AGI - A Review of the Year

It has, I believe, been a good year for the Association for Geographic Information (AGI) - my employers.

Firstly we have had a good year financially. For the fourth year in a row, we have posted a surplus. This has come from reducing our adminstration costs and increasing our revenue, particularly from membership subscriptions and from our annual conference. The current economic climate will give us some challenges next year, but we start with a firm financial base.

It has been a good year for the recognition of our unique place within GI and our ability to respond to Government initiatives swiftly and with authority. We can reflect a very wide range of opinion and can do so with clarity.

I think the AGI team have worked well this year. There are only 6 of us in the team and we have delivered a programme which belies our small size.

The volunteers have played a huge part in our success. Without a sense of purpose there would be no point to AGI. Our volunteers, through the AGI Council, our Special Interest Groups and our Regional Groups have given us that sense of purpose.

We have become more professional and have recognised the importance of providing our members with recognisable continuing professional development.

We are an important, I might even dare to say an indispensible, part of our industry. We are voice for the cutting edge of GIS innovation and at the same time a voice for gaining the widest possible benefits from that innovation. We are listened to by government and at the same time a catalyst for commercial progress.

I believe that we can look back with pride on what we have collectively achieved in 2008 and can look forward with confidence to what we can achieve in 2009.

Onwards and upwards.

The language of Geograpghy (3)

A final thought for this year on the language of geography. I was amazed that my previous blog on this subject was picked up by a number of other bloggers and also led to some articles in ´GIS Professional´ magazine. I obviously struck some sort of chord.

So I guess my hopes are that in 2009, those who are putting forward ideas in GIS either in print or as a presentation, take some care of the language they use so that it makes their topic accessible to all. Spread the word by all means, but make those words understandable.

I am once again on the Action Working Group tasked with organising the AGI 2009 conference. When the papers are submitted, I shall be looking at the language used as well as at the concepts or case studies being highlighted. Misunderstandings which arose occasionally from this years conference were partly due to the fact that the language used by one person was interpreted incorrectly by another person.

´Clarity of ideas´ is perhaps my hope for next year.