Tag Archives: wrong
GPS and SatNav. Removing Misconceptions
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally designed for military use, has, as it has developed, revolutionised the art or skill of getting from one place to another among the general user population. Its development in coverage and reliability along with other technologies has enabled reasonably cheap SatNav systems for general usage, in our vehicles, mobile phones and other applications. Because of its reliability and growing popularity I believe SatNav is becoming widely accepted but without due consideration as to what it is really about. Many misconceptions have grown, some maybe not important, but in some cases having no awareness or the wrong ideas of what you have got or how it works could lead to problems of various severity.
The technology is fantastic but it is not without fault, just like any other technology it can go wrong. So let us remove these misconceptions and try to understand just where it can go wrong and how serious it may be.
First let us look at what SatNav is. We do know but do not really consider it in full. Now this is merely a loose use of words but many say they have GPS in their car. Well, yes they do, but they also have a full SatNav. This involves some method of obtaining position from orbiting satellites, some form of electronic map to put this position on, some software to navigate from here to there, and you may have engine sensor inputs to provide an inertial navigation back up when satellite signals are lost. Thats essentially your SatNav system.
It is just a circumstance that the positioning system is mostly GPS. This is just one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Others are developed or in development. GPS is just the most commonly used. If you have car SatNav, this, with the inertial back up, if you have it, is what you are using. GPS is also included in mobile phones.
This next makes me somewhat laugh. I have heard some claim they can get SatNav on their mobile phone in the cupboard under the stairs. I am deeply curious of what advanced technology achieves this. The signal from GPS satellites is line of sight. An obstruction will block any satellite it is in the way of. A broom cupboard will block the lot of them. Now the mobile can also be located by the cell network. Although not as accurate, defaulting to the cell network when GPS is lost is handy. But, I do not think this can be classed as SatNav. No satellites are being used. Thats the, er, advanced technology out of the way with.
So far it is wordage and a bit of a lack in awareness. The end result is that by some method you can get a position. If you happen to be off road and lose GPS it may be important to realise you have lost some accuracy. GPS could be 10m or better. The cell being 50m at best in urban areas, no great problem, but worse in rural areas, maybe a problem.
Another one. There are many who say with pride that they know how GPS works. Triangulation. I believe they fall for this because its a legacy from before GPS where control networks were surveyed in by measuring angles. A GPS receiver, specifically the antenna, which may or may not be attached to the box, is positioned by trilateration, using ranges. This was harder to achieve with accuracy in those older days.
Also, satellite pseudoranges are not measured directly, hence along with inaccuracies the term pseudo. They are determined from time differences and light speed, more correctly, the speed of electromagnetic waves as the GPS signal is in the radio or microwave bands, depending on who you listen to. The nearly 300 million m/sec assumed in range calculations is only valid in a total vacuum. Some of the GPS inaccuracies are due to varying light speed. Nanosecond accuracy is required. A thousandth of a second error (1millisec) equates to 200 miles or 300km. Not many realise the importance of such small times.
Now accuracy has been mentioned, this leads to my favourite but that is another story that can be found in GPS and SatNav. Pinpoint Accuracy Explained by the same author.
Risk Assessment for Web Designers
Anyone working in a design-orientated field or industry will already have a feel for how complicated it can be.
As the saying goes, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and one persons preferences can be very different to anothers.
It is often the case that differences of opinion arise, with neither party actually being wrong but having very different opinions about how something should appear.
Therefore anyone looking to go it alone in a creative field needs to have a fairly thick skin.
This is certainly true for web designers where, in a sense, the final artwork is the public domain and out there for all to see. There really is no hiding place.
If the website is the perfect blend of form and function, the client will be rewarded with lots of web traffic and potential sales. However, this very public appraisal of work, can be a double edged sword and a website that does not produce the expected results could be highly criticised.
A website designer is able to define how a website looks, how it feels, how it works and what it contains. There is a lot of pressure riding on the designer – particularly if they are operating as a freelancer, sole trader or small business.
So, because the very nature of a web designers work involves opening up their work to the great unknown, it makes sense to do some basic risk assessment with every contract. After all, every designer is only human and unintentional mistakes can happen. A good basic rule of thumb is, if I do something wrong, whats the worst case scenario for my client. And what can I do about it?
Breaking the contract down in to smaller component parts will also help with the risk assessment:
1. Who is the website for? What sort of business is my client in? How big a player is my client?
If it is possible, the designer should ask the client for examples of websites they like in general and also some examples of competitors sites before any work begins.
