[Board] Questions about the OSGeo Journal Post Tyler Mitchell

Tue Jan 17 09:16:37 PST 2012

Hi Landon, Board,

Once again it is may be not my role to speak on this important point, but
still i want to express my opinion, because i used to love and read the
OSGeo journal.

According to me, two major points should be considered, for keeping it
alive:

1) OSGeo Journal is a great media for OSGeo. It should also be considered
as a unique opportunity to publish each year's foss4g procedings from the
Academic track.
Indeed, scientists, professor and students are using and extending OSGeo
software in many different ways, and are writing papers.
This part of the community should also be promoted. I just think that not
every FOSS4G LOC or Academic Track comitee managed to publish all these
interesting selected papers each year. So, using the Journal for this
purpose would be very interesting according to me.

2) OSGeo Journal should continue to be published as PDF, but should also be
switched as a 'Full Web' edition.
It would provide an even better promotion of the Foundation online and
bring content and regular updates to the website, on topics that matter.

We could for example imagine that the website users would be able to
publish their abstract or full paper online, which the Journal team would
review, and that final papers would be automatically published as HTML,
Sphinx, PDF or whatever, directly to the OSGeo website. Yes.

During FOSS4G Sydney 2009, Gerald and I precisely presented and proposed
such an open source system to Tyler, to enhance the Journal and may be make
its production easier. He really enjoyed this idea at that time, but there
were no follow up from each side, probably lack of time, or budget. This
system is based on the use of the LibreOffice API, called through WPS
requests. It works really fine, from uploading and editing articles, to
publishing. It can even be plugged to MapServer and used its output in the
documents by the way (off topic, sorry).

If there is an common interest for keeping the Journal alive, and may be to
enhance it for the Web, we would just be happy to help and implement what
we proposed to Tyler in the past. Just let us know after some decision is
taken.

Save the Journal !

Best,

Nick

2012/1/17 Jo Cook <jocook at astuntechnology.com>

> Hi Landon,
>
> I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say that we really appreciate the
> work you've done with the Journal- particularly without Tyler's input, and
> thanks for raising these concerns. I'm not totally clear though, whether
> the questions you raise are more long-term, or relate specifically to the
> production of the 2010 Annual Report? If the format was to follow that of
> previous editions, what specifically are the issues that you need guidance
> on? In particular, what are the show-stoppers?
>
> I will add the journal to our agenda for our face to face meeting in early
> February, to cover the longer term issues that you've raised.
>
> Thanks
>
> Jo
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 16, 2012 at 9:23 PM, Landon Blake <
> sunburned.surveyor at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Board Memebers:
>>
>> I’m in the process of trying to wrap up the 2010 annual report of the
>> OSGeo Journal. During this work some questions about the Journal kept
>> surfacing. I wanted to ask them here. At this point, I’m unsure if
>> work on the 2010 annual report should even continue.
>>
>> Tyler Mitchell had a major role in previous efforts to prepare and
>> publish the journal. His absence has created what I feel is an
>> important void.
>>
>> Some of this void deals with practical issues. For example:
>>
>> How are decisions about the style, content, and format of the Journal
>> going to be made?
>> Who has the final say on these decisions, and how is the board going
>> to give its input, if at all?
>> Is there an official point of contact at the board for the journal team?
>> Will we support peer-reviewed articles on open source geospatial
>> topics, and if so, what will our guidelines for submission and review
>> be?
>> Will we have advertising of any form? If so, what will our guidelines
>> be for adertising content?
>> Do we want to support alternate formats for the journal, like EPUB,
>> MP4, Video, etc...
>>
>> The void also creates some strategic issues. For example:
>>
>> How does the Journal support the board’s long term goals for the
>> organization?
>> How is the Journal related, if at all, to the organizations other
>> activities?
>> Does the board even see a need for the Journal?
>>
>> To be honest, at this point, despite repeated requests for help,
>> production of the Journal is currently a one-man show. If the board
>> decides it doesn’t want or need a journal, I’m OK with that decision.
>>
>> If the board does feel the Journal is important, I’d like to talk with
>> board members more about what the tasks the Journal is supposed to
>> accomplish, how it is supposed to accomplish those tasks, and how this
>> work will be coordinated and supported.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Landon
>> _______________________________________________
>> Board mailing list
>> Board at lists.osgeo.org
>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/board
>>
>
>
>
> --
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