Friday, October 17, 2008

OSB data new ETA - next week

I got word from Amy that there were some problems getting the OSB data into the geographic database. The problems have been worked out, but the new projected time to get the data is next week. That's awfully late in the (first half) project, and I worry that you won't have time to deal with whatever surprises turn up when you're working with a new data set (and I can almost guarantee there will be some surprises, though I don't know what they will be).

On the positive side, this is a realistic experience ... dealing with some external dependence that was not resolved as planned happens all the time.

So how do we cope with it? Here are my thoughts:
  • It's worth at least taking a shot at handling the OSB data when we get it ... but I won't be surprised if the result of that is identifying some problems rather than solving them. Identifying problems is progress.
  • I've asked Amy if we can get some different GIS data, possibly from downtown Eugene, so that we can have some kind of test of the ways you are generalizing the input handling.
  • If all we can do is test the generalized input processing on the existing input data ... it's not what I hoped for by the midterm, but it's better than nothing.
So we go forward as best we can.

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