GITA 2009: Map data for free (or fee)?
Back in August of 2008, I thought I’d be a hotshot and volunteer an idea for a talk at the GITA Infrastructure 2009 conference. I didn’t know much about the provision of map data - from the government or elsewhere - but figured nine months would be more than enough time to educate myself and stumble upon the A-HA moment: the catharsis when (Eureka!) everything would become clear and the answer would be obvious.
Nonsense! The question of government-provided map data is more tangled up than that basket of yarn I bought at a yard sale seven years ago when I was considering taking up knitting. (I bought a cat instead.)
It’s a polarizing topic with global policy and socio-economic implications, and I would certainly do it a disservice trying to be remotely thorough within a 45 minute session.
Fast forward to April 22nd, 2009. Sweaty palms, fluttery stomach, and sixteen slides consisting merely of somewhat related, mildly amusing pictures (directive: minimum boredom, maximum retention).
Much to my initial chagrin, the talk was actually well-attended. Yikes. Suffice it to say, everyone in the room knew more about the actual circumstances in play than I did. Than I do. Than I ever will. I’m not a practitioner. At first I was merely suspicious that that was the case; but about 10 minutes prior to mic time, “Dave” came to the podium to ask me about some legal battle in Santa Barbara… Huh? As it turns out, a case had recently been decided that prohibited the county from withholding map data, whether for financial or security reasons. The case set far-reaching legal precedent against both arguments. I managed to work it into my talk at a surprisingly appropriate place [insert horn-tooting here]. [While I’m at it, here’s a toot for Dave too!!]
I think that not-being-a-practitioner thing worked to my advantage, because I was able to work with the pragmatic details and not get embroiled in legitimate daily work-related frustration about where to source data that I know exists but that is - for whatever reason - unavailable, or unusable. (‘I pay my taxes, so what gives?’)
That said, I couldn’t be less concerned at the end of the day with the pricing structure of government-provided map data - or the absence of one - or even if the data is made available at all. What I do find fascinating (and worth celebrating) is Capitalism at work, effectively removing the government from the equation. People are resolving map data sourcing obstacles, because their government has not (cannot, will not, should not… whatever the case may be).
When asked at the end of the talk, what do I think people should do when the government does not provide map data for free (implying astronomical pricing that, for all intents and purposes, shuts small business and independent consultants out of the commercial marketplace for adding value to such data), I simply said: wait and see.
The marketing professional in me realizes that there are business models for deriving revenue streams from the provision of map data that are entirely inappropriate for a government entity in the digital age - but perfectly suitable for a business entity. And, I may not be a geographer, but I did muddle through econ501 in grad school, so I’m pretty confident in saying that demand will ultimately be met by supply, and the price will be dictated by the market. (Not by a ‘cost-recovery’ pricing scheme that, insofar as one measures incremental costs, generates 99% margin, or - as is the case for the OS in the UK - a profitability mandate to justify partial taxpayer funding…). And all of that other chart-and-graph stuff.
It’s only a matter of time.
