Feedback Please! Your Use of Web-Base Geospatial Technologies

Our research team at the University of Colorado is conducting a study to understand the concerns of planners and planning organizations when considering the use of new web-based geospatial technologies. Some examples of these new technologies include: user-driven spatial data collection (e.g. Open Street Map), customized mapping (e.g.. Wikimapia, Google MyMaps, Greenmap, Click2Map), and location-based, geo-referenced social networking platforms (e.g. Foursquare, Twitter).

We would greatly appreciate your input on this topic. Below are some concerns that firms and organizations have identified regarding their decisions to adopt these new technologies. Please identify your top three concerns. We would also appreciate hearing any other concerns you and/or your organization might have about employing web-based mapping technologies.

Identify Your Top 3 Concerns:

a. Clarity of need (i.e. proof that new technology is necessary to invest time or money in)
b. Software licensing issues
c. Quality of output
d. Ease of learning
e. Efficiency
f. Cost of hardware/software itself
g. Flexibility/adaptability
h. Training costs
i. Target audiences not "ready" for technology
j. Applicability to the planning process
k. Ease of use
l. Terms of service
m. Product longevity
n. Privacy
o. Other________?

Please reply to this question right here in the forum. If you prefer your response remain confidential, please e-mail your response to Rebecca Colbert at rebecca.colbert (at) colorado.edu.