Hope no one minds me posting this email...


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Ordnance Survey to withdraw Landform PANORAMA data

The Ordnance Survey is to withdraw it's Landscape PANORAMA DTM product from
the end of March 2002. So far as we are aware there has been no consultation
with the public over this.

Landform PANORAMA is a gridded dataset of heights with one point every 50

per tile. It is ideal for creating landscape images but has many other
uses - many of which have never been realized because of the relatively high
price of the data.

The OS is not providing a replacement for this data. The nearest equivalents
are their PROFILE dataset which is more than 1600% more expensive for the
equivalent area (and containing 25 times the number of points is difficult
to handle), or a height theme in their flagship MasterMap product which is
considerably more expensive and requires specialized GIS software to use.

The OS contend that PANORAMA data is in 'the decline stages of the product
life-cycle' and should withdrawn, however they refuse to allow the data to
be placed in the public domain - either available from their own website or
from any of the other companies who have offered to host this data for free
as a public service.

Would you therefore please consider writing to the OS to protest at their
action and request that the data be placed in the public domain. Some points
you may like to draw to their attention are....

The OS is unilaterally withdrawing a dataset of public interest without a
suitable replacement.
This data was collected using public money
The OS should make this dataset available for free as unsupported data.
There are several companies willing to take the data and make it available
for free from their websites at their own expense as a public service if the
OS do not wish to do so.
The only alternative data that could be used by a member of the public (the
PROFILE data) is more difficult to handle and is 400% more expensive for the
same area.
If the OS are withdrawing the data because they no longer consider it
sufficiently accurate a newer version of the PANORAMA dataset could be
created quite easily by resampling the PROFILE dataset - a competent
programmer should be able to do this in a day or less.
Email addresses you may wish to send your complaint to are:

Deborah Cable - dca### [at] ordsvygovuk - Land-Form Brand Manager
Kirstie Bulpitt - KBu### [at] ordsvygovuk - Assistant Brand Manager
Complaints - com### [at] ordsvygovuk
Digital Sales - Sal### [at] ordsvygovuk
Paul Davis - pda### [at] ordsvygovuk - Customer Relations Department

We also suggest you copy to Vanessa Lawrence - the head of the OS and and
incidentally also listed as one of the government's online 'e-champions' at
http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ukonline/champions/champions.htm. Her email is

vla### [at] ordsvygovuk - Vanessa Lawrence - Director General and Chief
Executive

Please also consider writing to your MP. The Ordnance Survey is a public
body still, and is handled by DTLR (Department for Transport, Local
Government and the Regions) so writing to the Minister there is a good idea
too.

We would be grateful for copies of your emails and replies to place on our
site. Please send them to inf### [at] geomanticscom. Please feel free to forward
this information to any other individuals, groups, lists etc. that you may
feel would be interested in it.

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