Paul J Cripps

Who I am

First and foremost, I am dad to two wonderful girls thanks to my wonderful partner Dr. B.

Work comprises research and consultancy in the fields of Linked Geospatial Data, Geosemantics, Geomatics and Information Architecture mostly in the Digital Humanities domain where I focus on all things geo.

I also take *lots* of photos.

Based in Salisbury, I am close to two of the most enigmatic prehistoric sites in the world, one of the finest cathedrals and some of the loveliest countryside. I think this is pretty awesome.

What I do

I like space and time, the creation and management of information and the formation of knowledge. Most of what I do relates to this in some way. Archaeology, ontologies and all things geospatial/geosemantic. Particularly maps and cartography; I love maps. I used to dig holes. Nowadays, I am most likely to be found attached to a computer of some description.

When not working, I am most likely to be found out and about with my family and my camera. Or very occasionally, making music.

• Consultancy

• Research

• Coding/Hacking

• Photography

• Science

• Writing

I am passionate about science and society. I manage a number of science and community websites including Salisbury Café Scientifique and Quidhampton village.

Spatial Technologies

A friend of mine once said, talking about Geographic Information Systems:

GIS is a state of mind

I couldn't agree more. And today, spatial technologies comprise so much more than GIS. Starting from two dimensional cartography and adding the third and fourth dimensions, the web, semantic web, mobile platforms, and Linked Open Data provides a wealth of tools and information to explore, experiment with and develop new approaches to the worlds around us, both present and pasts. There are now a myriad ways to create, process, analyse and visualise geospatial resources.

Geekery

Whilst I have one foot in the past, the other is firmly in the present with an eye to the future.

Whether it be building Java apps, web maps or web services, experimenting with digital imaging/visualisation techniques, sequencing with Reason, surveying with GNSS, building 3D models from photos or laser scans, sampling rare vinyl or hacking droid roms about, I have an avid interest in all things gadget and hi-tech.

More...

There's more about.me and you can find my work over at Archaeogeomancy and Archaeovision. My full CV is here and I'm on LinkedIn. for professional networking. I also blog my current research project, GSTAR. My publications can be found on Academia.edu, ResearchGate and Mendeley.

My portfolios on PathBrite show more.

Monkey!

In the worlds before Monkey, primal chaos reigned. Heaven sought order. But the phoenix can fly only when its feathers are grown. The four worlds formed again and yet again, As endless aeons wheeled and passed. Time and the pure essences of Heaven, the moisture of the Earth, the powers of the sun and the moon All worked upon a certain rock, old as creation. And it became magically fertile. That first egg was named "Thought". Tathagata Buddha, the Father Buddha, said, "With our thoughts, we make the world." Elemental forces caused the egg to hatch. From it then came a stone monkey. The nature of Monkey was irrepressible!

My online avatar is the lead character from the Chinese folk tale by Wu Cheng'en entitled Journey to the West. The version shown here is used by kind permission of the artist, Elliot Cowan, for which I am eternally grateful.