Monday, Jul 30, 2007 at 10:59
Shonkymaps are based on the same Auslig data set as the tracks4australia. However, different mapping data layers have been added to the mapping product to make it more useful (IMHO) than tracks4australia. If you have access to products like mapinfo you can down load the data from Auslig and produce your own maps with different layers as required.
The name "Shonkymaps" is a joke because the nickname of the author on the site that released the maps is "Shonky" because the Author put the maps together quickly and not with what he considered a professional level of cartography. However, they are still very good and in some ways better (IMHO) than the other free alternative tracks4australia. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of humour then I would refer you to the wikapedia we site for more information.
As for me suggesting people use Google rather then one of the other search engines out there, google was suggested as that is the engine most people use and are familiar with these days.
Obviously a computer and internet expert like yourself is familiar with other search engines which have other various advantages and disadvantages compared with Google. I would refer the reader to the Lucene project on sourceforge ( lucene.apache.org/java/docs/ ) if they want more information on the architecture and internals of internet search engines. However, this discussion is irrelevant to this thread and I expect most users could not give a stuff and just use google.
As for you taking issue with my comment "Usually when in
state forest areas I am down onto 1:25000 maps in Ozi following tracks that are not on the Tracks4Australia set" and then stating "I think your telling a Furphy, in other words ...BS", I do not understand what your problem is. All I am saying it that when in state forests (And other areas) I use maps that have more (and different) detail available than tracks for Australia. That is why cartographers have produced maps with different scales and contents for the last couple of thousand years.
I also understand that using Oziexporer on a PDA does require some knowledge of computer usage, and that it can be a frustrating exercise for people without experienced in using them as they can be less than unreliable. Hence a dedicated device like a garmin (or other) GPS device can be easier to use. Interestingly there is some very nice 1:25 000 mapping available for the Garmins in the US market ( for a price :( ), but I have not seen any available in Australia. Also Magellan in Australia as a deal with Hema maps that has resulted in some of the hema cartography being available on the Magellan GPS units (Again for a price).
At the end of the day people need to evaluate their individual requirements and purchase the appropriate products to suit those requirements based on their evaluation of what is available on the market at the time. That is why people post questions on forums like this, and why people with differing experiences reply.
Finally we all have a equally valuable opinions on all of these topics based on our various experiences and that they are generally not "BS" as you so colourfully put it.
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