From Ric.Skinner@bhs.org Fri Apr 4 08:07:05 2003 Received: from mxu4.u.washington.edu (mxu4.u.washington.edu [140.142.33.8]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.12.1+UW03.03/8.12.1+UW03.02) with ESMTP id h34G74Zv038858 for ; Fri, 4 Apr 2003 08:07:04 -0800 Received: from bhsexc1.bhs.org (springfield.bhs.org [141.154.134.25]) by mxu4.u.washington.edu (8.12.1+UW03.03/8.12.1+UW03.02) with ESMTP id h34G71fY020574 for ; Fri, 4 Apr 2003 08:07:02 -0800 Received: by BHSEXC1 with Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) id <2FNHBN2D>; Fri, 4 Apr 2003 11:01:45 -0500 Message-ID: <8243B9A9F4E44C4B996F6009E05ECE5E061F4C1D@bhsexc2.bhs.org> From: "Skinner, Ric" To: "'waphgis@u.washington.edu'" Subject: RE: ESRI International Health GIS Conference Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 11:06:56 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C2FAC4.37291D46" X-Uwash-Spam: Gauge=XXIIIIIIIII, Probability=29%, Report="BIG_FONT, DISCLAIMER, EXCHANGE_SERVER, HTML_FONT_COLOR_BLUE, HTML_FONT_COLOR_RED, MAILTO_LINK, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR, MIME_NULL_BLOCK, SPAM_PHRASE_01_02, __EVITE_CTYPE, __HAS_X_MAILER" This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand this format, some or all of this message may not be legible. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C2FAC4.37291D46 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Frank, By virtue of the conference name :ESRI International Health & Human = Service USER Conf. I would not expect to see a paper that utilized MapInfo or Maptitude as the GIS. Similarly, I doubt the Mapinfo or Maptitude user conferences would accept a paper that was based on one of their = competitors. That's why they call these conferences "user conferences." Ric Skinner, Sr. GIS Coordinator=20 Health Geographics & Spatial Analysis Program=20 Baystate Medical Center=20 3601 Main St. 42=B0 07' 36" N=20 Springfield, MA 01199 USA 72=B0 36' 41" W=20 413-794-0662 (office) =20 413-262-2561 (cell) =20 ric.skinner@bhs.org=20 Associate Editor "Geographic Information Systems and Health = Applications" http://www.idea-group.com/books/details.asp?id=3D509 -----Original Message----- From: Francis P. Boscoe [mailto:fpb01@health.state.ny.us]=20 Sent: Friday, April 04, 2003 10:44 AM To: waphgis@u.washington.edu Subject: ESRI International Health GIS Conference A colleague of mine had his abstract for the ESRI International Health = GIS Conference rejected because he would not be illustrating his research findings using ESRI software. As it happens, the presentation was = developed using software from SAS, MapInfo, Microsoft, Adobe, the University of = Iowa, National Cancer Institute, and other freeware, though the first four companies are entirely incidental and were not mentioned in the = abstract nor would there be any reason to mention them in the presentation.=20 I find this troublesome on several grounds:=20 1) The conference literature does not state any such restriction on presentation content. References are to GIS generically and not ESRI products specifically (http://gis.esri.com/industries/health/2003/abstract_form.cfm)=20 2) This rule raises potential ethical concerns for the numerous public agencies participating in this conference.=20 3) Given the limited number of conference events specifically focused = on GIS and Public Health, this conference is, by default, a major event in our field. What does it mean when our research results are vetted by a = private corporation?=20 Thoughts?=20 [Disclaimer: I would like to state for the record that I have no = particular objection to ESRI, and I have used their products in many different contexts, and will continue doing so. No doubt this same concern could = be raised regarding other companies in other disciplines].=20 Francis P. Boscoe, Ph.D.=20 Research Scientist=20 Geographic Analysis Section , =20 Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology=20 New York State Department of Health=20 547 River St., Room 200=20 Troy, NY 12180 =20 ------_=_NextPart_001_01C2FAC4.37291D46 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message
Frank,
By virtue of the conference name :ESRI International = Health &=20 Human Service USER Conf. I would not expect to see a paper that = utilized=20 MapInfo or Maptitude as the GIS. Similarly, I doubt the Mapinfo or = Maptitude=20 user conferences would accept a paper that was based on one of their=20 competitors. That's why they call these conferences "user=20 conferences."
Ric Skinner, Sr. GIS Coordinator =
Health=20 Geographics & Spatial Analysis Program
Baystate Medical Center =
3601=20 Main=20 St.           &nb= sp;           &nb= sp;             42=B0 07' = 36" N=20
Springfield, MA  01199  = USA           72=B0 = 36' 41" W=20
413-794-0662 (office) 
413-262-2561 (cell)  =
ric.skinner@bhs.org =
Associate Editor = "Geographic Information=20 Systems and Health Applications"
http:/= /www.idea-group.com/books/details.asp?id=3D509
-----Original Message-----
From: = Francis P.=20 Boscoe [mailto:fpb01@health.state.ny.us]
Sent: Friday, = April 04,=20 2003 10:44 AM
To: = waphgis@u.washington.edu
Subject: ESRI=20 International Health GIS Conference


A=20 colleague of mine had his abstract for the ESRI International Health = GIS=20 Conference rejected because he would not be illustrating his research = findings=20 using ESRI software. As it happens, the presentation was developed = using=20 software from SAS, MapInfo, Microsoft, Adobe, the University of Iowa, = National=20 Cancer Institute, and other freeware, though the first four companies = are=20 entirely incidental and were not mentioned in the abstract nor would = there be=20 any reason to mention them in the presentation.

I=20 find this troublesome on several grounds:

1) The=20 conference literature does not state any such restriction on = presentation=20 content. References are to GIS generically and not ESRI products = specifically=20 (http://gis.esri.com/industries/health/2003/abstract_form.cfm)=20

2) This rule raises potential ethical = concerns for=20 the numerous public agencies participating in this conference.=20

3) Given the limited number of = conference events=20 specifically focused on GIS and Public Health, this conference is, by = default,=20 a major event in our field. What does it mean when our research = results are=20 vetted by a private corporation?

Thoughts?=20

[Disclaimer: I would like to state for the = record that I=20 have no particular objection to ESRI, and I have used their products = in many=20 different contexts, and will continue doing so. No doubt this same = concern=20 could be raised regarding other companies in other = disciplines].=20

Francis P. Boscoe, Ph.D. =
Research Scientist=20
Geographic Analysis = Section  ,=20  
Bureau of Environmental = and=20 Occupational Epidemiology
New York=20 State Department of Health
547=20 River St., Room 200
Troy, NY=20 12180   =
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