User Support

The following screencast gives a quick tour of the new import process.

New importer: We completely rebuilt the dataset import process to make it much easier to upload datasets, fill out lots of descriptive information, and find out something useful when the process fails.  You can now also upload multiple layer datasets, which allow multiple related GIS files (shapefiles or ArcGRIDs) to be bundled together into a single dataset.  This allows you to view all individual GIS files together in the map page, download them all at once, and more.

This week I'm in Juneau attending a Regional Data Integration Workshop hosted by the Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center and Southeast Alaska GIS Library at the University of Alaska Southeast.  The organizers are bringing together nearly 40 scientists and practitioners from federal and state agencies, universities, and non-profits to coordinate data and data integration tools built to address issues of regional importance.  A bit more on that below, but first here are the week's updates:

This week's post outlines advancements in Data Basin function, content, and community engagement.

1. Functional Enhancements

We rolled out another series of design updates on 1/29/2011.   One of our major goals in this release was to make it easier to browse and work with content, which means reducing visual clutter and better use of space on the page.  We've moved more strongly toward effective use of white space, so you will no longer see the curved green or yellow header bars on pages, nor will you see private items highlighted with a yellow background (note: these items are still private!).  There are fewer borders and lines to get in the way of quickly skimming content.  We rewo

Here's is a look under the Data Basin hood this week:

1.  Functional Enhancements:

The software develpment team is working toward a deployent of updates later this week.  This will include better handling of emails / in-system messages and several other changes described in last week's update (Tiger by the Tail). 

Working on Data Basin has sometimes felt like "having a tiger by the tail.”  As of late, our beloved tiger has been purring, and we've made some advances!  With the goal of providing Data Basin users with more regular updates and stimulating feedback, I'll be creating posts to describe and seek input on:

Who doesn’t like maps? Our director James Strittholt has said before that maps are a unifying object from which people can find common ground. You can take a group of people, spread out a map on the table and everyone will begin dreaming, talking and telling stories. Data Basin is not much different and, from the beginning, we have been thrilled by how much the community has taught us how it will be used. 

Here on the Data Basin development team, we are always working to make Data Basin easier to use.  We are currently working through a series of design updates that we hope will make it easier to perform basic tasks and make better use of space.  One of our major changes is eliminating the under-utilized right column for most pages, and expanding the content area to fill this space.

Over my career I can’t recall how many paper napkin maps I have digitized into datasets.