Link – WGS84 and the Web
With the influx of new programmers dabbling in GIS applications, we are beginning to see people start looking at geodetic datums. For those who aren’t familiar with datums, this old ArcUser article has a good overview. Because GPS uses WGS84, it has become the standard around the world, but as teutonic tectonic plates shift, the datum will become obsolete over time. Allan Doyle sums it up well:
Perhaps we should think about the implications a little more. If we use “raw”, i.e. “current” WGS84, we’re really ignoring the drift and other issues. If we use any of the derived, named datums, pegged to an epoch, we lose universality.
Sean Gillies chimes in with his own proposal which is a great way to get around the problem given how computer systems are so connected these days. I like simple solutions to problems.
