Nineteenth Response:

...received 7 July 2003, 9PM...

>1. Why did you pay to belong to the ASLA Computing Professional Interest Group?

Inertia -- I was co-chair.

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>2. What are the two most pressing office IT issues you face on a daily practical basis or on a strategic office management basis?

How is IT changing the content and process of practice? Is it really

helpful to remain a step behind the bleeding edge, or does it lead to

costs without benefit?

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>3. What do you expect on IT from Landscape Architecture Magazine and the ASLA Computing Professional Interest Group?

I liked the past columns. I expect comparative reviews and

discussions of technology that is a step behind the bleeding edge.

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>4. After four months of links to IT articles, do you find ASLAcomputingBlog useful? ...entertaining? http://radio.weblogs.com/0119189/ ...and how regularly do you visit the site?

I have not used the blog. It is just one more overload.

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ehf annotation: today is 13 July.  It has been a week since the last email response, the one above. 

Overload, bleeding edge.  I have felt no pressure to be at the bleeding edge.  As long as my tools satisfy my contract deliverables, satisfy my desire to communicate landscape architecture...I feel no pressure to get the latest or newest revision of anything...its a merry-go-round that never slows and it is just not necessary to get on it.  But, regarding overload, you can not ignore IT and landscape architecture, the process is changing.

5:03:21 PM    comment []

 

 

Eighteenth Response:

...received 2 July 2003, 2:14PM...

I hope this reply helps - it's a busy day and I don't have much time to

respond (as usual).

1. Why did you pay to belong to the ASLA Computing Professional Interest Group?

I was curious about the group, but I knew nothing about it, so I joined.

Your blog was the only thing I ever saw happening with the interest group.

 

2. What are the two most pressing office IT issues you face on a daily practical basis or on a strategic office management basis?

Most pressing IT issues . . . none really, we have all the tools (that

currently exist) that we need for our work . . . strategically, it's selling

additonal services that utilize visualization software that limit our

technology. It takes willing clients to request these services to get them

going, but they don't want to be the first, they want proven experience and

examples, which is hard to create (tech cost, training, time consuming to

produce).

 

3. What do you expect on IT from Landscape Architecture Magazine and the ASLA Computing Professional Interest Group?

From LAM: coverage of new technology tools that relate to landscape

architects; visualization software, pressure sensitive digitizer-monitors,

etc., new tools we can use in our business - AND - help define the tools we

need to give the tech companies a product specific goal.

 

4. After four months of links to IT articles, do you find ASLAcomputingBlog useful?

No, unfortunately I don't regularly visit the site - I didn't find much

information useful that I didn't find elsewhere (pc magazines, wired,

cnet.com ...)

ehf annotation: the response to the second question is a real one that I have run into regularly and it says we have some nifty abilities, nifty tools, but we can not sell the results...why can't those results be sold?  Why is there not a market?  Is the question rather, are the results worth anything?  If the results give no obvious benefit to the client, then time has been wasted, no?

4:55:13 PM    comment []

 

 

Seventeenth Response:

...received 2 July 2003, 2PM...

The most useful info is how to keep the tools we use up to date without

spending too much money, how to keep our skills competitive with out

spending too much time & to be aware of what software tools other people

are using on a regular basis.

When purchasing new machines what requirements other people feel are

cost effective.

ehf annotation: a number of responses, like this one, are almost begging for a simple, effective way to exchange information...the telephone?...face-to-face at the cafe?...email?...ASLA WWW site?...the blog?...what does it take to overcome the inertia?

4:45:39 PM    comment []

 

 

Sixteenth Response:

...received 1 July 2003, 12:57PM...

Here are some answers to your 4 (3? 3-1/2?) questions from someone (me)

who's been the IT manager in several landscape architecture firms. I hope

they're useful.

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1. What are the two most pressing office IT issues you face on a daily practical basis or on a strategic office management basis?

A: Those would be file storage/management and printing issues. In

particular for file management, how much room is left on the server to save

large files, and should those files be saved also/instead to local drives

which are now much larger?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2. What do you expect on IT from Landscape Architecture Magazine?

A: IT issues that impact any aspect of the practice of landscape

architecture. New technology, developing strategies, common (or even

uncommon) problems landscape architects face.

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3. After four months of links to IT articles, have you found ASLAcomputingBloguseful? ...entertaining? http://radio.weblogs.com/0119189/ ...and how regularly do you visit the site?

