[OSGeodata] Project request

[Tyler Mitchell]

Jo wrote:
>There have been some general concerns that OSGeo not tend to become a
>"sourceforge for geospatial"; that whatever is offered through our
>hosted facilities (software, data) conform to a "gold standard". This
>process for full projects is still being worked out in Incubation.
>And the potential users of EDBS2WKT aren't going to be very widespread
>inside the Foundation.

>From the way Arnulf described the dataset, the application of standards, etc. - this kind of sub-project could actually be very useful for the geodata group to chew on/think about from a couple angles.  I don't know the project at all, but if what Arnulf said is true: "it is an exemplary example of combining Public Geodata with Open Source Software to give people at large better access to spatial data" then it could serve as a good template or test case for this kind of sub-project within geodata.

The way I would look at it is to keep it in mind, but on the back burner.  As the idea of 'incubating' the geodata project matures, keep looking back at this potential sub-project for ideas.  

If this kind of data project can't fit into (or help define) a suitable sub-project in the geodata project, it will likely be difficult to successfully incorporate other similar types of datasets.  

Being able to incorporate these *kinds* of datasets are going to be just as crucial as global country boundaries. It's easy to look at global scale imagery, for example, and see the 'benefit' for geodata project to be interested.  But I think we should at least be laying out schema/standards for large scale data management concepts for stuff like street data too.  This is a particular German example but likely has a lot to offer for how to handle/manage/present other similar datasets of this scale.

So maybe look at it less as a data storage sub-project and consider its merits (if there are any!?) as a potential construct for similar types of data to fit into.  Then when the data storage and incubation issues are ironed out, it would make sense to actually do something with the data itself.

What do you think?  Arnulf - apart from your request for SVN access, if this along the lines of what you were thinking?

Tyler