[OSGeo-Discuss] ESRI getting more serious about open source?
Hi - A colleague on the Society for Sonservation GIS list shared a link to this blog Esri and Open Source Software: More Please at http://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2012/08/27/esri-and-open-source-software-more-please/ I'm not sure what to think about it but on the surface it seems like a good thing. Is OSGeo involved with this initiative in any way? If not is there any interest in having OSGeo play an active role in the opening of ESRI code? I'm curious what other folks think of this. Ned ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
[OSGeo-Discuss] US government request for information related to open access publications and data
Hi - I thought some folks on this list might be interested in these two requests for information that came out recently. The first is an RFI for: Public Access to Digital Data Resulting From Federally Funded Scientific Research http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/11/04/2011-28621/request-for-information-public-access-to-digital-data-resulting-from-federally-funded-scientific and the other is: Public Access to Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Publications Resulting From Federally Funded Research http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/11/04/2011-28623/request-for-information-public-access-to-peer-reviewed-scholarly-publications-resulting-from This topic might be better suited for the North America regional chapter but since that is still gathering momentum I am posting to the full discuss list. All the best, Ned ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
[OSGeo-Discuss] Board nomination for Charlie Schweik
I nominate Charlie Schweik for a position on the OSGeo Board. Charlie Schweik is chair of the OSGEO education committee and an effective advocate for the use of open source geospatial software in academia. He is an Associate Professor with a joint appointment shared between the Department of Natural Resources Conservation and the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is also the Associate Director of the National Center for Digital Government, and an affiliated researcher with the Science, Technology, and Society Initiative at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research focuses on environmental management and policy, public-sector information technology, and the intersection of those domains. His recent peer-reviewed publications focus on free and open source software and the social frameworks and institutions that drive their development and use. With his colleague Robert English, he has just completed a 5-year National Science Foundation funded study on open source collaboration resulting in a book manuscript entitled “Successful Internet Collaboration: A Study of Open Source Software Commons” (forthcoming, June 2012, MIT Press). One chapter in this book analyzes OSGeo as a case study (thanks to interviews with OSGeo members a few years ago). Charlie has regularly taught an Introduction to Spatial Technologies course to undergraduate students using OSGeo-related technologies. He also just completed teaching a course to high school teachers using QGIS. It was through Charlie's hard work and persistence that OSGeo first created a web-based educational content inventory system. He is now trying to work with other OSGeo affiliated academics (especially Suchith Anand at the University of Nottingham) to build a network of OSGeo-affiliated academic institutions and move OSGeo education toward a new derivative work system. He is particularly interested in focusing some of this effort on how local governments might move toward or become interested in open source geospatial technologies and believes it is critical for OSGeo to promote affiliated projects more in the government space. Charlie's formal training and experience as a computer programmer with academic interests in studying the open source movement and promoting the use of open source geospatial tools makes him well qualified to be a board member of OSGEO. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] desktop gis comparison at code sprint foss4g
There was a report produced by the USGS in 1988 that might be of some use: A process for evaluating Geographic Information Systems USGS Open-File Report 88-105 A djvu file of the report can be downloaded at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/ofr/ofr88105 There are also some comparison tables prepared by Stefan Steiniger in 2008 available at: http://spatialserver.net/osgis/ All the best, Ned Jody Garnett wrote: Okay that is a good call. There was a table comparing different desktop systems released a while back - perhaps that could be a starting point? Jody On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 6:01 PM, andrea antonello andrea.antone...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Jody, you are right, but I would like to involve power users in code sprints as well. They get usually bored in all the moments they have to wait for a fix to test. I think a tester/power user in the sprint would have more fun in doing something more autonomous. But, yeah, it seems you are not the only one thinking like that, since there has been no feedback. Andrea On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 7:50 AM, Jody Garnett jody.garn...