Tasmap users forum

[vagrom]

Nick, i've just left a message on the Tasmap users forum. This may in fact not be useful but anyway ... I told Andrew that he might be able to connect with this forum and open it up to plenty of potential enquiries concerning the state of the Tas. mapping system, immanent publications andnotes concerning errors and omissions.
Certainly, the poll that they're presently conducting will interest a lot of the Tassie walkers. You appear to be a visitor there already. Is there any way that a sub forum could be added or are there too many already?

[Son of a Beach]

Yes, I hope they pay attention to the feedback they get there.

If they were interested in some sort of cooperation, then I'd be very keen. It could only be good for all bushwalkers and map users. If that involved a subforum that could be done. But I'm not sure they'd be interested in that in addition to their own new forums.

[photohiker]

Interesting stuff. I hope they 'get it' soon.

This reply to the New Editions of Maps thread shines a searchlight on what happens when marketing gets out of step with public expectations.

TASMAP understand your frustration and would like to give you an insight into the situation.

When the 1:25,000 Series was commenced in 1981, nine maps per year were produced. By 1985 up to 25 people (consisting of cartographers, photogrammetrists and darkroom operators) were directly involved in production of forty two 1:25,000 maps annually. In these circumstances the intention to achieve a 5 year revision cycle seemed achievable.

Regrettably, as a result of attrition of the number of people involved over a period of years, a mere 4 cartographers and one supervisor are endeavouring to maintain the 1:25,000 Series (415 maps), the 1:100,000 Series (41 maps), the 1:250,000 Series (4 maps), the National Park/ Day Walk and Recreational Maps (14 maps), the Tasmanian Towns Street Atlas (304 pages with 275 maps and insets) and the Visitors Map, in addition to fulfilling demands placed by Government and tourist related bodies.

As a consequence the wording “intended for a 5 year cycle of revision” no longer appears on the 1:25,000 maps. However, with the introduction of new technology, it is TASMAP’s intention to maintain maps which are subject to high use and/or regular and significant change on a revision cycle approaching 5 years.

The ‘estimated availability date’ stated on the Series Mapping Index is determined a considerable time in advance, sometimes up to 18 months, to allow for the acquisition of suitable aerial imagery to undertake map data revision.

Some slippage may occur in the actual availability of products from the ‘estimated availability date’ but be assured that TASMAP makes every endeavour to have its products available at the times stated.

By comparison, the UK OSGB mapping service has flourished into a very large business in the digital age, and while their excellent topo maps are still not free or in open format for the public yet, they are available from many digital vendors. All it takes is for someone to have a tactical view of the marketing possibilities for the resource that they own and maintain. I guess the OS (Ordnance Survey) would naturally be better at that (Yup, they got their start by mapping where and how to lob bombs into the rabble!)

A similar situation exists in other states of Australia, can't help but wonder if we would be better off with a national approach to the whole thing. It must be quite distressing for GPS suppliers to have to approach each state for topo data and weather the variations in costs and licensing!

As a walker, I like the NZ approach, but I'd also like up to date maps so I guess I'd be happy to pay a reasonable price.

[Macca81]

I guess the OS (Ordnance Survey) would naturally be better at that (Yup, they got their start by mapping where and how to lob bombs into the rabble!)

A similar situation exists in other states of Australia, can't help but wonder if we would be better off with a national approach to the whole thing.

maybe we should start invading other states

[Son of a Beach]

A national approach? Like with health and education? Might be waiting a while.

On a serious note though, I couldn't agree more. It makes no sense to not pool the limited resources and eliminate the duplication.

[vagrom]

From a mainlander's point of view, i've always been impressed by what IS actually available for so limited a market in numbers. We haven't had 1/25k series maps in SA for years. Anybody wanting to learn how to navigate with maps, in challenging terriain, should really come down to Tas.(There's another thread: Will that training place in Chudleigh ever get going again? But I guess liability issues will prevent future small businesses from starting up).
If Andrew at Tasmap could be convinced to increase his audience by connecting up, I wondered how efficiently it could be done, so that it didn't just add to the excellent choice of items already available here. Then I wondered ( thinks...), does this site have something like a bulletin board that could greet the visitor with two or three items of interest, like for instance : A new copy of the Walls map is about to be released or, Walkers note that such and such track is closed as of...
There would only be space for 2 or 3 items and then you could click and scroll to catch up on other recent ones.
Excuse the naivity Nick. I imagine the site's operation is bound by the parameters of the program. But in those circumstances, updates from Tasmap could appear in a headlined way, offering click link to their website. They win (if that's what they want), because suddenly visitors to their forum increase exponentially, perhaps even logarithmically (is there a difference?), flowers begin to pick themselves and the rest, as they say, is mystery.

[Son of a Beach]

Yes, vagrom... good points. Although the software is limited, is can be modified and I've already made a few modifications (some downloaded and installed, and some written by myself). Two of the existing modifications could be used to keep people posted about Tasmap updates: The news items (can only be posted by admins, and appear on the front/index page), and advertisements (either free in the adverts forum, or paid elsewhere).

But there is also the possibility of Tasmap (or others, for that matter, eg clubs), having their own subforums on here, if they were interested in such a thing. They could be their own moderators, have their own rules, and even approve their own members to their own groups, if they wanted to limit who could view or post to their own subforums.

So if Tasmap (or any other bushwalking related group or organisation) was interested, there are a variety of ways in which cooperation is possible.

[Son of a Beach]

PS. A reminder for any readers who are not aware of it... TASMAP have their own forums here:

http://tasmap.proboards.com/

[north-north-west]

From a mainlander's point of view, i've always been impressed by what IS actually available for so limited a market in numbers. .

Oh, Lord, yes. It's always such a relief to be walking in Tassie because they have proper maps. You can get 1:25,000 maps of a lot of the Snowies, for instance, but they are just enlarged copies of the 1:50,000 versions, and thus have a 20m contour interval, which is *&%$#! useless.

[vagrom]

Hey Nick, Andrew's interested if you are. (No. Not a new thread)
But doubtless, making it work profitably is an issue so I suppose it's something to think about.

[Son of a Beach]

Hey Nick, Andrew's interested if you are. (No. Not a new thread)
But doubtless, making it work profitably is an issue so I suppose it's something to think about.

Thanks Vagrom, I've sent him an email using the email link for him on the Tasmap forums, just simply expressing that we'd be happy to cooperate in any way that might be beneficial to either party.