I was thinking about setting up a gallery for the "best of the best" land surveying maps being produced by our profession today. These wouldn't be topographic or other types of maps, but recorded or filed copies of boundary surveys or control surveys. In California we call these Record of Survey documents. In Montana I think they are still called Certificate of Surveys.
I'd like to accept submittals of maps and choose a monthly winner in a few categories, such as these:
(1) Best Graphic Design
(2) Best Technical Content
(4) Best Legacy For Future Surveyors
I'm wondering if anyone on www.surveyorconnect.com would be interested in helping me come up with a way to score the submittals and then set-up an informal group to judge the maps.
There are a lot of good surveying maps out there, and a lot of bad ones too. I think this would be a great way to highlight the best work being done in our industry and may help nudge the standard or practice higher. I know I would learn a lot by looking at the best maps in the biz, and that my maps would improve as a result.
What do you think? Does this sound like a good idea?
I can donate the web server space and web design labor needed to get this set-up.
The Sunburned Surveyor
Only recorded boundary surveys? In my County, you cannot record a survey, unless it is 8x11.
Nice idea. When we get moved over to the new server, we'll have so much space we won't know what to do with ourselves. I could get that setup. It's actually an idea I've had on the back burner for a long time now. 🙂
Wendell,
Its good to hear I'm not the only one that has thought about this. I'll get a quick and dirty web page set-up today as a place holder. Then perhaps we can discuss how this process would actually work. I think we'd need to nail down the following items:
(1) Submission Criteria
(2) Categories
(3) Evaluation Criteria
(4) Judging Panel
We don't have to get totally uptight about it, but it makes sense to hammer our some basic rules, like is there a limit to how old a map can be when it is submitted, and what criteria will be examined by the judges to score the map.
Maybe we should discuss on a phone call? Or you can send me an e-mail.
Landon (AKA - The Sunburned Surveyor)
Steve,
I don't think the size of the recorded survey will matter. As long as it is recorded or filed with a government agency I think we would accept it as a submission. We'd problably want to accept the submissions in PDF format.
Landon (AKA - The Sunburned Surveyor)
Landon
All of the ones that I'm really proud of, are confidential and I couldn't release them if I wanted to.
BTW, the only ones I have recorded are subdivision maps, but I'd be willing to send a pdf of the last one I did.
Landon
In the two states in which I am currently operating, the only recorded surveys are for subdivisions and pipeline/powerline rights-of-way.
SJ
Landon
I didn't realize there were so many states in which maps were not recorded. (See: I'm learning already.)
Perhaps we shouldn't make that a requirement. I can be pretty flexible. I'll see what Wendell thinks.
Landon (AKA - The Sunburned Surveyor)
Careful now Wendell. Too many more add ons and you will start looking like that "other place". 😛
Joe
Landon
Or possibly two categories - recorded and unrecorded.
Landon
Landon,
Do you really think that surveyors who practice in states that do not have a recording law do lesser maps?
I would say that those who are not saddled and spurred by gov't hacks have more freedom to make a real survey map; those that are not subject to the caprices of "Skippy the map checker".
Landon
>
> I would say that those who are not saddled and spurred by gov't hacks have more freedom to make a real survey map; those that are not subject to the caprices of "Skippy the map checker".
I will now place a small note with a check box in the upper right corner of my plats (about 7 inches outside the neatline):
"THIS PLAQUE HAS BEEN CHECKED BY SKIPPY THE MAP CHECKER"
:beer: :-@
Landon
Sorry Dan... 🙂
but "Skippy" is not registered.
