Internet GIS, or Internet

geographic information system A geographic information system (GIS) is a type of database containing Geographic data and information, geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with Geographic information system software, sof ...

s, is a term that refers to a broad set of technologies and applications that employ the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

to access, analyze, visualize, and distribute

spatial data Geographic data and information is defined in the ISO/TC 211 series of standards as data and information having an implicit or explicit association with a location relative to Earth (a geographic location or geographic position). It is also call ...

Introduction

Internet GIS is an outgrowth of traditional

s or GIS, and represents a paradigm shift from conducting GIS on an individual computer to working with remotely distributed data and functions. Internet GIS is a subset of

Distributed GIS Distributed GIS refers to GI Systems that do not have all of the system components in the same physical location. This could be the processing, the database, the rendering or the user interface. It represents a special case of distributed computin ...

, but specifically uses the internet rather than generic computer networks. Internet GIS applications are often, but not exclusively, conducted through the

World Wide Web The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system enabling documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet. Documents and downloadable media are made available to the network through web se ...

(also known as the Web), giving rise to the sub-branch of Web GIS, often used interchangeably with Internet GIS. While is has become nearly synonymous with to many in the industry, the two are as distinct as the internet is from the World Wide Web. Likewise, is as distinct from as the Internet is from distributed computer networks in general. Internet GIS includes services beyond those enabled by the Web. Use of any other internet-enabled services to facilitate GIS functions, even if used in conjuncture with the Web, represents the use of Internet GIS. One of the most common applications of a distributed GIS system, accessing remotely saved data, can be done through the internet without the need for the Web. This is often done in practice when data are sensitive, such as hospital patient data and research facilities proprietary data, where sending data through the Web may be a security risk. This can be done using a

Virtual private network A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across a public network and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. The be ...

(VPN) to access a local network remotely. The use of VPN for these purposes serged during the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

pandemic, when employers needed to allow employees using GIS access to sensitive spatial data from home.

History

The history of Internet geographic information systems is linked to the history of the computer, the internet, and the quantitative revolution in geography. Geography tends to adapt technologies from other disciplines rather than innovating and inventing the technologies employed to conduct geographic studies. The computer and internet are not an exception, and were rapidly investigated to purpose towards the needs of geographers. In 1959,

Waldo Tobler Waldo Rudolph Tobler (November 16, 1930 – February 20, 2018) was an American-Swiss geographer and cartographer. Tobler's idea that "Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things" is referred to ...

published the first paper detailing the use of computers in map creation. This was the beginning of computer cartography, or the use of computers to create maps. In 1960, the first true geographic information system capable of storing, analyzing, changing, and creating visualizations with spatial data was created by

Roger Tomlinson Roger F. Tomlinson, (17 November 1933 – 7 February 2014) was an English-Canadian geographer and the primary originator of modern geographic information systems (GIS), and has been acknowledged as the "father of GIS." Biography Dr. Tomlinso ...

on behalf of the Canadian Government to manage natural resources. These technologies represented a paradigm shift in

cartography Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...

and geography, with desktop computer cartography facilitated through GIS rapidly replaced traditional ways of making maps. The emergence of GIS and computer technology contributed to the quantitative revolution in geography and the emergence of the branch of

technical geography Technical geography is one of three main branches of geography and involves using, studying, and creating tools to obtain, analyze, interpret, and understand spatial information. The other two branches, human geography and physical geography, can ...

. As computer technology advanced the desktop machine became the default for producing maps, a process known as

digital mapping Digital mapping (also called digital or computer cartography) is the process by which a collection of spatial data is compiled and formatted into a virtual image on a computer. The primary function of this technology is to produce maps that give a ...

, or computer cartography. These computers were networked together to share data and processing power and create redundant communications for defense applications. This computer network evolved into the internet, and by the late 1980s, the internet was available in some people's homes. Over time, the internet moved from a novelty to a major part of daily life. Using the internet, it was no longer necessary to store all data for a project locally, and communications were vastly improved. Following this trend, GIScientists began developing methods for combining the internet and GIS. This process accelerated in the 1990s, with the creation of the World Wide Web in 1990 and the first major web mapping program,

Xerox PARC Map Viewer Xerox PARC Map Viewer was one of the earliest static web mapping sites, developed by Steve Putz in June 1993 at Xerox Corporation's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). The Xerox PARC Map Viewer was an experiment in providing interactive information ...

, capable of distributed map creation appearing in 1993. This software was unique in that it facilitated dynamic user map generation, rather than static images. These new Web-based programs helped users to employ GIS without having it locally installed on their machine, ultimately leading to Web GIS being the dominant way users interact with internet GIS. In 1995 The US federal government made the TIGER Mapping Service available to the public, facilitating desktop and Web GIS by hosting US boundary data. This data availability, facilitated through the internet, silently revolutionized cartography by providing the world with authoritative boundary files, for free. In 1996,

MapQuest MapQuest (stylized as mapquest) is an American free online web mapping service. It was launched in 1996 as the first commercial web mapping service. MapQuest vies for market share with competitors such as Google Maps and Here. History MapQuest's ...

became available to the public, facilitating navigation and trip planning. Sometime during the 1990s, more maps were transmitted over the internet then physically printed. This milestone was predicted in 1985, and represented a major shift in how we distribute spatial products to the masses.

Web GIS

The

is an information system that uses the internet to host, share, and distribute documents, images, and other data. Web GIS involves using the World Wide Web to facilitate GIS tasks traditionally done on a desktop computer, as well as enabling the sharing of maps and spatial data. Most, but not all, internet GIS is Web GIS, however all Web GIS is internet GIS.. This is quite similar to how much of the activity on the internet is hosted on the World Wide Web, but not everything on the internet is the World Wide Web. The tasks Web GIS are used for are numerous but can be generally divided into the categories of Geospatial web services: web feature services, web processing services, and web mapping services.

Mobile GIS

Cell phones and other wireless communication forms have become common in society. Many of these devices are connected to the internet and can access internet GIS applications like any other computer. These devices are networked together, using technology such as the

mobile web The mobile web refers to mobile browser-based World Wide Web services accessed from handheld mobile devices, such as smartphones or feature phones, through a mobile or other wireless network. History and development Traditionally, the World ...

. Unlike traditional computers, however, these devices generate immense amounts of spatial data available to the device user and many governments and private entities. The tools, applications, and hardware used to facilitate GIS through the use of wireless technology is mobile GIS. Used by the holder of the device, mobile GIS enables navigation applications like

Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets ( Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and rou ...

to help the user navigate to a location. When used by private firms, the location data collected can help businesses understand foot traffic in an area to optimize business practices. Governments can use this data to monitor citizens. Access to locational data by third parties has led to privacy concerns. Mobile GIS is a subset of distributed GIS, and has a significant overlap with internet GIS, however not all mobile GIS employs the internet, much less the mobile web. Thus, the categories are distinct.

Criticism

By their definition, maps can never be perfect and are simplifications of reality. Ethical cartographers try to keep these inaccuracies documented and to a minimum, while encouraging critical perspectives when using a map. Internet GIS has brought map-making tools to the general public, facilitating the rapidly disseminating these maps. While this is potentially positive, it also means that people without cartographic training can easily make and disseminate misleading maps to a wide audience. Further, malicious actors can quickly spread intentionally misleading spatial information while hiding the source.

References