[OSGeo-Discuss] New Mexico local chapter?
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Perry, Gary, Tim, Mark, Richard, thank you all for your support. I'm looking forward to a local chapter (it would be the first in the US, hard as it is to believe). As for the education suggestions, thank you once again. I'll get Amy Ballard in touch with the education project at OSGeo since she is the GIT chair at our community college. Karl and I are thinking of tag teaming a class, and he has some curriculum built up, but it would be best if it was built around what OSGeo had in mind. I spoke with Tyler today about the chapter and I have attempted to address an apparently unique issue. The NM chapter wants to begin some software projects that don't yet exist, OS or otherwise, and it's unclear what I meant by starting something up under the banner of OSGeo. MapServer is managed by UMN, GRASS by ITC, OSSIM by RadiantBlue, but we folks don't have an organization that would create software, manage it, release it as open source, so our organization would be...the New Mexico chapter of OSGeo. It's a New Mexico OSGeo project, so they direct it, and they release it, technically OSGeo releases it. That's all. It's a new concept for OSGeo, but I think it helps, and I think it will be common as time goes on. The more formal membership in OSGeo becomes, the more solid that link becomes. We do all have organizations already, but nothing that would allow us to work on something under their employ and release it as open source, and I can tell you, if it isn't open source, it isn't going to happen at all, at least not from me. Few of us are professional programmers (e.g., I'm not) and can't devote much, if any, time to these projects during work hours, and people tend not to write software on their own time either if it's just for work. In short, it's open source or no source. So who owns it? Nowhere in the discussion of open source have I ever seen that addressed because nobody owns it. Anyone can take it and develop on their own branch however they like, although that rarely happens. Any source I write I intend to release as GPL, free, and anyone can do what they want with it, and I think most of New Mexican developers have something identical in mind. Essentially, think of it like any other open source project, MapServer, etc., the copyright is held by whoever wrote it but as you know GPL allows for all kinds of things that your traditional copyright disallows. Most things are on SourceForge, we want to host our own source because we're geeks and we thinking setting up Subversion would be fun. Thank you for your consideration. Please email me or this list if you have any other questions, and otherwise thanks again for all the encouragement. -Zack -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.3 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFFyC38bb3W6CZJLjURAkZuAJ0VuIf5/lz7n480EzxPJAL/AKuBCQCfZ3vX GtksMu1zFoZ+TO+Jei3F/aM= =gsog -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] New Mexico local chapter?
Zachary, I think this is a good idea and i'd suggest you take a look at OSSIM http://www.ossim.org which is more focused on photogrammetry and remote sensing. It already performs orthorectification, precision terrain correction, map projection/datum shifts, and supports several rigorous camera models. OSSIM is an OSGeo project, but is not as well known as some of the online mapping tools due to its more scientific orientation and corresponding learning curve. OSSIM would certainly benefit from additional capabilities in some of these areas and educational materials. Contact me directly if you are interested in finding out more. Mark Lucas I think a chapter in New Mexico focused on the technologies that you have defined would be an asset to the overall OSGeo effort. On Feb 4, 2007, at 7:11 PM, Zachary L. Stauber wrote: -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Hi All, Some of us down here in New Mexico (or up depending on your orientation) want to start a local chapter. I've started a wiki here listing some info on us. http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/New_Mexico Anyone think it's a great idea? A bad idea? Too small of an area? Too big? Just right? Before you answer let me go into a little bit of why we need a chapter. I work for a private engineering firm that does photogrammetry that does a high volume of orthophotos plus I teach photogrammetry part time at the local tech-voc institute where we can't afford the usual software. I'd like to see the software cheaper (specifically, free) and developers pay more attention to bug fixes and so on, which open source usually does. So I need a vehicle for starting up photogrammetry in open source, and rather that duplicating efforts, we figured we'd join OSGeo. My co-worker John Nipper is a programmer with experience in programming for aerial cameras and LiDAR sensors and wants to help. But we also need to be able to solicit help from experts in the field, professors of photogrammetry and surveying, mathematics, etc., and open source is the only neutral ground on which we can easily work together. My colleague and chair of the GIT program at the tech-voc school Amy Ballard wants to offer a class just on open source software. She believes it's taking off and will is useful in real jobs around New Mexico, and she wants to encourage its further use. R. Cliff Wilkie, geodetic surveyor for the City of Albuquerque, wants to offer users some shifting and reprojection software for surveyors to manipulate their points that operates transparently and has a good manual or explanation of the mechanics internally so people know what's happening to their data, for people like him to whom 1mm is a significant error. Karl Benedict is hosting the server. He's the senior research analyst and IT manager for the University of New Mexico's Earth Data Analysis