2. Will the website use content from third parties (like images, music, video)?
The designer should make sure they have suitable written licences from the media owners (and this should be saved somewhere for future reference.)
3. Exactly what is included in the contract for a new website?
The designer should be extremely clear about what is included, be that domain registration, hosting, design, maintenance. A client may believe that they are paying for ongoing support which can be a time consuming exercise for the designer, unless costs are calculated up front.
4. Considering the deadlines and scale of the job, will the designer need to use a subcontractor to help and if so, do they have professional indemnity insurance?
Bringing other people on board has the potential to increase risk as there is more potential for mistakes to be made.
5. What sign off procedure, if any, is in place?
Experienced designers know all too well that the closer a website gets to launch date, the more people get involved on the client side. To protect the designer, it is essential to have a well thought-out sign off procedure in place, otherwise the design by committee factor may well take its toll on the whole project with massive delays or changes in strategy.
As well as reviewing all of the above points, all web designers should ensure that they have professional indemnity insurance in place. The policy helps web designers that find themselves in dispute with a client. It covers the legal expenses involved in defending any allegations or claims made against the designer, and also covers any compensation or damages that may have to be paid.
The most common kinds of claims made against web designers are for copyright infringement and unintentional breach of contract. Unfortunately if things do start to go wrong, clients tend to sue first and ask questions later. It is not particularly pleasant thinking the potential worst of clients, but at least with a risk assessment undertaken and professional indemnity insurance in place, a web designer can be fully prepared.
Risk Assessment for Web Designers
Anyone working in a design-orientated field or industry will already have a feel for how complicated it can be.
As the saying goes, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and one persons preferences can be very different to anothers.
It is often the case that differences of opinion arise, with neither party actually being wrong but having very different opinions about how something should appear.
Therefore anyone looking to go it alone in a creative field needs to have a fairly thick skin.
This is certainly true for web designers where, in a sense, the final artwork is the public domain and out there for all to see. There really is no hiding place.
If the website is the perfect blend of form and function, the client will be rewarded with lots of web traffic and potential sales. However, this very public appraisal of work, can be a double edged sword and a website that does not produce the expected results could be highly criticised.
A website designer is able to define how a website looks, how it feels, how it works and what it contains. There is a lot of pressure riding on the designer – particularly if they are operating as a freelancer, sole trader or small business.
So, because the very nature of a web designers work involves opening up their work to the great unknown, it makes sense to do some basic risk assessment with every contract. After all, every designer is only human and unintentional mistakes can happen. A good basic rule of thumb is, if I do something wrong, whats the worst case scenario for my client. And what can I do about it?
Breaking the contract down in to smaller component parts will also help with the risk assessment:
1. Who is the website for? What sort of business is my client in? How big a player is my client?
If it is possible, the designer should ask the client for examples of websites they like in general and also some examples of competitors sites before any work begins.
2. Will the website use content from third parties (like images, music, video)?
The designer should make sure they have suitable written licences from the media owners (and this should be saved somewhere for future reference.)
3. Exactly what is included in the contract for a new website?
The designer should be extremely clear about what is included, be that domain registration, hosting, design, maintenance. A client may believe that they are paying for ongoing support which can be a time consuming exercise for the designer, unless costs are calculated up front.
4. Considering the deadlines and scale of the job, will the designer need to use a subcontractor to help and if so, do they have professional indemnity insurance?
Bringing other people on board has the potential to increase risk as there is more potential for mistakes to be made.
5. What sign off procedure, if any, is in place?
Experienced designers know all too well that the closer a website gets to launch date, the more people get involved on the client side. To protect the designer, it is essential to have a well thought-out sign off procedure in place, otherwise the design by committee factor may well take its toll on the whole project with massive delays or changes in strategy.
As well as reviewing all of the above points, all web designers should ensure that they have professional indemnity insurance in place. The policy helps web designers that find themselves in dispute with a client. It covers the legal expenses involved in defending any allegations or claims made against the designer, and also covers any compensation or damages that may have to be paid.
The most common kinds of claims made against web designers are for copyright infringement and unintentional breach of contract. Unfortunately if things do start to go wrong, clients tend to sue first and ask questions later. It is not particularly pleasant thinking the potential worst of clients, but at least with a risk assessment undertaken and professional indemnity insurance in place, a web designer can be fully prepared.