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Andrea: That may be a good topic for a BOF session; I would recommend the code sprint stays focused on you know ... coding :-) Jody On Sat, Oct 3, 2009 at 6:48 PM, andrea antonello andrea.antone...@gmail.com wrote: Hi all, but mainly QGis-sers and gvSig-gers (I am now speaking as uDig-ger). In Italy in November we have our annual GFOSS conference and this year we proposed a workshop in which desktop GIS are compared. So what should happen, is that we create a list of tasks that then are shown/compared on every GIS during the workshop, in order to highlight the strenghts of every GIS and hide the weaknesses behind the availability of other possibilities. At the Italian conference QGis/grass, gvSig/sextante and uDig/JGrass/Axios will be put into the game, which is why I mainly address those groups now, but obviously others are welcome. I would really love to give this thing a ride before the November conference, since it is a first try for me. Therefore I was wondering if some QGis and GvSIG poweruser would be available during the Saturday codesprint for comparison on some tasks together with the uDig team. That said, I would love to hear from anyone what he would like to see tested in such a comparison, browsing from the easiest line creation to the most particular and odd reprojection. For that I just opened a small subsection in the uDig code sprint area: http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2009_Code_Sprint#The_desktop_comparison_tasks_list Feel free to add whatever comes to your mind. Thanks, Andrea ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
[OSGeo-Discuss] Library incompatibilities
Hi - I have some questions about library version incompatibilities when using Linux OSGeo desktop applications. I am trying to force myself to use a broader array of open source geo packages for my daily tasks but the more packages I use the more headaches I have trying to manage conflicting libraries. For example, GDAL is used by just about all geo projects (for good reason) but different projects use different versions of GDAL or the same version compiled differently and distributed on different repositories. I spend a good bit of time tracking down these conflicts with help from colleagues and I'm wondering if other folks have similar problems and if you are how do you deal with it. I'm still not all that capable using Linux and I suppose that's one of the problems but it just seems like it shouldn't be this difficult especially when my other FOSS applications seem to get along with each other just fine. It would be nice to be able to pick and choose appropriate software for a specific task (I always considered that to be a strength of FOSS) but in practice I'm having a hard time doing that. Here is a list of what I'd like to be loaded on my Ubuntu system and this will certainly grow as I get more familiar with other packages: OSSIM, GRASS, QGIS, FWTools, and R. Ned ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] FOSS radar (palsar)
Maning, The Alaska Satellite Facility (http://www.asf.alaska.edu/sardatacenter/?q=softwaretools) has a few tools and they maintain a list or other software. They are trying to get more community involvement so it would be helpful to them if you could comment on the tools or even get involved with development/documentation... Ned maning sambale wrote: Hi, I'm looking for FOSS tools for radar data (alos palsar). I've seen RAT radartools http://srv-43-200.bv.tu-berlin.de/rat/index.php But it depends on IDL. However, RAT is FOSS (mozilla license) so anybody can port it. Are there any other foss for radar we can use? cheers, maning ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
[OSGeo-Discuss] [Fwd: [Ilwis] Call for Entries - 52°North Stud ent Innovation Prize for Geoinformatics]
I thought some folks here might be interested in this. ***Sorry for any cross postings *** The 52°North Open Source Initiative hereby issues a call for entries for the 52°North Student Innovation Prize for Geoinformatics. The aim of this innovation prize is to encourage students to make a contribution to the development and practical realization of innovative concepts in the field of geoinformatics. The competition is directed primarily at students of geoinformatics, computer science, business informatics and media informatics. Applications are requested from small teams of students (2-4 members); applications will also be accepted from individuals (who will also be referred to as teams for the purposes of the competition). The innovation prize is being awarded by 52°North GmbH, con terra GmbH, ESRI Geoinformatik GmbH, the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC in Enschede) and the Institute for Geoinformatics at the University of Münster. All of these institutions are working together under the banner of the 52°North Open Source Initiative, with the common aim of promoting research and education in the field of geoinformatics. A central foundation of 52°North’s activities is the constant exchange of research matters and innovative developments between academic and business organizations. Located in Münster, the 52°North Initiative possesses a level of potential which is unique throughout Europe when it comes to the development of innovative solutions in the field of geoinformation as a whole as well