Gov 2.0 is a conference where tech-savvy luminaries try to explain how the square peg of Government should fit in the round hole of social networking.  Thanks to Blip TV, you can view many of the presentations from the comfort and safety of your own home, which is how I enjoyed the series of talks entitled "Location, Location, Location." Each of the four speakers gives compelling, real-world examples of how geospatial technology and spatial data are helping people overcome barriers, from crowd-sourced mapping of Gaza in OpenStreetMap to SMS coverage of the elections in Afghanistan.  Check out the videos below for a good primer on the state of open-source information sharing and mapping today:

Andrew Turner:  Geospatial Tools for Two-way Collaboration

Robert Greenberg: Virtual USA

Dave Warner: Information Sharing with Beer for Data Program

Mikel Maron: OpenStreetMap and Crowdsourced Mapping

Some very interesting developments in neocartography/humanitarian mapping recently occurred at Camp Roberts near San Miguel, California.  A collaboration between Google Earth, OpenStreetMap, InSTEDD, Star-Tides,  Sahana, Development Seed and Walking Papers saw the successful processing and integration of National Geospatial Agency (NGA) aerial imagery of Afghanistan across multiple web-based GIS applications.  The impetus behind their collective effort was the need for better geo-data processing capabilities while working in the field, a situation Todd Huffman and his fellow NGO colleagues in Jalalabad, Afghanistan have sought to rectify for quite some time.

On Google Earth Enterprise: http://geosquan.blogspot.com/2009/08/preparing-for-afghanistan-elections-and.html

On NGA data with OSM:
http://developmentseed.org/blog/2009/aug/07/integrating-50-centimeter-data-national-geospatial-intelligence-agency
and
http://brainoff.com/weblog/2009/08/10/1410

  The NGO MapAction has published their guide to mapping for humanitarian field workers.  The free download is intended to "help aid organizations to use geospatial tools and methods in their work in emergencies."  There are some great resources listed within, such as add-ons for Google Earth that extend the GIS features, so check out the pdf here:

Download "Field Guide to Humanitarian Mapping"

  The OLPC project has launched an official page for their deployment in Afghanistan.  A partnership between USAID, OLPC, and the Afghan Ministry of Education is responsible for bringing 396 of the iconic laptops to schoolchildren at the Istiqlal High School in Jalalabad.  For project updates check out their site at: http://www.olpc.af/

  Global Sanitation Solutions has produced several products that target the staggering lack of sanitation in poor countries around the world.  The "GottaGoToilet" is a reusable, biodegradable toilet with waste bags made from cornstarch.  Their other offering, ChemiSan, is a chemical and microbiological formulation that quickly breaks down and de-odorizes human waste.  Check out more of their products here: www.GSanitation.com 

Veteran New York health inspector Michael Mills started recording rat sightings electronically a year ago, and now that data is helping other NYC inspectors target rat hot spots in a comprehensive effort to greatly reduce rodent populations in the city.  Statistics gathered from site inspections and complaints by residents are viewable in an online map, a tool that has enabled heath inspectors to increase the effectiveness of their efforts.  NYC’s Rodent Task Force has also made available educational materials that are intended to inform residents of ways in which they can help keep rats from living in their neighborhood.

Explore the map here: Rat Information Portal

(Firefox reccomended)

[via Medical Operations C2 blog]