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geoMusings by Bill Dollins

A geospatial career journey

Lessons from Maps and Old Code

Taking over someone else's code is hard. There is probably no better look at how a person thinks than looking at their code. It can be tempting to trash their code and start from scratch. This temptation often runs into conflict with a sunk-cost fallacy that says "The previous person spent so much time on … Continue reading Lessons from Maps and Old Code →

Bill Dollins gis, programming 2022-09-212022-09-21 4 Minutes

Reflections, Twenty-One Years On

Yesterday was the 21st anniversary of 9/11. I tend to let that day go by without comment. My recollections of the day itself add nothing as I was 50 miles outside of DC at the time. Even that far away, the roads were filled with panicked people and the phone networks were crashing, but I … Continue reading Reflections, Twenty-One Years On →

Bill Dollins gis, where did that come from? 2022-09-12 3 Minutes

100 Days

Tomorrow will officially end my streak of 100 consecutive days of running at least one mile per day. Most days, I've tried to make it at least three, but there have been a few "streak savers" in there. The most memorable one is when I ran a mile circling our parking bay during a thunderstorm … Continue reading 100 Days →

Bill Dollins running, where did that come from? 2022-09-062022-09-06 2 Minutes

QGIS and a Small Passion Project

When he was in the Air Force, my father served on Air Force One under four presidents - Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. He was on the engine crew and got to see a lot of the world over the course of those administrations. I grew up with Presidential memorabilia all through our home: signed … Continue reading QGIS and a Small Passion Project →

Bill Dollins gis 2022-08-202022-08-20 3 Minutes

Services, Solutions, and Products

Prior to my current role, I spent 25 years working in the federal contracting space. Almost all technology built in that world is one-off and designed for the specific needs of a customer. Often, those needs are complex and meeting them involves creating new technology. "Productizing" a solution is common trope around the Beltway among … Continue reading Services, Solutions, and Products →

Bill Dollins gis 2022-08-102023-12-15 7 Minutes

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