Request for Information (RFI)

 

All here is my formal RFI to the PDGA for thier information. I am sure allot of you can craft better wording etc. Also I am a member of good standing with the PDGA for over 28 years...so my langauge and wording is tempered to that end...

Request for Information (RFI)
PDGA Disc Golf courses directory for the creation of a Points of Interest (POI) file for Garmin GPS and other GPS personal travel units.

General Information
Document Type: Request for flat file (excel) Course Directory
Posted Date: July 9, 2007
Requestor:

Garmin Web Site: http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us

Garmin POI Site: http://www8.garmin.com/products/poiloader/

POI Factory Site: http://www.poi-factory.com/

POI Factory POI Files http://www.poi-factory.com/poifiles

POI Factory FAQ http://www.poi-factory.com/node/1631

POI CSV Format http://www.poi-factory.com/garmin-csv-file-format

POI Additional Info http://www.gpsinformation.org/penrod/poiloader/poiloader.htm...

Description
INTENTION OF USE:

This is a request for disc golf course directory information only. This in no way indicates that I wish use this file/knowledge for profit. This file will be free to anyone with a GPS unit that wishes to upload the POI file and find a Disc golf course in and around certain areas by using their GPS units. The information that I am requesting and the resulting file will not be affiliated with any company or 3rd party for any reason unless the PDGA wishes to do so. The original file will not go outside its original intent (POI File creation) and will not be sold or used in any other way. I also want to make clear that this would be in support of the current directory and its leaders and not a replacement of the directory and the leader’s respective services. I would welcome close coordination with the PDGA directory leaders in order to supplement the current system for all to use and to provide timely updates to the files once they are established. The POI file and the artwork for the ‘push pins’ will be available to any user who wishes to upload them to their PC, Garmin, TomTom, Street Pilot etc. I was going to start creating my own file and copy and paste from the web site but I figured that I could request this info from the PDGA and make the file available to anyone for free (I would do the free file any way but this would enable the process to go much faster). This way I am not creating a file just for me..I am creating a file for everyone; disc golfers and other public users alike.

BACKGROUND:

I travel almost 100% for my job and therefore one of the perks that I get to enjoy is playing a little Disc Golf in places I probably would not get to enjoy otherwise (i.e. Saskatchewan, Canada). Thus, I have purchased a Garmin Personal Travel assistant which is used for navigation in order to find my way around. Garmin (as well as other GPS assistants) utilizes what is known as customizable Points of Interest or POI files for short. These files are *.csv (comma separated value) files and are user customized per a particular interest such as museums, gas stations that sell diesel fuel, and civil war battlefields (web site above contains a listing). The primary objective is to expedite the recognition of the POI in a particular area in order to determine your proximity and ease of navigation to reach these particular POIs. The POIs are then marked (push pins) on the maps with a bitmap (*.bmp) graphic in order to see the location. In this proposal I will have an artist create a ‘push pin’ *.bmp that represents a pole hole/disc catcher etc that will not infringe on any likeness etc that others have produced. Thus when a user uploads the file to their GPS they will have ‘push pins’ that look like a pole hole where the course is and thus, anywhere in the country the maps would have the courses already show up on the local maps. This would be a tremendous benefit to the Disc Golf community, me of course, as well as the users of the POI files (community web site above). In my 7 years of traveling like this I always run across some family on the plane on vacation that is looking for a free and fun recreation sport to just get them out of the hotel and something the whole family can play. I usually carry my directory handbook and offer to look up some courses for them…Imagine if they could just upload this directory for themselves? As I mentioned above I was going to do this just for myself but I don’t think that would be a good thing and would not benefit anyone but me. I would like this to be to everyone’s benefit and advantage and most of all to benefit the PDGA and its members!

The file that I would create with the info supplied by the PDGA would reside on POI factory site as well as the PDGA web site (if needed). These files can be updated per a schedule TBD and users could actually submit new or improved locations per the POI factory and the PDGA web site. The file description would mention the PDGA and its contribution as well as the artists and me as the suppliers of the file (links and graphics). I will be the owner and will take full responsibility for its upkeep and safe keeping of course with the coordination of the directory leaders themselves.

