<div><em>I apologize in advance for the rambling post, its been a long day.</em></div>
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<div>One of the biggest challenges I face when selling Mapserver to my various bosses is that they continuously confuse Mapserver with <em>a mapserver</em> (application that serves maps). As brilliantly simple as the name is, it is just plain confusing to those not in the know.
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<div>A typical conversation goes like this:</div>
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<div>Boss: "Are we using ArcIMS for our web site?"</div>
<div>Me: "No, we use Mapserver."</div>
<div>Boss: "No, I know we have a mapserver, but what application is it?"</div>
<div>Me: "Mapserver."</div>
<div>Boss: "Yes, what is it?"</div>
<div>Me: "Mapserver, its an Open Source application hosted by the University of Minnesota."</div>
<div>Boss: "How much does it cost?"</div>
<div>Me: "It's Open Source, you can download it for free."</div>
<div>Boss: "Say what?"</div>
<div>Me: "Our web mapping application was free."</div>
<div>Boss: "But what is its name?"</div>
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<div>Usually at this point I give out an exasperated groan and bring up the Mapserver web site. If we don't have time to go through the above ritual the boss-type just ends up walking away confused. </div>
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<div>The point is there is quite a bit of ambiguity in the name. In a world that obsesses over branding and labeling Mapserver has an almost post-modern simplicity that seems to confuse absolutely everyone. </div>
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<div>PS- If anyone is interested I might be convinced to donate <a href="http://www.gisluser.com">www.gisluser.com</a>...</div>
<div><a href="http://mapserver.gisluser.com">mapserver.gisluser.com</a>?</div>
<div><a href="http://mapguide.gisluser.com">mapguide.gisluser.com</a>?</div>
<div>anybody? Maybe not.</div><br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 11/30/05, <b class="gmail_sendername">Allan Doyle</b> <<a href="mailto:adoyle@eogeo.org">adoyle@eogeo.org</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">On Nov 30, 2005, at 16:20, P Kishor wrote:<br><br>> How 'bout...<br>><br>> MapServer Foundation (
<a href="http://www.mapserverfoundation.org">www.mapserverfoundation.org</a>)<br>> - Web Application Server aka MapServer (<a href="http://was.mapserverfoundation.org">was.mapserverfoundation.org</a>)<br>> - Spatial Application Server aka Autodesk Mapguide
<br>> (<a href="http://sas.mapserverfoundation.org">sas.mapserverfoundation.org</a>)<br>> - Studio aka Autodesk Studio (<a href="http://studio.mapserverfoundation.org">studio.mapserverfoundation.org</a>)<br>> - PostGIS (
<a href="http://postgis.mapserverfoundation.org">postgis.mapserverfoundation.org</a>)<br>> - PROJ.4 (<a href="http://proj4.mapserverfoundation.org">proj4.mapserverfoundation.org</a>)<br>> - GDAL (<a href="http://gdal.mapserverfoundation.org">
gdal.mapserverfoundation.org</a>)<br>> - MapTools (<a href="http://maptools.mapserverfoundation.org">maptools.mapserverfoundation.org</a>)<br>> - Chameleon (<a href="http://chameleon.mapserverfoundation.org">chameleon.mapserverfoundation.org
</a>)<br>><br><br>How about Geographic Commons Foundation or Geospatial Commons<br>Foundation - <a href="http://www.geocommons.org">www.geocommons.org</a>.<br><br>Have the projects called whatever makes sense.<br><br>This also leaves room for Geographic Data Commons as a "sister"
<br>organization if it ever happens. (<a href="http://www.spatial.maine.edu/">http://www.spatial.maine.edu/</a><br>geodatacommons/)<br><br> Allan<br><br>--<br>Allan Doyle<br>+1.781.433.2695<br><a href="mailto:adoyle@eogeo.org">
adoyle@eogeo.org</a><br></blockquote></div><br>