Maps are the loveliest way for us to see complicated geodata. “Geomatics is the study of methods and technologies used to collect, distribute, analyse and present geographical, and spatial data, both natural and human-made”. https://www.westerncape.gov.za/infrastructure/become-geomatics-professional There are geomaticians with pen and paper (look out for Peter Slingsby ‘s routes and paths in the Drakensberg and …
Author archives: Derek
About You – in pictures
Have you been asked to write a “speaker bio” or “author profile”? My reaction is …. Writing about oneself objectively and neutrally (especially in the third person) can be an uncomfortable task. I know about a “Goldilocks profile” (not too hot, not too cold, but just right). But… if I’m frank, I’ve never found that perfect bio …
Pluriverse – Lens 1 (personal)
Blog post to accompany my submission 26-29 /04/ 1994 marked a key date in our country’s temporal knowledge graph (TKG). Nelson Mandela {{Q|8023}} chose to cast his vote at Ohlange High School {{Q|7081074}} located in Natal {{Q|917867}} This rural educational institution was founded in 1901 by John Langalibele Dube {{Q|1700787}} with his wife, Nokutela Dube …
Pluriverse – Lens 2 (collegial)
Blog post to accompany my submission Organizing and classifying information appeals to me. I appreciate a good set of WordPress tags. But I’ve never managed to get a system that works. Wikipedia’s “Categories” are used to group or cluster pages on similar subjects together. Categories help the reader to find more information about a topic area. Categories …
Families on Wikidata
Kate (Q1252986310)and Ravi (Q135189340) are good friends with Dr Susan (0000-0001-9554-4948), who is our next-door neighbour here in Richmond (Q61359147). Our lives occasionally intersect at birthday parties or tea. Their two gals also went to Parktown High School for Girls (Q7138735), like my two. None of these identifiers are as memorable as that of Q1001 …
Family Charts & SPARQL Queries
I’ve use the word “Wikidata” repeatedly in blog posts over the last few months. SPARQL is the way in which you can query Wikidata. I’ve found the easiest way to learn how to “Sparkle” is by experimenting. I have deleted the rest of this blog post. Weird technical glitches.
Public Art and Wikidata
Clive van den Berg’s (Q106259021) “eland” welcomed me to Braamfontein when I came up from Pietermaritzburg for a job interview in 2009 with SAIDE (took me a while before I created their Wikipedia page). In the wild, this buck is the second biggest antelope in the world. The Kudu (I’m told is the third largest). …
Knowledge Graph
I like being understood. Like most people, I prefer it when others get me. When I go back to Pietermaritzburg, am with my school and university friends, or when with family, it feels as if I am with people who get me. Know both me and my context. I think that we make sense of …
Discovering Family Charts.
It’s been a month of changes, which have come in many shades. Cara got to visit Katy in Berlin for the July Holidays. Just after her return, Daisy died (24 July 2025). In a few weeks’ time, Simon will be heading over to Dorset to teach at Milton Abbey and the rest of the family (except Amy) …
ALT routes
I put on my learning technologist cycle helmet and went to work for ALT. For three month, I re-entered the minority world’s Information Superhighway (Thanks, Al) / the Networked Society (hey Manny) / the Fourth Industrial Revolution (ja, Klaus) . Whatever metaphor we choose to adopt today, I occupied the role of professional development for …