<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=DE link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Hi Suchit,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>nowhere in the world there are so many visually impaired people as in India. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>For more than 100 years, most of them use imaginary clocks for orientation purposes and with this get GeoAwareness for directions and angles. Counting steps, they get additional GeoAwareness for locations and distances, having an alternative to lat/lon. The same tools use boy scouts, soldiers, pilots, children, people who can’t read maps, illiterate etc. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>The mentioned tools are doubtless free, open and libre, so why do OSGeo, Geo4all etc. insist on ignoring them? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Because it’s not software? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Because digital clocks are trendy?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Because God dictated that the horizon has to be divided into 8 (see UN logo) or 360 directions? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Because a convention for such imaginary tools could favor the merit principle?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>The topic is Geo Awareness Week, that means, education for young consumers. Would you really recommend “here” <a href="http://www.volksnav.de/YouAreHere">www.volksnav.de/YouAreHere</a>, Open Location Code <a href="http://www.openlocationcode.com">www.openlocationcode.com</a> and others just because they are free and open? Do they improve awareness for 1) locations, 2) directions, 3) distances and 4) angles? What about quality and excellence?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Now that you’re spiritually recharged, I’m sure that we could find an open minded win/win/win level and show that OSGeo/Geo4all aren’t closed user groups but open user groups which e. g. also consider visually impaired people. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>I affirm that the actual black/white criteria concerning openness can cause the following collateral damages: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>- generate many win/lose products. After 5 years, Munich thinks about abandoning the expensive Linux/Limux. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>- demotivate to be creative A lose/lose situation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>Henrique <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>