GRASS GIS Report 2012

- DRAFT, please expand
 * Contact name: Helena Mitasova, PSC Vice-Chair

Key Accomplishments

 * Updated and modernized GRASS GIS Web site launched (press release)
 * GRASS GIS 6.4.2 released, see details
 * GRASS GIS 6.4.3RC2 released, see details
 * WinGRASS 6.4.3RC2 stand-alone package, MacOSX installer and Linux package released
 * Google Summer of Code 2012 participation with three successful projects:
 * Pietro Zambelli : Python high level map interaction for GRASS GIS
 * Eric Momsen: Image Segmentation in GRASS GIS
 * Stepan Turek: GRASS GIS WxGui front end for vector analysis modules


 * Many improvements in GRASS GIS 7 development version, see new features

Participation in conferences

 * 21-23 May 2012: GRASS GIS Community Sprint 2012, Prague, Czech Republic (press release)
 * Presentations at FOSS4G and geoscience conferences:
 * 21-22 May 2012: FOSS4G-CEE, Prague, Czech Republic
 * 3-7 December 2012:AGU, Open source geospatial for geosciences session
 * Feb 2012: GRASS and FOSS4G-IT user meeting 2012, Italy - XIII Meeting degli utenti di lingua Italiana di GRASS e FOSS4G,  Italy

Education and Research

 * OSGeo Research and Education Laboratories with GRASS GIS applications and development among their activities launched at
 * North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
 * Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic
 * GRASS GIS used at university courses:
 * North Carolina State University, USA
 * Archeology, Arizona State University, USA
 * University of Basilicata, Italy. (Some training course material in Italian available here)
 * Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium (Some training course material in French available here)
 * University of Genoa, Italy (Numerical cartograpy and GIS (IT) )
 * Many papers that include GRASS GIS were published in scientific journals and conference proceedings in 2012:
 * some examples in earth sciences
 * Looking for the future in the past: Long-term change in socioecological systems
 * Reference paper: Neteler, M., Bowman, M.H., Landa, M. and Metz, M. (2012): GRASS GIS: a multi-purpose Open Source GIS. Environmental Modelling & Software, 31: 124-130 (DOI)
 * Training:
 * GRASS used for GIS training by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, USA
 * Workshop Introduction to GRASS GIS. GEOSTAT 2012, 3-8 Sep 2012, Muenster, Germany
 * Workshop The temporal GRASS GIS framework: Introduction and application. GEOSTAT 2012, 3-8 Sep 2012, Muenster, Germany

Areas for Improvement

 * Develop a migration guide for public administration
 * Improve the existing sponsorship program

Opportunities to Help
see more details on how to get involved
 * Developers, power users providing support to newcomers, translators, documentation editors and others who would like to help are always welcome,
 * Help in preparing more marketing material: update flyers and poster in different languages

Outlook for 2013

 * Release of GRASS GIS 6.4.3
 * Continue improvements in GRASS GIS 7.0, technology preview release planned
 * Organize GRASS GIS Community Sprints
 * Participation at FOSS4G and other conferences
 * Participation in Google Summer of Code