A: I have never visited that particular blog before, but now that I know

about it I will keep an eye on it...

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4:40:38 PM    comment []

 

Fifteenth Response:

...received 26 June 2003, 1:25PM...

I am VERY dissappointed in LAM for pulling this feature. It was always

the first article I read. Now I don't even look at LAM when it is in my

mailbox until it has set there for a few days, and even then it might

just be to look at the title and then put on my shelf.

Before I would look to the IT article right away and then that night

read through the rest of LAM.

 

> 1. What are the two most pressing office IT issues you face on a daily practical basis or on a strategic office management basis?

Communication between project members and techniques for doing certain

things with certain software. ie GIS methodology.

 

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> 2. What do you expect on IT from Landscape Architecture Magazine?

Software reviews, methodology review of innovative techniques and

tutorials for how to go about completing a project using technology. I

am not referring to which button to press in the later case, but more

of a synopsis than first you need to load the aerial photos into your

GPS app, etc.

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> 3. After four months of links to IT articles, have you found ASLAcomputingBlog useful? ...entertaining? http://radio.weblogs.com/0119189/ ...and how regularly do you visit the site?

Maybe a visit 1-2 times a month. Much like the computer PIG, there

needs to me more interaction to make it useful. However most techy

designers are so busy working that they rarely have time to "chat"

about technology. It follows the same idea of designing everybody

else's landscape and having no time to do your own residence.

4:34:57 PM    comment []

 

 

Fourteenth Response:

...received 26 June 2003, 11AM...

I am a Cad manager rather than the IT person in the office. I couldn't answer all your questions. But I like the ASLA computingBlog. I read it once a month. It's very informational. Thanks.

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ehf annotation:...hmmm...

4:30:50 PM    comment []

 

 

Thirteenth Response:

...received 24 June 2003, 7:45PM...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Why did you pay to belong to the ASLA Computing Professional Interest Group?

This is a key issue effecting our profession.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2. What are the two most pressing office IT issues you face on a daily practical basis or on a strategic office management basis?

Information management and cross discipline communication and coordination.

Virtual absence of any useful Landscape architectural software package,

Landcadd very inadequate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3. What do you expect on IT from Landscape Architecture Magazine and the ASLA Computing Professional Interest Group?

Insight to the state of the art and creative ways to apply to our

profession.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4. After four months of links to IT articles, do you find ASLAcomputingBlog useful? ...entertaining?http://radio.weblogs.com/0119189/ ...and how regularly do you visit the site?

I knew nothing about it. Just saw it for the first time and find the info

useless. We are not techno geeks and could care less about Linux. We need

to know how to apply this tool to our business.

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ehf annotation: the spectrum of IT understanding in landscape architecture is most regularly a narrow band focussed on getting a profitable contract deliverable out the door.  That is the real world with its near term horizon.  I would contend that the better we understand the broader spectrum, the better we will be able to improve our bottom line and improve our landscape communication with others, in the near, medium, and long term horizons. 

There is no easy way out.

4:28:01 PM    comment []

 

 

Twelfth Response:

...received 24 June 2003, 3PM...

4:18:31 PM    comment []

 

 

This next set of issues, in the 11th response, drives right to the heart of the generational gap in landscape architecture as it impedes the development of IT in both the office and the classroom.  How many of you have seen or are seeing this at the office or in the schools???

Eleventh Response:

...received 24 June 2003, 2PM...

I am writing in response to the questions posted on the Larch-l list.

First, a little background information might help. My name is ............ and I graduated from The Ohio State University with A Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture in the spring of 2001. Since, I have moved to Boston where I worked in a small landscape architecture firm for a year, then moved to a large multidisciplinary firm where I have been for the last four months or so. Thought this might help keep my answers in perspective.

 

In response to the first question, I feel the most pressing issue faced daily is lack of training at all levels of employees. The vast majority of senior level management (cross disciplinary too) seems both afraid of technology and unwilling to learn new methods. I understand this has practical implications. Most senior level managers are more concerned about the bottom line than anything else. They are unwilling to commit the time, money, and resources to explore emerging technologies.  completely understandable, after all, we are all here to earn a living. But most importantly, I feel the "old guard" is too set in their ways, afraid, or just plain not willing, to explore new technologies. This has far reaching implications. I can't count the hours I have sat with the higher ups discussing what can and can't be done with the existing technologies, how it is done, time it will take etc. It seems to me if upper level management truly wants to be effective, they would take the time to learn the new programs. not only would this increase THEIR productivity, but ease communication and exploration of ideas immeasurably as well as more smoothly facilitating the design process. 

