Computing, GIS and Archaeology in the UK

Well, at last it’s OK for me to tell people that Oxford Archaeology now has a WFS server that is accessible from the outside world. The address is:

http://mapdata.thehumanjourney.net/cgi-bin/mapservwfs.cgi

It’s a standard MapServer setup, and at the moment contains static data about the sites we have worked on over the last thirty years. This is still a work in progress and there are a whole bunch of things I would like to improve (but at least it’s up and out there):

1: As I said, it’s static data. The aim is to get our main databases into PostgreSQL (I’ve talked about this before, and it’s not an easy process to convert messy, historic, access databases into PostgreSQL). In some circles there is a question as to whether we should actually use live data. There are sometimes issues with people looting archaeological excavations, and we don’t want to make that any easier…
2: You may have noticed that I said databaseS (plural rather than singular). Oxford Archaeology only took over the Lancaster Office a few years ago and we are still working towards merging our core systems (along with upgrading them all to sensible, robust OpenSource platforms where possible). The problem with having two databases is that in many cases the fields are not directly compatible, so to get the data out in the shortest possible time I simply included the elements that were common to both, and I will work towards getting more information out.

3: At the moment, there is no fancy front-end to this. I have two candidates in mind for frontends, and I’ve talked about them both a fair bit. They will serve two different purposes, in other words for internal and external use. Externally I’m working towards using OpenLayers, although this might mean that I have to convert or re-project all of our data that is in British National Grid format into WGS84 so I can use something like Google Maps as a backend. Not a problem, I just haven’t done it yet. OpenLayers will give me a fairly basic, but nice looking interface that works in a way that people are familiar with from Google Maps and other sites. It is easy to install and can be built into any web page, so it can be embedded in our corporate site and not look out of place. Internally I want to use MapGuide OpenSource, as it has advanced functionality and a fairly slick style built in (I could use Mapserver and build a front-end myself but this seems like the best approach). However, as my last few posts have explained, I am having quite a lot of trouble compiling this on our platform of choice, so we’ll see.

4: There is only one layer so far. We’ll work on this, but often have licensing issues with our data, so we’ll have to check that out first.

Anyhow, enjoy.

Well, my first attempt at getting Mapguide Opensource working on Ubuntu screeched to a massive halt last week with some version conflicts that even the mighty mailing list couldn’t solve. I’m kinda hopeful that if I start from scratch and install only the absoloute basics, then I might avoid the same problem. Unfortunately I can’t get anyone on the list to admit that they’ve successfully managed to install it on Ubuntu, otherwise I could pick their brains mercilessly!

If anyone reading this blog has had success installing Mapguide on Ubuntu, then please let me know in the comments. I promise not to hassle you too much…

On a happier note, Oxford Archaeology now have their first publically available WFS server. I can’t post the address yet until I get permission, but in the first instance it will be serving details about where in the UK we’ve done work. We hope to include more layers soon, but that depends on clearance from other organisations.

The next step will be a nice web interface for the data. I’ve been playing with OpenLayers a lot recently, and that would be the easiest option, but I would like to get Mapguide Opensource up and running because I think the ajax interface for that is about the slickest I’ve seen.

Well, I’m three days in to trying to compile and install the latest version of MapGuide OpenSource on Ubuntu Dapper Drake and it’s quite hard going. Maybe it’s just naivety on my part, but I’m constantly amazed at how many other packages are required, that are not in the documentation, before the various components will install. It’s not the first time I’ve done this either, as I tried it on Suse 9 and Fedora 4 last year and I had the same problem then. I wonder if sometimes the developers forget that relative n00bs like me might have clean systems, without all the extra libraries installed.

Anyhow, once I finally get through it (if it’s even possible…) I’ll post some updated instructions and pointers to try and make the process a little easier in future, both for me and others. At the moment it has failed again, so I’ve had to admit defeat and ask on the mailing list. Hopefully I’ll make some progress tomorrow…

So Leif let out my dirty secret, that I regularly carry three moleskines with me, so I thought I’d better come clean about my burgeoning habit.
As all GTDers know, coming up with a system that works for you is an evolving process. I have been through a digital phase (wasn’t free-range enough for me) and several incarnations of an analogue phase. My current system has been stable for a month or so and, you know, it just feels like it works.

Like Kathy at Creating Passionate Users, I’ve gone for a modified PigPog approach. I originally chose a moleskine because I truly believe that if you’re going to stick with a system of any kind then you want good equipment. Personally, I’m more inclined to persevere with something if I’ve made an investment in it. I also wanted something that was robust enough to survive the bottom of a rucksack every day.

So, I’ve gone for the squared notepad, with post-it note tags separating my various sections. My GTD system has been pared down, as I found when I first started out that too many contexts and lists got in the way. First, I have an inbox, and that’s working pretty well as my primary “bucket” for data capture. The squared notepad helps me to maintain a system for writing each item down and keeps it clear and tidy. Basically I start with the date, then a context in the form @C (at computer), @W (at work) or @H (at home). Then there’s the item itself, which can spill onto as many lines as I need to capture the details (and often the project that it’s part of). Finally, if I’ve done the item and am now waiting for someone else to follow it up, it gets a big W in a circle. Sometimes I need to write down two steps to an item (which breaks the golden rule of next actions, I know, but helps me remember the next stage too). Then items get linked with an arrow. When I’m done, they get crossed out, and when I’m down to a few items left on a page the incomplete items get highlighted.

Following on from the inbox section are “Projects at Work” and “Projects at Home”. I use the project sections for free-form thinking about a project as well as next actions. As I start a project page (and only as I start it) I number it, but in the form PW1, PW2, PH9 etc, depending on whether it’s a home project or a work project. This is easier than numbering the whole notebook when you first get it. I often need to continue on to a new page when I get really into a project, but I just reference the old and new page number (eg “continued from PH3″, “continued on PH11″).

Finally, I have a “someday/maybe” section, but I confess I haven’t used it yet!

Additionally, I use the very front of the moleskine to hold Hipster PDA day planner pages. I don’t always use these, but find them very useful when I have a busy day ahead.

Moleskine Two is a memo planner. Originally I went for a vastly over-packed Hipster PDA approach, but found I was only using one or two sections regularly, so I cut down. Moleskine Two now contains spare day planners, book lists, note paper, shopping lists and mind maps. There is some spare space in it for holding, well anything small and vaguely pocket planner sized.

Finally, and least importantly, I have a moleskine diary. I honestly don’t use it all that often, as I have reluctantly adopted a digital approach to this single aspect. I use Google Calendar for pretty much everything I need to put on the calendar because I like the interface and the ability to set email and text reminders.

In summary, I’ve been attempting the GTD approach for about six months now, and it has taken me this long to really find a system that works. I am an avid consumer of GTD and organisational blogs and they have been enormously helpful when it comes to getting a system that works, but in the end it is down to what works for each person to the extent that it becomes as much part of their life as brushing their teeth. I wouldn’t say I’ve got that far yet, but I’m working on it!

Posted from Lancaster