I know the EBAY Chapter had/has a person designated as a GIS liaison but I don’t think it is doing much. In fact I finally gave up trying to contact the person. I wanted to present some educational items at their GIS Day and GIS Conference 2009.
The GIS train has left the station looooooong ago!
IMHO most of the satements above are moot....too late, time to catch up!
RasterMaster
Do we have/need a CLSA GIS Committee?
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I don't recall specifically if we do, but I'd be surprised if we don't. Email or call Crissy at the Central Office to find out. If not, perhaps you could volunteer to help form one!
We have an LS in the Sacramento Chapter who is a GIS supervisor for Caltrans, and I think was just elected as one of our incoming officers.
My opinion of inviting GIS professionals in as members of CLSA is that if they are also surveyors, then that would be appropriate. Otherwise, Affiliate membership is open to them as non-surveyors who have a professional interest in surveying. But GIS, as a vocation has developed into something that has its own set of interests that don't always coincide with the interests of our profession, much as engineering is a closely related yet separate profession. Being mostly a planning and inventory tool, a surveyor is but one of several professionals who might appropriately head up a GIS firm or department. Surveyors are an integral part of what goes into building and maintaining such a system, but I agree with Raster in that the time to have taken the lead and determine the primary direction this technology would take is past. But our profession needs to maintain a seat at the table that will decide where this technology goes, how it's built, maintained, and used.
GIS professionals have their own society (I think - might be mistaken on that) and that it would behoove CLSA to have a person or committee as a liason with that group, much as we do with other professional societies.
I see that you changed your user name. Are you now in MT or are you still in CA?
We have an LS in the Sacramento Chapter who is a GIS supervisor for Caltrans, and I think was just elected as one of our incoming officers.
My opinion of inviting GIS professionals in as members of CLSA is that if they are also surveyors, then that would be appropriate. Otherwise, Affiliate membership is open to them as non-surveyors who have a professional interest in surveying. But GIS, as a vocation has developed into something that has its own set of interests that don't always coincide with the interests of our profession, much as engineering is a closely related yet separate profession. Being mostly a planning and inventory tool, a surveyor is but one of several professionals who might appropriately head up a GIS firm or department. Surveyors are an integral part of what goes into building and maintaining such a system, but I agree with Raster in that the time to have taken the lead and determine the primary direction this technology would take is past. But our profession needs to maintain a seat at the table that will decide where this technology goes, how it's built, maintained, and used.
GIS professionals have their own society (I think - might be mistaken on that) and that it would behoove CLSA to have a person or committee as a liason with that group, much as we do with other professional societies.
I see that you changed your user name. Are you now in MT or are you still in CA?
Evan Page, PLS
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A Visiting Forum Essayist