as in its constituent applications. The innovation prize will enable the winning team to stay with the 52°North Initiative in Münster for at least a month. During this time, the winners of the innovation prize will develop their prize-winning ideas together with students and academic personnel from the aforementioned institutions. Their work should culminate in the implementation of a fully functioning open source software programme as a proof-of-concept. Depending on the size of the student team, prize money of between 1,500 and a maximum of 4,000 euros will be awarded. The money is intended to contribute towards financing the winning team's stay in Münster. Upon successful completion of their activities, the team will receive a bonus of between 500 and 2,000 euros. The application can be entered in either German or English, and must include the following documents: · For the team as a whole: an explanation of the motivation and practical relevance behind the idea, a functional and technical draft plan for its implementation, and a time schedule stating the desired dates for the stay in Münster; · For each member of the team: a curriculum vitae in tabular form, including previous studies, and a personal declaration. The closing date for applications is November 30, 2008. The idea which is selected as the winner of the innovation prize will be developed and implemented in Münster from mid-February 2009. For further information regarding this competition, please see: www.52north.org. Please send your application by November 30, 2008 to: 52°North Initiative Ms. Ann Hitchcock Martin-Luther-King-Weg 24 48155 Münster Dipl.-Geogr. Ann Hitchcock 52°North GmbH Martin-Luther-King-Weg 24 48155 Muenster, Germany Geschäftsführer: Dr. Albert Remke, Dr. Andreas Wytzisk Amtsgericht Münster HRB 10849 Tel.: +49 (0)251 74 74- 520 Fax: +49 (0)251 74 74- 530 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.52north.org ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
[OSGeo-Discuss] NASA meeting end of April
Greetings - I'll give the “standard process” for announcing possible OSGeo events suggested by Arnulf a try. If there is interest I'll create a Proposed Event Wiki page. NASA is holding their bi-annual Carbon Cycle and Ecosystem Joint Science Workshop April 28-May 2 in College Park Maryland: http://cce.nasa.gov/meeting_2008/ This event would be an excellent opportunity to introduce OSGeo to NASA and it's funded researchers. It will be well attended and I think this NASA community is ripe for learning more about OSGeo. This is potentially an important community since NASA is funding researchers that develop software but it's often not developed within open source communities even though there is an increase in the use of open source software. My gut feeling is that the reason for this is that many folks are not familiar with what open source is all about and they are not aware of the great resources out there. If folks are interested in pursuing this I will do what I can to facilitate OSGeo involvement. I'm not certain if I will be able to attend and even if I do it would be good to have someone involved who is more adept at advocating for OSGeo than me. All the best, Ned ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Podcasts?
Michael P. Gerlek wrote: A colleague asks: are there any good GIS-related podcasts (open source or not) out there? Directions Magazine http://www.directionsmag.com/ offers regular podcasts. They occasionally have open source related content by Adena Schutzberg (Directions staff) and others. Ned ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] New web site
Thanks Steve. Steve Lime wrote: I've only poked around in a few of your tools, but you have some really unique presentation ideas at work here. Great work! Steve ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
RE: [OSGeo-Discuss] Promoting freely available geodata
Chris, Thanks for the overview of your conversation. I appreciate your effort to contact these folks. This is something I'm trying to get my head around but without much success. Do you (or anyone else out there) have a sense for the difference between (scientific) data and maps? If I create a land cover or land cover change map in digital format is that data or a map? What about a DEM? When you talk about data is it limited to data directly recorded by an instrument or does it include something interpreted or modeled using human input? Once a human gets involved does it become creative? I would argue that most interpreted data (i.e., just about any geospatial data not directly recorded by a sensor) are creative works not unlike a copyrighted written description of something. I also wonder about facts (and fiction). Can facts have error? How much? Is it factual if the error is documented in the metadata? Of course, I'm out of my area of expertise here so maybe I'm talking nonsense. Maybe I'm panicking because I'm using the CC license for some map data sets I've created for other organizations. Ned -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Chris Holmes Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 6:59 PM To: OSGeo Discussions Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Legal Talk Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Promoting freely available geodata Do you have a link to the Database Directive stuff on