Advocacy
This page coordinates OSGeo Advocacy. This comprises explanations and definitions of terms used in conjunction with developing, using, disseminating (spreading) and enhancing Free and Open Source Software. Additionally it should enhance availability and accessibility of information about best practices examples and large scale usage scenarios. Advocacy helps new users and developers find out and learn what is special about this place.
Definitions
- A short introduction to Free Software
- A short introduction to Open Source
- The difference between Software Projects and Products is sometimes good for confusion.
- Free Software can be used commercially in many different Business contexts.
- Commercial Services provide for professional support and can help to implement productive environments.
- Professional Support is provided by a diverse ecology of professionals. These can range from highly, qualified seasoned individuals or agile students to enterprises of any size.
- OSGeo operates a Service Provider Directory that helps to identify the required specialist.
Examples
Most Free Software Projects operate a web site where you can find examples of all kinds of solutions, again ranging in scale from the personal website mashup up to state- or worldwide infrastructures with millions of users.
How could OSGeo provide more information on specific examples to show the high level of quality and reliance of some packages as well as the ease of use of other pieces of code. Would it make sense to collect links to galleries here?
Education and long term Outreach
It is very easy to speak in favor of an "industry leader", which "is used everywhere" and with which "students get marketable skills" (from a mail by Ari Jolma).
There are three messages in this remark that need our attention both from a short and long term perspective.
- Industry leadership has to be put into a context. GIS markets have changed dramatically in the past years and the GIS industry is trying to follow. The late industry leaders are now confronted with businesses like Google, Yahoo et al who do "GIS light" as a past time and reach out to billions of users. At the same time organizations like OSGeo form and bundle a vast pool of resources (find a better word for "bundle" as that feels like actually shoving people around which is not what OSGeo tries to do).
- What "is used everywhere" has already changed considerably. There are markets (for example Germany) where the number of UMN MapServer by far outnumbers any single proprietary vendor's number of installations.
- How "students get marketable skills" currently depends largely on the available skills of the teachers and quality of material - but not on what the market needs! THe market has a need for high qualified solutions providers who do not depend on using one software that they have learned but who are capable to decide which tool is the best to solve the geospatial issue.