----------------------------Original message----------------------------
     Dear Keenan the Cartographer,
 
     Sounds like a movie title, huh.
 
     You did not answer the original query, you flamed a whole category of
     professionals--map librarians. So, as one who flamed all of us as a
     class, don't be surprised to get flamed back as a result.
 
     I must say, the two answers to your flame which I saw on the net were
     courteous, gentlemanly, well-considered and professional. Perhaps the
     private responses were less so...
 
     I challenge you to name ONE member of "your [our] profession" who has
     gone into the consulting businesses geared toward cartography.
 
     And what is the harm in that? People change jobs all the time. People
     all over the U.S. have second and third jobs trying to survive in this
     economy. Librarians aren't allowed to? As a class of people? And
     librarians aren't allowed to abuse student help by paying them low
     wages? Why not? Every one else does? Why do we have to pay more? Geez.
 
     Lighten up, do good work, e.g., good cartography, and the customers
     will come to you. If you don't, they won't.
 
     Don't blame your friendly local professional map librarian.
 
     Alice Hudson
     Map Division, NYPL
 
 
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: GIS & levels of service
Author:  Larry Keenan <[log in to unmask]> at Internet
Date:    2/7/96 12:31 PM
 
 
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
.
 
 
I should have never responded to your request for information, in that I
realize that I have just walked into a hornets nest consisting of flamers.
 
However, I can tell you that there are many people of your profession that
have gone into consulting businesses that are geared toward the cartographic
world.  They use university students, hardware, software and facilities to
house their businesses.  Additionally, if they pay their students it is at
minimum.  Most of the times their students are contract.
 
You might want to ask yourself, the next time you are asked to provide an
inordinate amount of information about a subject, how the information is
going to be used.
 
My first message attempted to convey the thought that the end users of "maps"
are getting conflicting information from people who have not done their
homework.