osm-talk? I checked out the list but there's a lot there and wasn't sure which posts to read. I just got off the phone with the lead counsel of Science Commons, which is the branch of CC made to deal with data. It was an interesting conversation, though unfortunately not much good news for CC licenses for Geodata. The very quick story is that they don't believe copyright can be applied to any geospatial data. Thus creative commons licenses don't work, since they depend on copyright. So people providing data have two options - public domain or make a contract that completely restricts it. The longer story is that the Science Commons initiative is about getting science data more available, which unlike geospatial data is something that traditionally has been available for all, only published papers about the data were under copyright. So they would be very hesitant to create a regime for data licensing that would make it easier for people to put more restrictions on their data. They are launching a 'facts are free' campaign soon to get across to the world that one can't copyright scientific data. I can see this strategy working decently for science, but unfortunately it doesn't for geospatial. The legacy we're dealing with is that maps are power, and something to be kept private for military advantage or economic gain. We really want a regime that gives a variety of licenses that are more restrictive than public domain but less so than completely keeping private. The lawyer at CC definitely 'got' this, but unfortunately it doesn't line up with their mission, since most of the topics they're pushing on benefit from the fact that you can't copyright facts. He did give some insight in to how one would make such a regime of licenses if one wanted to. Copyright law doesn't work, since you can't copyright data. Maps can be copyrighted, but if you can reverse engineer and extract the data out of them, then that result can not be copyrighted. So what you would have to do is use contract law. It would be a contract similar to a non-disclosure agreement - you can't disclose the information contained in this database unless you follow the set terms. And you could do copyleft type things in the terms, but it's definitely trickier, and you somehow have to get people to accept that contract. Which I suppose isn't insurmountable, since Google Maps and their data providers manage to get you to accept a contract to not reverse engineer and use tiles off line and the like. He was also worried a bit about license incompatibilities, but personally since they're are practically no open data licenses, that's not so much a worry for me. So unfortunately CC isn't going to be much help to us. CC themselves believe pure data licensed under the CC isn't enforceable in any way, since it's not copyrightable and so their license doesn't apply. And Science Commons (who anyone in CC will point you to if you want to do data, because CC is for creative works) can't really touch it since it sort of works against their mission. So if we want to do this right we need to find a lawyer who would construct a set of contracts for us and guidelines on how to apply them and get others to accept them. Ideally I think we'd have an 'lgpl' type option where only modifications to the database need to also be open, and a 'gpl' one where anything derived has to be similarly open (which would make it incompatible with things). Though I suppose
[OSGeo-Discuss] Response to digital mapping article?
I ran across this article: http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeaturesitemid=586; language=1 and thought that someone from OSGeo might like to put together some sort of response. The article highlights many of the issues that OSGeo is trying to address but it doesn't mention OSGeo or offer any solutions. This seems like a good opportunity to introduce folks to OSGeo. Any takers? All the best, Ned ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
RE: [OSGeo-Discuss] Free
On Mar 5, 2007, at 13:26, Frank Warmerdam wrote: The lack of understanding of what we mean by free just demonstrates the need for additional outreach by OSGeo. I am still trying to get my head around the free and open source concept. I've been through the Free Software Foundation site and although I think the free software movement is great I still don't see why it can't be thought of as a subset of open source. From my perspective, being more of an open source consumer than a producer, it seems silly to use free and open source. It creates a good deal of unnecessary confusion to those outside of the free/open source community. It seems that the free movement focuses on the philosophical differences which is fine but can't folks with different philosophies co-exist under the open source umbrella? Aren't all of the licenses that are endorsed by the FSF also endorsed by the open source community? As far as OSGeo outreach goes, should we use free and open source or just open source and explain what free means within a definition of open source? So far it seems to be inconstantly used within OSGeo. Would it make sense to think of the free 4 geo community as the radical arm of OSGeo :) PS. What is the correct term for software that doesn't cost anything but is closed (like MultiSpec and 3DEM)? Freeware? All the best, Ned ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