 

Also, often it is harder for the lower level employees to convince the boss to invest in these new technologies. The profit/budget/deadline driven manager can't justify spending the extra effort, often putting the the burden onto the lower level employees. (If those employees believe strongly enough in emerging technologies to accept the added work and explore new ideas on his or her own time)

 

a second pressing issue I have noticed is organization. This was much more prevalent in the smaller office. Information was terribly unorganized and extraordinarily  difficult to recover in a timely fashion. the larger office does a MUCH better job of organizing information, but it is not perfect. Haven't pondered this one too deeply, so I don't have a lot if input or ground breaking thoughts on it. But we do live in the information age, and the more we create, the more difficult it is to catalog.

 

As far as what I expect from LAM, first I suppose I should attach a caveat. I only recently joined asla (I think the issue with the blurb about IT being omitted for the next couple of months was one of my first issues)so I'm not sure exactly what the column conveyed. With that said, I would like to see the emphasis on emerging technologies and their applications. What's the latest 3d rendering program out there? would it be valuable to my firm? what is the difference between Photoshop 7 and 6? is it enough to warrant spending the extra money? What would be a good collection of programs for a medium size office to buy to effectively communicate new ideas at a reasonable price? (i.e. compatible raster and vector graphic programs) what about 3d rendering? what kind of platforms would need to show this to a client? What about GIS? How can I use this to my advantage? Are there classes to learn about all this stuff? Explaining application is paramount, especially to those who aren't entirely familiar with technology. It is immeasurably important to explain how all this things can be productive, beneficial, and profitable to the ones signing the checks.

 

Lastly, I'm embarrassed to admit I haven't been visiting the aslacomputingblog as regularly as I would like to. Not sure I could comment on it.

 

Hope this has helped in some way. It may be a tad obvious I have very strong feelings about technology and its place in the profession of landscape architecture. Unfortunately, I don't feel members of this profession have fully embraced technology nor realized its potential. We're falling behind when we should be leading the pack. Again, my experience is limited, but the themes outlined above seem to be constant in many places throughout the profession. 

4:09:58 PM    comment []

 

 

Tenth Response:

...received 24 June 2003, 10PM...

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>1. What are the two most pressing office IT issues you face on a daily practical basis or on a strategic office management basis?

Staying up to date on new versions of programs and on computing

hardware. There are so many new things that keep coming out or changing,

and each time it takes some of my time to train or get used to new software

and equipment. I don't mind making the effort, I just wish there was some

way of knowing ahead of time whether it was going to be worth it (sometimes

it is and sometimes it isn't). Last year I spent quite a bit of time

learning a new software program and in the end felt it didn't do a lot of

the things I wanted. For example right now I have a lot of digital images

and am wondering if there is a good software program to catalogue and keep

track of them. Also, I read an add about a new machine that you can take

to a site and sit it on a bench mark, then you carry this rod around the

site, touch the ground, press a button and it gives you spot

elevations - I would like to hear from someone who has tried it.

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>2. What do you expect on IT from Landscape Architecture Magazine?

To find out something new - something that I didn't know before. Where to

go to get things. What they cost. Advantages and disadvantages of

particular applications or equipment.

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>3. After four months of links to IT articles, have you found ASLAcomputingBlog useful? ...entertaining? http://radio.weblogs.com/0119189/ ...and how regularly do you visit the site?

I think the IT articles that I have read so far are too in depth. For

example, the article on data bases was too much to hold my interest. It

was kind of a survey of all possible data base uses and programs. I would

much rather of had several shorter evaluations of several different data

base programs (i.e. this is good for this, but bad for that etc.). Also,

the Illustrator article was too in much. If want to learn the program I

will learn it. I would have appreciated a 3 paragraph evaluation - what

are the evaluation criteria and how it performs compared to similar

programs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thoughtful responses that demonstrate just how broad the IT spectrum is in landscape architecture.

3:54:54 PM    comment []

 

 

The following is an interesting response in that nothing written directly addresses IT issues in Landscape Architecture!

...hmmm...have I missed something?

Ninth Response:

...received 23 June 2003, 11PM...

3:45:48 PM    comment []