All,
Related to Arnie's posting here. I would like to see some community
organization around business specific products like the the items that
Arie is describing here. Example that meet customers needs more readily
than by requiring the first time implementer to assemble a bunch of
pieces (which it the right way to do it BTW!) to get what they need.
While some business needs are fairly specific, there are certain things
generic enough that they can scoped out and set up for the masses as
examples where the potential useser can just plug any play so to speak.
This type of approach would leak over into training and education easily
if done right and made very simple to get things going.
bobb
Arnie Shore wrote:
As a very interested lurker, and as one who has developed an Open
Source Computer-Aided-Dispatch system that has embedded google's maps
product, I can tell you that one of the deterrents I see is the
relative complexity of an Open Source GIS implementation - as compared
to the use of GMaps, which also, of course and notably, is free. The
single source of both the tiles as well as the API is relatively
straightforward for the non-cartographer novice.
My user community includes a fair-sized portion who have never before
implemented a web-server-based system, and our package is designed to
minimize the number of elements that need separate collection and
configuration. To tell them that they need a map server in addition
to the stack that WAMP, XAMPP, MAMP, installs in a single executable
will turn away too many candidates, IMO. In our case, the
tile-serving capabilities could be met by a rather limited set of
server-side functions that are OL-aware. But I haven't seen anything
like that in the panoply of products that comprises the OSGeo world.
Please correct me on this if such exits.
(Further evidence of the importance of the ease-of-implementation
issue is the proliferation of open source libraries that include
capabilities taht are based on a GMaps foundation.)
I will say that my users - many of whom are into emergency operations
- indeed are asking for an implementation that wd allow operation
while disconnected from the Internet. Impossible in a GMaps-based
solution, but completely feasible in one based on OpenLayers plus
locally stored OSM tiles. Users I've pointed to the available OSM
sites have told me that the level of detail wd be completely
satisfactory as a suitable replacement for GMaps. Which is a
critically important data point, IMO.
My perception of the current evolution of the world of Open Source GIS
is toward greater complexity and richness. Which certainly makes for
excitement and challenge for its enthusiasts; but that isn't doing
much for those of us along the borders looking over the fences, and
with limited hours available to hop that fence and get involved.
Make entry easier than it is, folks. Please?
A. Shore
Annapolis, MD
On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 5:09 PM, Ravi <ravivundava...@yahoo.com
<mailto:ravivundava...@yahoo.com>> wrote:
Hi,
have been going through all the wishes, all the arguments about
how Open Source GIS must evolve etc. ...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
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
