From "Free Information" to Its (Geo)referencing and Analysis: The "Costs" of Open Source

ENG-Is it possible, starting from free data or free information, also available online, to get a representation of them on paper, consequently highlight- ing the real spatial component? How to handle normal address lists and to achieve their transformation into geographic coordinates, expressed in lati- tude and longitude? What difficulties come up against and how can we face and overcome them? This contribution, trying to return an updated image of the current situation, highlights potential and critical points of mecha- nisms and procedures rarely accessible in an effective manner. Finally, it dwells on the opportunities offered by information sharing and knowledge since they facilitate the individual and collective growth, the participatory processes and the social justice. ITA-È possibile, a partire da dati o informazioni libere, disponibili anche in rete, ottenere una loro rappresentazione grafica che ne metta in evidenza la reale dimensione spaziale? Come gestire semplici liste di indirizzi e ottenere la loro trasformazione in coordinate geografiche, espresse in latitudine e longitudine? Quali difficoltà si incontrano e come si possono affrontare e superare? Questo contributo, cercando di offrire un quadro aggiornato della situazione attuale, mette in evidenza le potenzialità e i punti critici di meccanismi e procedure volti a ottenere questi risultati. Infine, vengono sottolineate le opportunità offerte dalla condivisione di informazioni e conoscenze in quanto possono agevolare la crescita individuale e collettiva, i processi di partecipazione e la giustizia social

From "Free Information" to Its (Geo)referencing and Analysis: The "Costs" of Open Source

ENG-Is it possible, starting from free data or free information, also available online, to get a representation of them on paper, consequently highlight- ing the real spatial component? How to handle normal address lists and to achieve their transformation into geographic coordinates, expressed in lati- tude and longitude? What difficulties come up against and how can we face and overcome them? This contribution, trying to return an updated image of the current situation, highlights potential and critical points of mecha- nisms and procedures rarely accessible in an effective manner. Finally, it dwells on the opportunities offered by information sharing and knowledge since they facilitate the individual and collective growth, the participatory processes and the social justice. ITA-È possibile, a partire da dati o informazioni libere, disponibili anche in rete, ottenere una loro rappresentazione grafica che ne metta in evidenza la reale dimensione spaziale? Come gestire semplici liste di indirizzi e ottenere la loro trasformazione in coordinate geografiche, espresse in latitudine e longitudine? Quali difficoltà si incontrano e come si possono affrontare e superare? Questo contributo, cercando di offrire un quadro aggiornato della situazione attuale, mette in evidenza le potenzialità e i punti critici di meccanismi e procedure volti a ottenere questi risultati. Infine, vengono sottolineate le opportunità offerte dalla condivisione di informazioni e conoscenze in quanto possono agevolare la crescita individuale e collettiva, i processi di partecipazione e la giustizia sociale

Data processing of the “Decameron” by Giovanni Boccaccio—for the 700th year of his birth

The authors, in the 700th year from the birth of Giovanni Boccaccio, intend to celebrate the event by their proper means: statistical, numerical, computing, and cartographic techniques, as used in Geomatics. However, we also mean to have an interface between Geomatics and Humanistics for hybridation of different areas

Anamorphic Cartograms and Environmental Risk Analysis

Both Geography and Statistics use graphical representations. Information Technology has enhanced the visualization of data, beyond the traditional aspects, to such an extent that we can nowadays speak of an “image society”. Traditional thematic mapping also shows transformations of a variable over time, linking the geographical datum to the time variable. For some decades now a number of cartograms have been in use, for which the base area is displaced as a function of a particular factor, these are known as anamorphic cartograms. An anamorphic map is easier to read and may give an overview of a geographic whole

Data processing of the "Decameron" by Giovanni Boccaccio—for the 700th year of his birth

The authors, in the 700th year from the birth of Giovanni Boccaccio, intend to celebrate the event by their proper means: statistical, numerical, computing, and cartographic techniques, as used in Geomatics. However, we also mean to have an interface between Geomatics and Humanistics for hybridation of different areas

Real-time monitoring for fast deformations using GNSS low-cost receivers

Landslides are one of the major geo-hazards which have constantly affected Italy especially over the last few years. In fact 82% of the Italian territory is affected by this phenomenon which destroys the environment and often causes deaths: therefore it is necessary to monitor these effects in order to detect and prevent these risks. Nowadays, most of this type of monitoring is carried out by using traditional topographic instruments (e.g. total stations) or satellite techniques such as global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers. The level of accuracy obtainable with these instruments is sub-centimetrical in post-processing and centimetrical in real-time; however, the costs are very high (many thousands of euros). The rapid diffusion of GNSS networks has led to an increase of using mass-market receivers for real-time positioning. In this paper, the performances of GNSS mass-market receiver are reported with the aim of verifying if this type of sensor can be used for real-time landslide monitoring: for this purpose a special slide was used for simulating a landslide, since it enabled us to give manual displacements thanks to a micrometre screw. These experiments were also carried out by considering a specific statistical test (a modified Chow test) which enabled us to understand if there were any displacements from a statistical point of view in real time. The tests, the algorithm and results are reported in this paper

Information and communication:two special issues for Geomatics

Information Systems may be considered as a part of universal media. The survey and mapping disciplines, particularly Photogrammetry, Remote sensing and GIS, can give very important contribution to many human activities, but they can also be negatively used to support, in very sophisticated ways, the escalation of armies, wars and destruction: in many cases of warfare, information is vital, regardless for the aim.. So some form of control is mandatory on the part of right-minded scientists and technicians: Human Sciences may be of great help for a better interpretation of information