27th April 2009, 11:48 PM
It's OK thanks, BAJR Host - I'm already convinced of the benefits of Google Maps. :-) You're right about the demise of dial up of course, but we still have to bear in mind the limitations of current broadband speeds in certain areas. It worries me the extent to which internet developments are being driven by the rise of superfast broadband. For example, I can't use the BBCi player with my 0.5MB connection and for the amount I'm paying it's VERY frustrating. I wouldn't want to see web mapping applications taking a similar course without regard for those of us who can only dream of 4, 6 or 8MB connections. Google Maps is a lightweight solution which seems to perform pretty well at the lower end of the connection scale so I agree with you that it's worthy of much wider use. You make a good point though about the attitude of many Council IT bods to Google Maps, which could present a barrier to many wanting to go that route.
I think we're only just starting to move on from the position that online HERs are not suitable for use by professionals. As far as I can see (hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong) of those in your poll, Highland's site comes closest to the kinds of functionality that is being discussed here. But further developments are happening elsewhere - I've just discovered WOSAS's online map, for example, which is really good and has loads of tools - and it works on my connection :-). The technology's clearly there, it just all needs bringing together and that does take planning and resources.
It's interesting, don't you think, how this started as a vote about how interesting/educational/fun the sites are, and has moved on to a debate about how to enable better and more efficient use of the HERs by people in the profession. Clearly the two things aren't mutually exclusive, but this poll is very heavy with the first type of online HER so it's not wholly representative of all the developments that are going on.
I think we're only just starting to move on from the position that online HERs are not suitable for use by professionals. As far as I can see (hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong) of those in your poll, Highland's site comes closest to the kinds of functionality that is being discussed here. But further developments are happening elsewhere - I've just discovered WOSAS's online map, for example, which is really good and has loads of tools - and it works on my connection :-). The technology's clearly there, it just all needs bringing together and that does take planning and resources.
It's interesting, don't you think, how this started as a vote about how interesting/educational/fun the sites are, and has moved on to a debate about how to enable better and more efficient use of the HERs by people in the profession. Clearly the two things aren't mutually exclusive, but this poll is very heavy with the first type of online HER so it's not wholly representative of all the developments that are going on.