reading “mapping futures”

2 weeks ago a street mapping party used Infoseed as a base, to go out and record GPS traces to add to Open Street Map. I like this project creating more open distributable free information. I have not got a GPS device myself. I might get one at start of next year, after looking into which ones of best use.
In UK the official maps from Ordnance Survey are not freely distributable. Which is the subject of the Free Our Data campaign.
Open Street Map only details down to street level of detail. But the some of technology behind it along with other developments could go further down to same level as that of OS Mastermap which shows buildings, walls and kerbs, and other feature boundaries. I am still getting my head round the possibilities and how they might be implemented. Tech tools include FeatureServer and GeoServer.

An interesting source of maps is the Maps done by USSR of whole world including Britain.

Utilities keeps record of pipes or cables managed often kept on a mapping system (GIS). When someone wants a new connection they send in scale plans if a new build, which merged with existing records which recorded on mapbase from ordnance survey. The new connection is then designed on top of the merged image to give a quote based on lengths, size and type of materials needed. An ‘Aslaid Template’ of the combined map is also produced so contractor can record what they actually put in the ground, and this is in turn used to update the GIS record with the pipes or cables and any new build building, roads and pavements.
Generally get scaled plans are still submitted as paper maps. But sometimes as PDF, or DWG or DXF. In an area I know PDFs are converted to raster png files with PDFcreator which has option to save a png. DWG is able to be opened in Autodesk Trueview 2007 and then turn off layers we done need and that often create congestion in route of new service. The new build image is merged with existing mapbase with pipe routes using the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It seems a pity to convert vector information into raster information for this then to be recorded back in vector format on mapping system.
But in case I know of with gas pipes the output of GIS system is only in raster format. And as the complete route of pipe is hand drawn onto the aslaid, the new build details are added from it at same time as aslaid route of new pipe. I wonder if the new build could be added to mapbase at first and then template created. In fact it would be good if architects could add there plans to open mapbase that was used, so the same activity of adding there plans to OS mapbase done in each utility is saved. One could have a distributed system which pulling in distributed data based on web of trust.

The future of recording under ground assets if being looked into by linked projects:

Mapping the Underworld (as reported by BBC)

Another MTU website

Vista DTI Project

Digital Framework (for swapping map data)

Broadband in the UK

Recently a few friends have asked my advice on which service provider to go for when getting Broadband internet connection. I have a page on my homepage concerning internet access in the UK, but I did look further into the range of ADSL providers at the moment. One to check out is: UKFSN (http://ukfsn.org/) who … Continue reading “Broadband in the UK”

Recently a few friends have asked my advice on which service provider to go for when getting Broadband internet connection. I have a page on my homepage concerning internet access in the UK, but I did look further into the range of ADSL providers at the moment.

One to check out is: UKFSN (http://ukfsn.org/) who give some of the proceeds to free software development.

See write-ups of various providers at:

http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/

One thing is there is going to be consolidation as so many providers so don’t get too use to a nice set up one provider has in way of control panel etc.

One provider that can’t be bought up by another is the Phone Coop as it is owned by it’s customers.

http://www.thephone.coop/receive.htm?name=Agent_483&name2=index.html

One thing with the Phone Coop is to take in account on price that one can become a member once a customer and get a quite significant dividend. And it is less likely to go bust as not borrowing from Banks in same way. So over long term may end up actually cheap by price.

Like many others one can switch Phone line rental to them (but there is a breakout fee if had line with BT less than six months), the only reason I can see to stay with BT is if one makes few phone calls and used free caller ID from BT. Remember to resetup premium rate call barring etc if you do switch.

The Phone Co-op provides ADSL at the Indymedia / Free Software Lab in Basement below the Forest Cafe:

http://www.infoseed.org/

It used to used Andrews and Arnold before but they were too expensive as unlike Phone Co-op did not treat small orgs same as residential customers.

The FAQ from one company that supplies ADSL has some interesting info:

http://portal.metronet.co.uk/support/broadband/adsl.shtml

The Register an Online newspaper with interest article concerning ASDL providers: http://www.theregister.co.uk/ (but be carefull as they tend to repeat gossip).

In fact they had an article on Metronet been bought up by another company, as is the trend I pointed out that all the companies will not be around and some consolidation will go on:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/28/plusnet_metronet/

LinuxUK:

http://www.uklinuxadsl.net

This one that Jason who does UKFSN used to work for, but left a while ago due to him think they were not handling money to good cause as well as they should, so as I say I would treat them just as any other company on weighting them up.

http://www.jasonclifford.com/uklinux.html (now via web archive)

But they did win an award from some magazines for being a good ISP for what it is worth. But as I said as they are resellers often at mercy of what BT (or Openreach) do as can see in metronet FAQ.

One thing don’t be taken in by free modem offers these are usually low end usb adsl modems, which often don’t work with Linux. I would suggest buying a combined ADSL modem with router if you have more than one computer and with wireless if you have a Laptop.

I am recommending to everyone who uses Internet in uk takes a look at:

http://www.getsafeonline.org/

as there is some good advice there, that echo stuff I say to people.