Kick Off Friends Of The Earth Open Source Mapping Tool Project

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS MEETUP IS AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION FROM THE USUAL SHOREDITCH ONE!!!

This meetup is to kick off the Open Source Mapping Tool project with Friends Of The Earth and will be held at their London office near Oval. FotE have developed a mapping tool which they use in lots of areas within the organisation, for example to show where green businesses are located with respect to green groups at http://www.foe.co.uk/what_we_do/clean_british_energy_map_39044.html. They now want to open source it so that the tech community can help contribute to its development and so that other enviromental groups can use the tool as well. Climate Change Coder volunteers are going to help them set up the project and then help them add additional features. FotE have now got the code in state where it can be given out to the public (no passwords, etc) and this meeting will be used to give you an intro to mapping technology, get the code running on your laptop and discuss the next steps in the project.

Details of the project can be found here:-

Friends Of The Earth Task Detailshttps://docs.google.com/a/cccoders.org/document/d/15-E4KpEbAagBWK_qHprD6AllQygHm7OwkgS1t313MF0/edit#

and if you are interested in joining the project you should also join the Google discussion group at https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/cccoders-and-friends-of-the-earth-mapping-project

The meeting will start at 18:30.

Wendy, from FotE, has also set up an events page at http://attending.io/events/mappiness - so please also sign up for that as well as RSVPing to this meeting. Beer has also been promised, so it's important that you register your interest so there is enough to go around :-) There may be an attendee limit, and if so I'll post details once I know.

You don't need any specific technical knowledge to come along and join in, just the ability to program. Don't forgot your laptop though.

I think this could be the start of an exciting collaboration for FotE and CCCoders as there is a lot of scope for using this mapping tool in many different areas, including ones directly related to climate change such as fracking and energy use. It should also be easier to work on than other in-house projects as we will have complete access and control (within reasonable limits) to the technology and code.

Looking forward to seeing you there....

Here is a copy of the email Duncan at FotE about the event:-

Hi everyone,Save the evening of Wed 7/May! We would like to invite you all to the Friends of the Earth office to have an introduction to the mapping tool.

Patrick, the original developer and some of the key users at FOE will be there to go through:

1. Getting Started with Developing Maps – a practical session to make sure everyone has their laptops setup with everything you need to start working on the tool and perhaps have a go at adding a new feature.

2. What Next - Looking in a bit more detail at some of the feature that are missing and where the tool could go

Our offices are in 137 Clapham Road just between Oval and Stockwell tube stations.

Please let us know if you are likely to attend so we can start to gauge interest.

Thanks,Duncan