On Thu, Feb 28, 2008 at 7:27 PM, Nikos Alexandris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Some time ago I said that I will post a question in EEA about "...why only > shapefiles and mdb's". So I did. > > It took some time but I received a reply. I posted back my feedback using > some CLC tiles and I was waiting (still waiting) for a second reply (this > second is of minor importance I think). > > Reading again my questions I realise that they could have been formulated > better, from a more "correct" perspective. Anyhow, here they are (my > question and the reply). If anybody is interested about contact details just > give me a sign. > > > > Dear Madams/ Sirs, > > > > > > herewith I kindly request an answer to the following question: > > > > > > Why are the geospatial data (available in EEA's data portal) provided > > > only in closed source geo-data file formats (e.g. ESRI shapefile, .mdb > > > geo-data base)? > > > > > > Why not also in open-source file formats? > > > > > > As a student, trying to satisfy my "experimental" needs, I am not in > > the > > > financial position to pay for proprietary softare. > > > > > > The alternatives (Free and Open Source) for processing and analysing > > > geo-spatial data exist, and allow me to state, some of them > > demonstrate > > > superior performance and experience a continuous development. > > > > > > Students and teachers and both the academic and the scientific > > community > > > worldwide can benefit if EEA's geo-data are available publicly (with a > > > subscription) in open source file formats. > > > > > > > > > Thank you for your time in advance. > > > > > > Sincerely, > > > > > > Nikos Alexandris. > > and the reply: > > Dear Nikos Alexandris, > > > > Thank you for contacting the European Environment Agency. > > > > Based on your e-mail, I have consulted a colleague working with > > geospatial data. He has responded that shape files can be seen as an > > open industry format and can be read by many open source software today. > > Also DBF files also both have limitations such as support on > > multilingualism (UTF8, UTF16). EEA also provide, where possible, > > everything in textual or XML formats. We also provide other industrial > > formats to insure we have no loss of quality or information. Soon we > > will be able to provide GML, WFS formats once those formats have been > > better understood by us. The amount of formats provided depends on the > > cost producing them. > > > > Please let me know if you have further questions that have not been > > answered by the explanation above. > > > > > > Kind regards, >
Thanks for posting this transaction Nikos. I look forward to further communications from the EEA. As Hamish mentioned a couple messages up in this thread, it would be a good idea (if it hasn't already been done) to formalize these type of communications with government agencies to lobby for open formats. Cheers, Dylan _______________________________________________ grass-user mailing list [email protected] http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/grass-user
