It is an exciting time for the spatial crowd in Boston! WhereCamp Boston is this weekend and you need to sign-up now!
WhereCamp is an “unconference“, meaning that the people who come are the ones who drive the sessions. Attendees plan the sessions, workshops, and panels through the WhereCamp Wiki or during the conference itself. On the registration page many people are stating their interest in open source GIS, web mapping, and “what’s next”.
If you are going (and you really should) consider participating in the wiki and post your session idea! I’ve been working on a number of really interesting projects lately and I am hoping to bring some of my ideas and challenges to the unconference. Here is what I am interested in learning more about this weekend:
- How to scientifically validate VGI and developing tools and methods to do so
- Learning more about open source GIS, and more specifically, the growing body of analytical tools that are both well built and scientifically strong
- The art of the spatial index
- Aggregating VGI from web sources
- Big data
- Web map design best practices
As a “traditional” GIS guy I am also really interested in how the “non-traditional” spatial folks view “spatial”. I am interested to learn about what their needs and challenges are and share ideas with them. I look forward to brainstorming ideas with those who may see spatial problems from a different perspective than myself. Sometimes the best ideas to solve a problem may come from those who see things differently than you. That’s why I am pumped for this weekend.
The event is being held at Microsoft NERD in Cambridge, located in the techiest tech neighborhood in America! The locations is a short walk away from the Kendall T stop and don’t worry, you’ll be able to get there.
The organizers have worked hard to put this together and the least we can do is show up and make this event great!
Where: Microsoft NERD
When: October 29 and 30th
Who: Anyone spatial
Why: Every spatial nerd from the greater Boston region will be there!