DESCRIPTION:

The current PDGA directory web site contains the below information now and is available free to anyone who knows where it is. What I am asking for is a flat file with that particular information in an Excel format so that I can ‘Save As’ a comma separated file that can be utilized/uploaded by most of the GPS units available to the public. As stated above this file and this request has one and only one purpose and that is to create a POI file for everyone to use and no profit and hopefully plenty of satisfaction will be gained from this file.

The excel file should contain the following information in separate columns.

Column A: Longitude (if available)
Column B: Latitude (if available)
Column C: Course or Park Name
Column D: Street Address
Column E: City
Column F: State
Column G: Country
Column H: Point of contact with Phone #
Column I: Public or Private Course

I will attempt to format the file so that the information shows up in a multi-line comment form on the GPS unit. If the users unit (such as mine Nuvi 680) has Bluetooth capabilities the unit can call the phone number listed in order to provide hands free dialing to get more information from the point of contact at the course. Any other information that may be handy would also be welcomed!

I believe this would be very similar situation and arraignment to the file and web site that is related to the Palm pilot files and web site that contains the directory for the Palm Pilot.

RESPONSE TO POSSIBLE CONCERNS:

Data obtained from this RFI will be used by the public disc golf community and the POI community. It is my belief that no one will personally benefit from this file or request. Except for me and not getting lost all the time..and hopefully this will translate into more satisfied PDGA members not getting lost, using the POI Disc Golf directory and quite possibly an increased in and more accurate up to date information on new or existing courses.

Longitude and Latitude coordinates should always be considered when publishing these locations when this is a personal/private property. I would suggest that if a person does not want to be a part of this file that we implement a Opt-out strategy (perhaps one is already in place with the Google earth site?). Also this POI file will be in a *.csv format so people could download this for other purposes if they wanted too…but I would put a disclaimer on there prohibiting a use other than it’s intention. I think the POI factory also has some language about this and the files usage. I would welcome any and all discussion on this…

Thank you for your time and consideration:

--
It's those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes nothing remains quite the same. With all of our running and all of our cunning, If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.

@ scott: ever get this info

@ scott:

ever get this info released? where is the updated file at?

RFI Update....

Great news everyone...The PDGA board has accepted my RFI in general and a data sharing agreement is being drafted. So this POI file will now come with the PDGA approval. Also the board is entering into agreement with the web Site Disc Golf review so I will also be contacting them in order to see if we can work on this together as to not duplicate our efforts and to formulate a plan for updates and maintenance of the files and content!!!
Yipppeeee!!!!

--
It's those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes nothing remains quite the same. With all of our running and all of our cunning, If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.

That is fantastic news,

That is fantastic news, great job!!!

Miss POI

Thank you

Dear FG,

That is great news. Thank you.

david

--
nüvi 1490T, V1, Sanyo PRO-700a, maps, sunglasses, hot co-pilot, the open road

any outcome from this

Has there been any outcome (POI .csv file) from this yet?

Do I hear a Moo?

miss poi wrote:

That is fantastic news, great job!!!

Miss POI

Do I hear a cow in someone's future? I'd would like to put in a nomination if possible.

--
ɐ‾nsǝɹ Just one click away from the end of the Internet

what's the current status of

what's the current status of this project??
please let me know if i can be of any help. i'm an avid disc player and coincidentally a professional in the GPS industry (mapping and survey grade equipment).
i have shot waypoints at a handful of courses in the NE and would be happy to share those with you. i have also checked a handful of the coords provided by the PDGA and found them to be terribly inaccurate. in the cases that coords aren't provided to them they just use a center of town coord. ugh.
i have solicited players in the NE to share any points they may have shot with me on our message board (NEFA). also, i will continue to shoot points as i visit more courses.
tomorrow i'm going to Campgaw DGC in Mahwah, NJ (which I took a waypoint at last year)....then to yankee stadium for game 3 of the Yanks BoSox series! grin