Blog, Melbourne

Registrations Open for GeoRabble Melbourne #4

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GeoRabble is back in Melbourne on Tuesday 23rd April at the European Bier Cafe (120 Exhibition St) with drinks, free food and geo-talks. Doors open 5:30pm, presentations start 6:30pm.

The line up of guest speakers are being finalised and we still have room for 1-2 more speakers, so let us know if you have a geo-story that you would like share. We are looking for interesting, entertaining or downright geeky presenters. If you fit that category, and have a geo-story to tell us then email your ideas to melbourne@georabble.org

Registration is now open and attendance is free so RSVP at  georabble-melb.eventbrite.com.au

A very special thanks to our GeoAwesome AAM Sponsor without whom we couldn’t run this event and provide food to everyone …

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Blog

Esri’s 100-lines-or-less competition

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Esri are running a coding competition, with the challenge being to write a fully-functional JavaScript map using a maximum of 100 lines of code.

I love this idea, as it’s the functional equivalent of a good GeoRabble talk – cut the crap and get straight to the point. Even better, they’re using GitHub to manage the entries, which makes each entry public so other people can learn from it. The full details of the competition are at https://github.com/Esri/100-lines-or-less-js

I decided to give it a go – my entry is available here.

Climate Explorer

In order to make it Australian-focussed, I wanted to use the BOM’s climate datasets. Unfortunately I don’t think there’s an easy way to obtain this data, so I wrote a Python script to scrape the data from the site. I’m not sure of the legality of this, but my conscience is clear as it’s just an automated way of getting to publicly accessible information. Hopefully they feel the same way…

Once I had downloaded the information, I made a point featureclass from it, and served it out via ArcGIS Server. My entry is basically a wrapper to make it easy to find weather stations and see their historical records. A link underneath the charts takes your directly to that weather station’s data feed. This is arguably easier and more intuitive than having to look up a station number, as at http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data

I’d love to add more functionality, but I’m already dangerously close to the 100 line limit. Please let me know of any feedback.

Cheers,
Steve (@stephenlead)

Blog, Events, Perth

GeoRabble Perth #6 – Big Data, Big Ideas

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cyber_a“Imagine if the whole human race had been looking through one eye for all of our existence and, all of a sudden, scientists gave us the ability to open up a second eye. You’re not just getting more information, more data; you’re literally getting a whole new dimension. You’re getting depth and perspective, 3D vision. That’s what Big Data is, not simply more information but a new way to see or extract meaning from a sea of information. Simply put, Big Data is giving us a brand new way to see things.”

 
A Very Big Data Rabble
Coinciding with Big Data Week we’ve arranged a line up of speakers like never before.  Big Data Week is one of the most unique global platforms of interconnected community events focusing on the social, political, technological and commercial impacts of Big Data. It brings together a global community of data scientists, data technologies, data visualisers and data businesses spanning six major commercial, financial, social and technological sectors.

Speakers:

  • Gary Casham – Microsoft
  • Ian McCleod – WA Museum
  • Tim Heighfield – Researcher
  • Kevin Vinsen – SKA Project
  • Bryan Boruff – UWA
  • Paul Farrell – NGIS

Date: 23 April, 2013
Time: Doors open 5:30pm, Presentations from 6:00 pm
Location: 

Rubix Bar & Cafe
334 Murray Street
Perth

Format: A handful speakers, 10 mins each, usual rules.

Landgate_Logo

Registration: Attendance is free, but for catering purposes we need you to register!

We can’t hold these events without the help of the greater Geocommunity, so if you want to get involved let us know! This event brought to you by the Perth GeoRabble team and Landgate

Blog, Brisbane, Events

Speaker #1 (not necessarily first on stage) for GeoRabble Brisbane #3 – Andy Stewart

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We have a bio and talk description for one of the previously announced speakers for GeoRabble Brisbane #3 (follow this link to register) on Tuesday 23 April 2016 6:00-8:00pm

According to an unnamed admirer:

“Andy Stewart will be well known to many as one of the Senior Spatial Information officers at Department of Natural Resources. He has played a key role in a number of high profile projects involving both remote sensing and web-mapping applications. His current role sees him leading the existing client mapping services within Queensland government towards a Web 2.0 approach.

He has played a key role in responding to the natural disasters that have occurred across Queensland over the past couple of years, most recently the flooding that occurred in Bundaberg. This devastating event enabled the valuable lessons learned after 2011 with Cyclone Yasi to be put into action to enable rapid response to the needs of those needing accurate flood maps that were both quickly generated but also importantly, accurate. Andy will pass on some of the lessons learned and that were put into action.

Andy tells us that he is  a former Snow Skiing Instructor and qualified Adventure Racing and Triathlon Coach, who has represented Australia and finished the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon. Therefore he will be in unfamiliar territory attending an event in a bar, but we have assured him of a friendly audience. “

Co-sponsored by GIS Recruitment and AAM

Brisbane

GeoRabble Brisbane #3 – forget the rumours!

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GIS Recruitment GR Logo-colour on White AAM Logo

You heard it here first!

We sometimes like to surprise on the night but we already have two fine co-sponsors for GeoRabble Brisbane #3 on Tuesday 23rd April – namely GIS Recruitment and AAM – and six people who have offered to present at this GeoRabble or next!

The speakers, subject to final negotiations on topic and beer, and in no particular order, are:

  • Bill Kitson
  • Deb Polson
  • Ben Somerville
  • Andy Stewart
  • Andrew Saad
  • Phil Punter

More details to come on their talk titles but Location Based Games is among them.

If you’ve not signed up yet follow this link to score one of the remaining FREE tickets.

 

Blog, Events, Perth

GeoRabble Perth #5, A new year, A new Rabble.

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Rabble - South Park
GeoRabble 5 – We hope there aren’t any pitchforks or burning torches

Exciting news! The Perth GeoRabble crew are busy preparing to host two GeoRabble events in the next two months. “WHAT?? They’re Crazy!” I hear you exclaim…. Challenge Accepted.

The first GeoRabble for 2013 kicks off on the 14th of March and the second is organised to coincide with Big Data Week (www.bigdataweek.com) on the 23rd of April. The formats for these GeoRabble events takes us back to a more traditional base with interesting speakers talking about what they find passionate in the Geo / Data world.
Announcing GeoRabble Perth #5  – Return to Yesteryear –
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Venue: Upstairs at the Leederville Hotel
Time: Door @ 5:30pm for a 6:00pm start of presentations
Speakers:
  • Mike Bradford
  • Tom Gardner
  • Charlie Gunningham
  • Jen Hogan
  • Someone from the Curtin University’s Sustainable Policy Unit
We’ve been holding back some excellent speakers from previous rabbles, as we’ve had a sojourn through a Panel, and an Open Mic night, but GeoRabble #5 is returning to the Rabble Roots of yesteryear.  A handful speakers, 10 mins each, usual rules.  If you’d like to speak (or sponsor at future events), and you’ll be in Perth for that evening, please contact perth@georabble.org or one of the organisers (See the Perth contact page) and we’d love to hear from you.
If you’d like tickets, click through to the Eventbrite Ticket Page.
Thanks to SSSI WA Region for sponsoring this event
HOLD THE DATE
GeoRabble Perth #6 – Big Data Big Ideas –
Tuesday April 23, 2013
Venue: To be confirmed
Speakers: To be confirmed
Sponsor: To be confirmed

An open and inclusive forum for GeoGeeks to share, inspire and have fun.