What's in a name?

I tweeted earlier on Mappliance = Map + Appliance, where maps blend into applications imperceptibly; I found two such instances just today: First I retweeted IPO Dashboard's Tracker, one of two ways to get at technology startup statistics. Second I shared my entry to Google's 9/11 interactive memorial website - not surprisingly, it allows you to enter location, text, photos and videos of your experience on that fateful day if you wish.

Isn't the twit-blog exchange on GIS vs. NeoGeo between Peter Batty, James Fee and others, not about that too? I read into it that what matters is not the means but the end... In other words, customers should neither know nor care how the result is produced, as long as it helps what they're tasked with! I announced below the webGIS startup, which I joined on exactly that premise - for example, I use 'webGIS' here and not with prospects.

My industry finds petroleum in the data before they find it in the ground. Unlike larger operators and agencies - and amidst credit crunch and reduced oil prices - smaller independents and agencies have neither the experts nor the departments to mine their data. We leveraged modern technology and relevant standards to roll out oilelefant - the pitch is that seeing only the web, users augment rather than change their work processes.

image azolnai and adpic.de