Points of Interest: January 10, 2005

Relief Effort Volunteer Opportunities. Martha Lombard e-mailed last week to share the news that GISCorps is looking into providing GIS support to agencies the areas affected by the tsunami, and other areas in need. Applications for potential volunteers are available on the website.

Just this weekend, GISCorps selected its first volunteer who'll be on his way to the area soon. He will participate in a joint project with the Global MapAid and MapAction. He will join GMA's two volunteers and travel to the affected areas in the next few weeks, according to an e-mail to volunteers and friends of GISCorps. You can learn more about how the first volunteer got to be the first volunteer on this blog.

Two other groups are seeking volunteers for relief efforts through GISCorps. The organizations seek individuals with experience in disaster management and remote sensing, and who can work in harsh conditions.

GISCorps is looking for potential volunteers (both for in field and "at home" work including grant writing and GIS analysis) and donations to support the volunteers' costs of travel and living expenses while on assignment. Contributions can be made to: URISA, 1460 Renaissance Dr, Suite 305 park Ridge Il, 60068 and make sure your checks are made to: URISA, (with GISCorps-Tsunami Relief on the footnote).

Tusnami Photo Errors. The Times of India and other outlets in Canada, Australia and elsewhere are acknowledging and reporting that photographs (not satellite images) of the recent tsunami in Asia were in fact images of another event in 2002. The images were released last Thursday by PTI and were actually photographs of a tidal bore on the Qiantangjiang River in China in 2002. For more on other errors see Snopes.com.

MapInfo Bonuses. MapInfo filed papers in advance of its annual meeting to be held in February. Mark Cattini a $462,000 bonus last year, on top of $330,000 in base pay. That was up from $300,000 last year. The bonus was up from the $388,904. One director, Quinn H. Tran, will not stand for re-election, but the rest will.

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Source: Material used herein is often supplied by external sources and used as is.