Hi, 2015-06-19 15:19 GMT+02:00 Carlos Cerdán <[email protected]>:
> Hi there: > > As open source philosophy, personal motivation has a big weight. One > enthusiastic QGIS user can do difference to motivate other GIS users into > QGIS adventure. > > I'm working in a local government for two years and half. It took me > almost a year convince other that our geodatabase is public and that we had > to share shapes also, not PDF only (Sorry... life in tropics). > > Next step was QGIS. I developed a pilot QGIS course into the office: two > hours each day, per one week, doing exercises with our own data. > > QGIS has new followers over here. The seed is sown. > > Here, the main feature that attracts to QGIS is the language.... so i > think it'll be great if plugins can be also translated. > > Agree with this, reason why I opened this thread ( http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/qgis-developer/2015-May/037762.html) that unfortunately doesn't seem to attract the crowds. Any comment, idea or help is still welcome. Regards, DelazJ > Cheers from Peru > > Carlos Cerdán > > > > 2015-06-19 6:30 GMT-05:00 Bernhard Ströbl <[email protected]>: > >> Hi all, >> >> I think this is a useful discussion as QGIS is (at least IMHO) the most >> popular OpenSource GIS in the public sector. From the discussion I >> understand there are two reasons to not use QGIS as the sole GIS in this >> context: >> One are missing features (e.g. missing dwg support). As the discussion >> shows this can easily be overcome by extending QGIS. Someone needs to >> coordinate and pay, of course, but if there are enough users in need of >> this particular feature it will be done. The second reason seems less easy >> to tackle: A local government has many different tasks related to spatial >> information: parks, sewage, streets, water bodies, playgrounds, cadastral >> information etc.. Most administrations lack the knowledge to just take QGIS >> and model the needed data themselves, instead they are willing to pay some >> money to a company that does it for them (and I assume this is what ESRI >> offers with "ArcGIS for Local Government"). But most of these companies are >> tied to a proprietary GIS software. Maybe it is also the other way round: >> the adminstration already has a proprietary GIS and looks for someone to >> implement their needs with it because it is (understandibly) unwilling to >> introduce another GIS for this particular task. >> IMHO the situation is as it is because for the overwhelming majority of >> local government tasks there are no data standards. As soon as data >> standards exist users are more free to choose the software that addresses >> their needs, e.g. WMS-Servers. IMHO this makes it hard "to extend QGIS to >> include more "applied" solutions for local government". There are, however, >> examples: The Swiss QGEP project implementing the Swiss sewage data >> standard, the German PostNAS project implementing the German cadastral data >> standard. For non-stanardized data every user/company is free to model the >> data according to their specific needs therefore QGIS is probably not the >> right addressee. Instead the national QGIS user groups could try to >> standardize their data needs thus making it possible to enhance QGIS to >> support this "standard", which then would lead to an extension of QGIS. >> >> just some more thoughts :) >> >> Bernhard >> >> >> Am 18.06.2015 um 08:10 schrieb Steve Golden: >> >>> I am glad to have sparked some discussion. Being a FOSS4G application >>> forum, >>> I am not entirely surprised by some of the comments, but all are >>> appreciated. (sorry upfront, this turned into a long post which perhaps >>> would be better suited on a blog of some sort) >>> >>> I am a bit envious of those individuals who work in the public sector >>> outside of the U.S. because it seems like there is more acceptance and >>> directive to use FOSS/FOSS4G as primary applications and not just >>> something >>> that you "kick the tires" with. As for the use of FOSS4G applications in >>> the States, I think that Randal and others summarized it pretty well (at >>> least perhaps for the mid-sized cities). I knew of some cities that were >>> using Intergraph or MapInfo, but now it is ESRI all the way. You read >>> about >>> some larger government organizations using FOSS for GIS web services, >>> but my >>> main focus, at least for this post, is small/mid-sized local government. >>> ESRI seems to have done a very good sales job with their "ArcGIS for >>> Local >>> Government" branding. And like my original post suggested, if you look >>> at >>> all of the tools, apps, and maps that ESRI provides for "free" (yes, >>> this is >>> part of the sales propaganda) it makes their product look really good for >>> local governments might see it as a great GIS entry point or for those >>> older >>> systems looking to extend into more web mapping or application >>> development. >>> And as others pointed out, there is the reality that you have to have >>> staff >>> that are knowledgeable in open source and/or willing to figure things >>> out. >>> Maybe things will change over time, but the majority of people working in >>> GIS learned with commercial software and probably haven't had the >>> opportunity or need to look beyond what they know best and are >>> comfortable >>> with. >>> >>> Strange as it may seem, I work in local government in the Bay Area, CA >>> (i.e. >>> Silicon Valley) and like Randal stated and as far as I can tell, most of >>> the >>> local governments look around at one another and if one city has a >>> working >>> solution, the others pretty much duplicate with some variations (not >>> necessary a bad idea as long as you duplicate an intelligent solution). >>> When I talk GIS to staff at other cities, people generally want to >>> discuss >>> the latest tools and functions in ArcGIS. At times I've tried to >>> encourage >>> others to look outside the box, but I generally get a chilling look or >>> responses as if they don't have a clue that there are other technologies >>> out >>> there. However, I also think there are a lot of mid-manager, non-GIS, >>> non-technical individuals that are leading cities, control the budgets >>> and >>> staffing and don't really know anything except for what the majority of >>> cities are using and what is advertized to them. And like another poster >>> stated, a lot of managers are more comfortable spending a bunch of money >>> on >>> a commercial solution that is advertised to work. Paul Ramsey has some >>> great presentations <http://www.cleverelephant.ca/writings.html> that >>> speaks more to this which I can't agree more. >>> >>> It seems to me and others (based on comments in this thread and across >>> the >>> net), that the FOSS4G solutions (QGIS probably leading the way in desktop >>> GIS) have evolved and are starting to replace commercial providers like >>> ESRI. If you follow ESRI products, you've probably seen the changes to >>> try >>> to include more "free" functions, tools, and access to certain data >>> formats >>> to keep up with the FOSS4G counterparts. But alas, they are doing more >>> to >>> lock in their customers with the ESRI centric data specifications/formats >>> and online user accounts which is leading to some consternation, well >>> maybe >>> a revolt >>> < >>> https://geonet.esri.com/groups/arcgispro/blog/2015/04/24/arcgis-pro-is-this-the-start-of-a-revolt-against-esri#comment-14969 >>> > >>> . >>> >>> While the foundation of my initial post (and even this one) is a little >>> ESRI >>> bashing (even though that the organization that I work for primarily >>> uses it >>> and is looking to sink further into it), and pondering the more wide >>> spread >>> use of FOSS4G, what my real aim was to understand if there was anyone >>> looking to extend QGIS to include more "applied" solutions for local >>> government. I hate to think that replicating exactly what commercial >>> providers are doing is the right thing to do, but I wonder even though >>> QGIS >>> has matured greatly over the past few years, and there are now supported >>> open stacks of FOSS4G applications like OpenGeo and consulting firms who >>> are >>> providing support for QGIS, if there is something missing to make QGIS an >>> easier entry point for a GIS software solution for local governments? I >>> suppose if there are more individuals who are willing to share map >>> templates, customizations of QGIS, workflow processes, etc and if these >>> were >>> aggregated in some manner, then perhaps it would be a start. I suppose >>> in >>> the global use of QGIS, what does local government mean and what does it >>> do? >>> Solutions might need to be sub-divided by country or region. >>> >>> Well, just some more thoughts... >>> >>> Steve >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> View this message in context: >>> http://osgeo-org.1560.x6.nabble.com/Local-Government-for-QGIS-tp5210489p5211542.html >>> Sent from the Quantum GIS - User mailing list archive at Nabble.com. >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Qgis-user mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user >>> >>> >>> __________ Information from ESET Mail Security, version of virus >>> signature database 11804 (20150618) __________ >>> >>> The message was checked by ESET Mail Security. >>> http://www.eset.com >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> __________ Information from ESET Mail Security, version of virus >> signature database 11811 (20150619) __________ >> >> The message was checked by ESET Mail Security. >> http://www.eset.com >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Qgis-user mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Qgis-user mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user >
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