Center. He's been 100% open source for years now, big user of the usual suspects (MapServer, Linux, SOAP, and so on), and is all for encouraging their use in the GIS community in New Mexico. I think we have a unique setup here, not only having people from all three communities (private, government, and academic) but most important working in some fields that are somewhat esoteric. GoogleEarth has millions of users, and with it things like MapServer. Desktop GIS has tens of thousands around the world, but photogrammetry and high accuracy geodesy, probably only several hundred. So there are a lot of things being developed in the high volume areas of open source that get a lot of attention, and the esoteric ones don't so much, which is too bad because the commercial software available suffers in quality from the same dynamic. There are only a dozen photogrammetry packages out there compared to scores of desktop GIS, and most of them are flirting with a price around US$20,000 per component, per license. The US National Geodetic Survey provides some tools for datum shifts and reprojecdtions like CorpsCon, but they are US-centric, and the development is controlled by a body which is not funded as well as it should be considering it's the foundation on which all geographic data is collected. Some software is still DOS-only. We need to be part of OSGeo so development can make sure the intellectual property rests in the public domain and the development is still controlled by a long-lived body devoted to the task like OSGeo rather than the US federal government or any private business. They can donate money and their peoples' time to us, grants, etc., but development that goes into a private box is notoriously cumbersome to update, doesn't have a wide range of users to test it, and has a habit of dying off. -Zack Stauber -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.3 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFFxnYobb3W6CZJLjURAjYzAKCQyn
Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] New Mexico local chapter?
We have produced several intro course works (Udig, Quantum GIS, MapWindow) for open source GIS desktop software here at Florida State, You are welcome to use them if you want. Also we have a course for open source software that includes other software beside GIS . I can send the syllabus if you want. It includes al the reading assignments, etc. Zachary L. Stauber wrote: -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Hi All, Some of us down here in New Mexico (or up depending on your orientation) want to start a local chapter. I've started a wiki here listing some info on us. http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/New_Mexico Anyone think it's a great idea? A bad idea? Too small of an area? Too big? Just right? Before you answer let me go into a little bit of why we need a chapter. I work for a private engineering firm that does photogrammetry that does a high volume of orthophotos plus I teach photogrammetry part time at the local tech-voc institute where we can't afford the usual software. I'd like to see the software cheaper (specifically, free) and developers pay more attention to bug fixes and so on, which open source usually does. So I need a vehicle for starting up photogrammetry in open source, and rather that duplicating efforts, we figured we'd join OSGeo. My co-worker John Nipper is a programmer with experience in programming for aerial cameras and LiDAR sensors and wants to help. But we also need to be able to solicit help from experts in the field, professors of photogrammetry and surveying, mathematics, etc., and open source is the only neutral ground on which we can easily work together. My colleague and chair of the GIT program at the tech-voc school Amy Ballard wants to offer a class just on open source software. She believes it's taking off and will is useful in real jobs around New Mexico, and she wants to encourage its further use. R. Cliff Wilkie, geodetic surveyor for the City of Albuquerque, wants to offer users some shifting and reprojection software for surveyors to manipulate their points that operates transparently and has a good manual or explanation of the mechanics internally so people know what's happening to their data, for people like him to whom 1mm is a significant error. Karl Benedict is hosting the server. He's the senior research analyst and IT manager for the University of New Mexico's Earth Data Analysis Center. He's been 100% open source for years now, big user of the usual suspects (MapServer, Linux, SOAP, and so on), and is all for encouraging their use in the GIS community in New Mexico. I think we have a unique setup here, not only having people from all three communities (private, government, and academic) but most important working in some fields that are somewhat esoteric. GoogleEarth has millions of users, and with it things like MapServer. Desktop GIS has tens of thousands around the world, but photogrammetry and high accuracy geodesy, probably only several hundred. So there are a lot of things being developed in the high volume areas of open source that get a lot of attention, and the esoteric ones don't so much, which is too bad because the commercial software available suffers in quality from the same dynamic. There are only a dozen photogrammetry packages out there compared to scores of desktop GIS, and most of them are flirting with a price around US$20,000 per component, per license. The US National Geodetic Survey provides some tools for datum shifts and reprojecdtions like CorpsCon, but they are US-centric, and the development is controlled by a body which is not funded as well as it should be considering it's the foundation on which all geographic data is collected. Some software is still DOS-only. We need to be part of OSGeo so development can make sure the intellectual property rests in the public domain and the development is still controlled by a long-lived body devoted to the task like OSGeo rather than the US federal government or any private business. They can donate money and their peoples' time to us, grants, etc., but development that goes into a private box is notoriously cumbersome to update, doesn't have a wide range of users to test it, and has a habit of dying off. -Zack Stauber -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.3 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFFxnYobb3W6CZJLjURAjYzAKCQynd6k2tKDNeNFmwffbFQ+vIbSQCgzWKu JLrHodF+U83EWlB2MraThAU= =0GF3 -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss -- The information transmitted is intended solely for the person or entity for which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon this informatio
Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] New Mexico local chapter?
Zack, I, for one, think it would be a great idea! I know Karl and others at UNM and that they've been proponents of open source geospatial software for quite sometime. As you work on your local chapter's agenda, you might want to browse through the web and wiki pages of the many OSGeo projects/initiatives--we currently have the Education ad Curriculum committee (http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Education_and_Curriculum_Committee, which hopefully will become active again soon), the public geodata project (http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Public_Geospatial_Data_Project), and of course all the software projects. The public geodata project is quite active on IRC (channel #osgeo) as are the other OSGeo committees, please feel free to join in and participate. I'm sure others will have more to add but let me be the first to say, welcome! Cheers! -Perry On Sunday 04 February 2007 18:11, Zachary L. Stauber wrote: > Hi All, > Some of us down here in New Mexico (or up depending on your orientation) > want to start a local chapter. I've started a wiki here listing some info > on us. http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/New_Mexico > > Anyone think it's a great idea? > A bad idea? > Too small of an area? > Too big? > Just right? > > Before you answer let me go into a little bit of why we need a chapter. I > work for a private engineering firm that does photogrammetry that does a > high volume of orthophotos plus I teach photogrammetry part time at the > local tech-voc institute where we can't afford the usual software. I'd > like to see the software cheaper (specifically, free) and developers pay > more attention to bug fixes and so on, which open source usually does. So > I need a vehicle for starting up photogrammetry in open source, and rather > that duplicating efforts, we figured we'd join OSGeo. My co-worker John > Nipper is a programmer with experience in programming for aerial cameras > and LiDAR sensors and wants to help. But we also need to be able to > solicit help from experts in the field, professors of photogrammetry and > surveying, mathematics, etc., and open source is the only neutral ground on > which we can easily work together. > > My colleague and chair of the GIT program at the tech-voc school Amy > Ballard wants to offer a class just on open source software. She believes > it's taking off and will is useful in real jobs around New Mexico, and she > wants to encourage its further use. > > R. Cliff Wilkie, geodetic surveyor for the City of Albuquerque, wants to > offer users some shifting and reprojection software for surveyors to > manipulate their points that operates transparently and has a good manual > or explanation of the mechanics internally so people know what's happening > to their data, for people like him to whom 1mm is a significant error. > > Karl Benedict is hosting the server. He's the senior research analyst and > IT manager for the University of New Mexico's Earth Data Analysis Center. > He's been 100% open source for years now, big user of the usual suspects > (MapServer, Linux, SOAP, and so on), and is all for encouraging their use > in the GIS community in New Mexico. > > I think we have a unique setup here, not only having people from all three > communities (private, government, and academic) but most important working > in some fields that are somewhat esoteric. GoogleEarth has millions of > users, and with it things like MapServer. Desktop GIS has tens of > thousands around the world, but photogrammetry and high accuracy geodesy, > probably only several hundred. So there are a lot of things being > developed in the high volume areas of open source that get a lot of > attention, and the esoteric ones don't so much, which is too bad because > the commercial software available suffers in quality from the same dynamic. > There are only a dozen photogrammetry packages out there compared to > scores of desktop GIS, and most of them are flirting with a price around > US$20,000 per component, per license. > > The US National Geodetic Survey provides some tools for datum shifts and > reprojecdtions like CorpsCon, but they are US-centric, and the development > is controlled by a body which is not funded as well as it should be > considering it's the foundation on which all geographic data is collected. > Some software is still DOS-only. > > We need to be part of OSGeo so development can make sure the intellectual > property rests in the public domain and the development is still controlled > by a long-lived body devoted to the task like OSGeo rather than the US > federal government or any private business. They can donate money and > their peoples' time to us, grants, etc., but development that goes into a > private box is notoriously cumbersome to update, doesn't have a wide range > of users to test it, and has a habit of dying off. > > > -Zack Stauber > ___ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss@lists.osgeo.o
[OSGeo-Discuss] New Mexico local chapter?
