---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 14:22:29 -0400
From: Mark A. Thomas <[log in to unmask]>
To: MAPS-L <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: USGS currentness/version dates

Have people noticed a fair number of errors in the USGS currentness and
version dates as published in their online listings?  I know it was a
monumental task to add the extra date field, so not everything could go
perfectly.  For instance, in Nevada there seem to be a lot of quads
where that they advertise as the currentness date is the date printed on
our sheet (i.e., our version date); they list a much newer version date,
which I'm guessing is the *real* currentness date. I think they have the
two dates mixed around in these cases, but it's tedious if not
impossible to detect whether there's an error.

Maybe the biggest clue that something is wrong is that I think the ver
date should be newer only in cases where the map hasn't been
photoinspected; that is, when the map is published within a few years
after completion of surveying, and the ver date will be 1 or 2 or 3
years newer than currentness.

In cases of photoinspected maps, the version date should be *older* than
the currentness date.  Even if it's not indicated that the map is
photoinspected, if they have a version date 10 or 20 years newer than
currentness (e.g., Blue Basin, NV, ver=1975, cur=1958), something's
gotta be wrong (our sheet has 1958 printed on it).

Examples in Nevada might be Alamo (ver80 cur69), Ash Springs (v80 c69),
Bellehelen (v80 c68), Blue Basin (v75 c58), Blue Diamond (v82 c72), etc.
In all cases the date actually printed on our map is what USGS lists at
the older currentness date.

I hate to order replacements to update these quads when I suspect that
I'll get what we already have. Maybe some of the friendly vendors on the
list can check the examples I list above; they're probably aware of
problems if there are any.

Sorry if all this makes your head spin.  Any insight is appreciated.  Do
you know if USGS is working on this and is it a generally recognized
problem?

Thanks,
        Mark
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mark Thomas / [log in to unmask] / 919-660-5853, fax:919-684-2855
Economics, Geology, Geography Bibliographer
Map and GIS Librarian / Public Documents and Maps Department
025 Perkins Library / Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0177