[Board] Please review: Open Letter asking to avoid format fragmentation in LiDAR standards
Jeff McKenna
jmckenna at gatewaygeomatics.com
Mon Apr 20 10:52:16 PDT 2015
Hi Cameron,
I personally feel topics like "the story" as you mention are for places
like blogs, which I believe Martin documented very well already (I've
retweeted his post months ago). What I see here on this wiki page is
the story re-written again. I have a difficult time though officially
supporting this story with my OSGeo Board hat on though, as it doesn't
add anything more (throws salt on the wound, so to speak).
I would like to see the OSGeo Board in fact support a request for LiDAR
standards, and leave out this unfortunate "story".
-jeff
On 2015-04-20 12:35 PM, Cameron Shorter wrote:
> Hi Jeff,
> Thanks for your feedback.
> We did address specific comments (similar to yours) during the request
> for comment phase, before we asked for signatures.
>
> 1. Now that we have asked for signatures (for the last week or so), it
> is inappropriate of us to change the text that people have signed up to.
>
> 2. I do acknowledge your concerns about directly singling out one
> vendor, and I initially tried writing the story without mentioning them.
> Unfortunately, this one vendor is so central to the format fragmentation
> story that it is difficult to tell the story and be specific about the
> request without mentioning them.
>
> 3. I'm also mindful that the story has already been breaking on some
> spatial media for a while now (one of the features of open
> communication), and mass media is likely to break the story soon - I'd
> estimate within 12 to 48 hours. In that timeframe, I personally don't
> have the time for a rewrite.
>
> So unfortunately, for these 3 reasons, I think it inappropriate to
> rewrite this Open Letter.
>
> Jeff, I think you have made your vote clear, but can you please
> officially vote +1, +0, 0, -0, -1 to these 2 proposals. Can the rest of
> the board please do so also as we need to decide whether the mass media
> report on this story with or without OSGeo board endorsement.
>
> Regards, Cameron
>
>
> On 21/04/2015 12:59 am, Jeff McKenna wrote:
>> Hi Cameron,
>>
>> In terms of my own feedback to your letter (I cannot speak for the
>> entire OSGeo Board), I would prefer to remove any reference to any
>> specific company or institution (such as Esri), and focus the goal of
>> the letter (as opposed to a flame war) on the needs for standards for
>> LiDAR data. As this page is written now, it is not a surprise to me
>> that media outlets are drooling over this letter. But what good can
>> come out of that, other than upsetting a large geospatial vendor in
>> our ecosystem?
>>
>> Personally, I have spoken to Martin about this face-to-face, and I was
>> at a presentation he did on this exact topic at FOSS4G-Asia in
>> December (I moderated his session, small world sometimes isn't it); it
>> is a frustrating situation that he was put through, and I support him
>> though this.
>>
>> But, since you are asking the OSGeo Board now, I cannot support such
>> an attack against one organization formally.
>>
>> Short story: can you reword your wiki/letter to focus on standards for
>> the LiDAR format, and not attack one organization?
>>
>>
>> -jeff
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2015-04-20 11:28 AM, Cameron Shorter wrote:
>>> As Bart mentioned,
>>> * After initially being written, the letter was sent to OSGeo standards
>>> list, asking for review.
>>> * Suchith sent to OGC TC-Discuss list for review, and ESRI responded.
>>> * After ~ 1 week for review, the letter was forwarded to OSGeo discuss
>>> and a few others, asking for signatures (we have ~ 70 signatures,
>>> growing every day)
>>> * As per this email thread below, I've asked OSGeo board's approval to
>>> officially present this letter.
>>> * Today I've had inquiries from mass media. I've asked them to hold off
>>> on breaking the story until the board gives approval to officially
>>> present the letter, which will add extra weight to the letter. They
>>> didn't publish today, but may publish in 12 to 48 hours. (Media
>>> organisations have a strong desire to be the first to publish).
>>>
>>> So now the board has had time to consider, can you please all vote on
>>> following 2 proposals:
>>>
>>> I request the board support an OSGeo Community developed Open
>>> Letter aimed at protecting open LiDAR standards.
>>> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/LIDAR_Format_Letter
>>>
>>> Proposal 1: The OSGeo Board agree to include the following
>>> statement (or similar wording) into the letter:
>>>
>>> = Cover Letter from the OSGeo Board =
>>>
>>> The board of the [http://osgeo.org <http://osgeo.org/> Open
>>> Source Geospatial Foundation] (OSGeo) is presenting this
>>> letter to the OGC, ESRI and ASPRS. The letter highlights
>>> concerns about fragmentation in LiDAR standards from many
>>> people within the OSGeo community. As always, if there is
>>> anything the OSGeo board can do to help, then please let us
>>> know.
>>>
>>> Signed: <OSGeo Board Members>
>>>
>>> Proposal 2:
>>> Once the letter has completed the signature phase, the letter
>>> be emailed from the OSGeo President to key people within these
>>> organisations:
>>>
>>> Mark Reichardt <mreichardt AT opengeospatial.org
>>> <http://opengeospatial.org>
>>> <http://opengeospatial.org>>, OSGeo President
>>> David Danko <DDanko AT esri.com <http://esri.com>
>>> <http://esri.com>>, ESRI's
>>> Senior Consultant for GIS Standards
>>> Stephen D. DeGloria < sdd4 AT cornell.edu <http://cornell.edu>
>>> <http://cornell.edu>>, President of the ASPRS
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 20/04/2015 10:50 pm, Bart van den Eijnden wrote:
>>>> Jeff,
>>>>
>>>> this was sent to discuss 1 week ago [1]. It has also been sent to the
>>>> OGC TC-Discuss list where Esri has even responded.
