[ISC2006] Re: Conference in Lausanne, Sponsorship, etc.

[Arnulf Christl]

Claude Philipona wrote:
>>I'm not sure why or where you see a loss of confidence in MapServer.
> 
> Thats what I said at the beginning of Chicago's meeting:
> After all the discussions that followed the nov 28 announcement and the
> mess with the names etc, some commercial software editors used all this

Hi Claude,
you probably refer to "proprietary software businesses". Sorry to be 
fussy about this point but I think it is important to stress exactly 
this fact. It is not "business" or "commercial" interests at large that 
lost faith but from what you say I gather that some proprietary 
businesses are doing heavy lobby work trying to sread fear, uncertainty 
and doubt (FUD).

> confusion to announce uncertainity about the future of Mapserver, even
> announcing the end of Mapserver, taken over by ADSK... This is
> particularly the case in France where Mapserver is a big competitors to
> commercial solutions. 

Sorry to interrupt again - I really do not want to be a pain, but this 
again should better read "proprietary" solutions. Autodesk has a heavily 
commercial interest and that is actually very good for the FOSS 
community from every single perspective: Recognition of projects, 
funding, broadening code base, interoperability to other areas of 
interest and last but not least an incentive to all those many Autodesk 
partners who provide (open and closed) packages to run with Autodesk 
software -> all doping FOSSGIS!

> These marketing attacks already had some negative
> effect, as to choose FOSS solutions, decision makers (mostly governement
> agencies) must really be in total confidence with the project they choose.

I am sorry to hear that the impact in France has been like that. In 
Germany it worked out the other way round and people are cited saying 
"Oh, look at this, Autodesk got the message and they are also heading in 
the right direction". This means the OSGeo should put an extra effort in 
adressing the French market. If you have ideas - I am currently putting 
together a motion to create a Promotion Committee.

> This also led to some confusion as some organization were saying that to
> stay in foss they could subsittue Mapserver by Geoserver. Even if there
> is some functionnal overlapping between Mapserver and Geoserver, they
> are more coomplementary projects than competing projects (at least at my
> point of view).

This is also my opinion, but I think it is not really a big problem if 
gov't institutions substitue MapServer by GeoServer in their thinking as 
they are both Open Source. In the end it will be you (as a company) 
doing the consultation, installation and maintenance of the respective 
solutions. If you favor MapServer for the hardcore stuff (indestructible 
engine) and use GeoServer for dodgy WFS-T stuff so much the better 
(again my pov). Any of these options should strengthen faith in Open 
Source technology.

> I think it is time now for OSGeo to make a new press release, to clarify
> thinks for folks, organizytions not following closely all the events on
> mailinglist.
> 
> Claude

We got the message and will react as soon as possible. You could help by 
making final adjustments to the Proposed Press Releases. Check the 
different language versions here:

http://www.fossgis.de/osgeo/index.php/Special:Search?search=Press+Release&fulltext=Search

Please observe that the web page:
http://www.fossgis.de/osgeo/index.php/Proposed_Press_Release
is the general template that has experienced a few changes by Adsk press 
professionals (something like that).

Arnulf.