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Hi All, Some of us down here in New Mexico (or up depending on your orientation) want to start a local chapter. I've started a wiki here listing some info on us. http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/New_Mexico Anyone think it's a great idea? A bad idea? Too small of an area? Too big? Just right? Before you answer let me go into a little bit of why we need a chapter. I work for a private engineering firm that does photogrammetry that does a high volume of orthophotos plus I teach photogrammetry part time at the local tech-voc institute where we can't afford the usual software. I'd like to see the software cheaper (specifically, free) and developers pay more attention to bug fixes and so on, which open source usually does. So I need a vehicle for starting up photogrammetry in open source, and rather that duplicating efforts, we figured we'd join OSGeo. My co-worker John Nipper is a programmer with experience in programming for aerial cameras and LiDAR sensors and wants to help. But we also need to be able to solicit help from experts in the field, professors of photogrammetry and surveying, mathematics, etc., and open source is the only neutral ground on which we can easily work together. My colleague and chair of the GIT program at the tech-voc school Amy Ballard wants to offer a class just on open source software. She believes it's taking off and will is useful in real jobs around New Mexico, and she wants to encourage its further use. R. Cliff Wilkie, geodetic surveyor for the City of Albuquerque, wants to offer users some shifting and reprojection software for surveyors to manipulate their points that operates transparently and has a good manual or explanation of the mechanics internally so people know what's happening to their data, for people like him to whom 1mm is a significant error. Karl Benedict is hosting the server. He's the senior research analyst and IT manager for the University of New Mexico's Earth Data Analysis Center. He's been 100% open source for years now, big user of the usual suspects (MapServer, Linux, SOAP, and so on), and is all for encouraging their use in the GIS community in New Mexico. I think we have a unique setup here, not only having people from all three communities (private, government, and academic) but most important working in some fields that are somewhat esoteric. GoogleEarth has millions of users, and with it things like MapServer. Desktop GIS has tens of thousands around the world, but photogrammetry and high accuracy geodesy, probably only several hundred. So there are a lot of things being developed in the high volume areas of open source that get a lot of attention, and the esoteric ones don't so much, which is too bad because the commercial software available suffers in quality from the same dynamic. There are only a dozen photogrammetry packages out there compared to scores of desktop GIS, and most of them are flirting with a price around US$20,000 per component, per license. The US National Geodetic Survey provides some tools for datum shifts and reprojecdtions like CorpsCon, but they are US-centric, and the development is controlled by a body which is not funded as well as it should be considering it's the foundation on which all geographic data is collected. Some software is still DOS-only. We need to be part of OSGeo so development can make sure the intellectual property rests in the public domain and the development is still controlled by a long-lived body devoted to the task like OSGeo rather than the US federal government or any private business. They can donate money and their peoples' time to us, grants, etc., but development that goes into a private box is notoriously cumbersome to update, doesn't have a wide range of users to test it, and has a habit of dying off. -Zack Stauber -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.3 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFFxnYobb3W6CZJLjURAjYzAKCQynd6k2tKDNeNFmwffbFQ+vIbSQCgzWKu JLrHodF+U83EWlB2MraThAU= =0GF3 -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