>>>>
>>>> [1]
>>>> http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/discuss/2015-April/014137.html
>>>>
>>>> Best regards,
>>>> Bart
>>>>
>>>>> On 20 Apr 2015, at 14:44, Jeff McKenna <jmckenna at gatewaygeomatics.com
>>>>> <mailto:jmckenna at gatewaygeomatics.com>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> That would be good Maxi, as my concern is getting community feedback
>>>>> before the Board reviews such a request.
>>>>>
>>>>> Has this letter been sent yet to the general OSGeo community for
>>>>> review? (the Discuss list) I think it is great that the Standards
>>>>> group reviewed it, maybe now it is ready for the general OSGeo
>>>>> community.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -jeff
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 2015-04-20 6:18 AM, Massimiliano Cannata wrote:
>>>>>> Thare are interesting discussions running on the italian chapter
>>>>>> list.
>>>>>> It would be nice if someone could wrap-up a short summary of
>>>>>> interesting
>>>>>> points.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I could do it in the next days if none is available.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Maxi
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 2015-04-20 10:30 GMT+02:00 Jachym Cepicky <jachym.cepicky at gmail.com
>>>>>> <mailto:jachym.cepicky at gmail.com>
>>>>>> <mailto:jachym.cepicky at gmail.com>>:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm fine with that
>>>>>>
>>>>>> pá 17. 4. 2015 v 8:56 odesílatel Bart van den Eijnden
>>>>>> <bartvde at osgis.nl <mailto:bartvde at osgis.nl>
>>>>>> <mailto:bartvde at osgis.nl>> napsal:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hello board,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> do people still need time to comment on the letter or can we
>>>>>> call for a motion on this?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>>> Bart
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 16 Apr 2015, at 13:52, Cameron Shorter
>>>>>>> <cameron.shorter at gmail.com
>>>>>>> <mailto:cameron.shorter at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> <mailto:cameron.shorter at gmail.com>>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi OSGeo Board,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I request the board support an OSGeo Community developed Open
>>>>>>> Letter aimed at protecting open LiDAR standards.
>>>>>>> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/LIDAR_Format_Letter
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Proposal 1: The OSGeo Board agree to include the following
>>>>>>> statement (or similar wording) into the letter:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> = Cover Letter from the OSGeo Board =
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The board of the [http://osgeo.org <http://osgeo.org/> Open
>>>>>>> Source Geospatial Foundation] (OSGeo) is presenting this
>>>>>>> letter to the OGC, ESRI and ASPRS. The letter highlights
>>>>>>> concerns about fragmentation in LiDAR standards from many
>>>>>>> people within the OSGeo community. As always, if there is
>>>>>>> anything the OSGeo board can do to help, then please let us
>>>>>>> know.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Signed: <OSGeo Board Members>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Proposal 2:
>>>>>>> Once the letter has completed the signature phase, the letter
>>>>>>> be emailed from the OSGeo President to key people within
>>>>>>> these
>>>>>>> organisations:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Mark Reichardt <mreichardt AT opengeospatial.org
>>>>>>> <http://opengeospatial.org>
>>>>>>> <http://opengeospatial.org>>, OSGeo President
>>>>>>> David Danko <DDanko AT esri.com <http://esri.com>
>>>>>>> <http://esri.com>>, ESRI's
>>>>>>> Senior Consultant for GIS Standards
>>>>>>> Stephen D. DeGloria < sdd4 AT cornell.edu
>>>>>>> <http://cornell.edu>
>>>>>>> <http://cornell.edu>>, President of the ASPRS
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 11/04/2015 12:14 pm, Cameron Shorter wrote:
>>>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>>> A number of us have been collaboratively developing an Open
>>>>>>>> Letter asking key stakeholders to avoid fragmentation in
>>>>>>>> LiDAR standards.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> It starts:
>>>>>>>> /We, the undersigned, are concerned that the current
>>>>>>>> interoperability between LiDAR applications, through use of
>>>>>>>> the open "LAS" format, is being threatened by ESRI's
>>>>>>>> introduction and promotion of an alternative "Optimized LAS"
>>>>>>>> proprietary format. This is of concern since the
>>>>>>>> fragmentation of the LAS format will lead to reduced
>>>>>>>> interoperability between applications and organisations, and
>>>>>>>> introduce vendor lock-in./
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Could all interested please:
>>>>>>>> 1. Review and provide feedback to this standards email list
>>>>>>>> 2. If you agree with the letter, please add your name to the
>>>>>>>> "Signed" section
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Cameron Shorter,
>>>>>>>> Software and Data Solutions Manager
>>>>>>>> LISAsoft
>>>>>>>> Suite 112, Jones Bay Wharf,
>>>>>>>> 26 - 32 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> P +61 2 9009 5000, Wwww.lisasoft.com
>>>>>>>> <http://Wwww.lisasoft.com> <http://www.lisasoft.com/>, F +61 2
>>>>>>>> 9009 5099
More information about the Board
mailing list