[Board] [OSGeo-Discuss] [Ica-osgeo-labs] The LAS format, the ASPRS, and the “LAZ clone” by ESRI

Sun Mar 1 03:20:30 PST 2015

Hi Cameron,

Thank you for this excellent suggestion. I remember this previous Geoservices REST API issues and discussions.

Patrick - Could you please start a wiki page and input as much information as you know on this (ideally in the same structure as the Geoservices REST API wiki ). Once it is ready, please email the community and OSGeo Board and we all can look into this.

Anyone from OGC willing to help with this?

I think this should be open letter from the OSGeo Board to the whole Geo community. I really hope this proprietary vendor (ESRI) will be decent enough to not keep repeating these inappropriate actions in the future.

Best wishes,

Suchith

________________________________________
From: Cameron Shorter [cameron.shorter at gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2015 10:47 AM
To: P Kishor; Suchith Anand
Cc: discuss at lists.osgeo.org; Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX); board at lists.osgeo.org; ica-osgeo-labs at lists.osgeo.org
Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] [Ica-osgeo-labs] The LAS format, the ASPRS, and the “LAZ clone” by ESRI

Patrick, others,
OSGeo and related OGC communities have been successful previously in stopping ESRI's inappropriate creation of OGC standards. See here: http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Geoservices_REST_API

I'd suggest that if we as OSGeo wish to be effective at blocking a vendor lock-in tactic, as seems to be the case, then we should consider developing a similar wiki page for the LAS format debate.

0. Write an open letter (who to? OGC?)
1. Describe the issue. (Is there someone who knows the issues well enough to describe them?)
2. Describe technically why one format is or is not better than the other, on both a technical and commercial point of view.
3. Is the Open LIDAR format an OGC standard?
4. If needed, collect signatures.
5. If needed, ask OSGeo Board to present the open letter

On 28/02/2015 11:18 am, P Kishor wrote:
Thanks Patrick for surfacing this. Yes, this should be opened up for scrutiny by the entire community and we should all weigh in.

On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 4:13 PM, Suchith Anand <Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk<mailto:Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk>> wrote:
Hi Patrick,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I believe the OSGeo Board need to look into this and prepare a position paper with inputs from the community as this has wider implications. This also need to be discussed with like minded organisations. We all can provide the needed support for this.

Jeff and OSGeo Board - please add this to the next month Board meeting's  agenda items. Thanks.

Best wishes,

Suchith

________________________________________
From: ica-osgeo-labs-bounces at lists.osgeo.org<mailto:ica-osgeo-labs-bounces at lists.osgeo.org> [ica-osgeo-labs-bounces at lists.osgeo.org<mailto:ica-osgeo-labs-bounces at lists.osgeo.org>] On Behalf Of Lene Fischer [lfi at ign.ku.dk<mailto:lfi at ign.ku.dk>]
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 6:29 PM
To: Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX); ica-osgeo-labs at lists.osgeo.org<mailto:ica-osgeo-labs at lists.osgeo.org>
Subject: Re: [Ica-osgeo-labs] The LAS format, the ASPRS, and the “LAZ clone” by ESRI

+1

Lene Fischer
Associate Professor

Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
University of Copenhagen

MOB +45 40115084<tel:%2B45%2040115084>
lfi at ign.ku.dk<mailto:lfi at ign.ku.dk><mailto:lfi at ign.ku.dk<mailto:lfi at ign.ku.dk>>

[cid:image001.gif at 01D052C3.B23B1060]

Fra: ica-osgeo-labs-bounces at lists.osgeo.org<mailto:ica-osgeo-labs-bounces at lists.osgeo.org> [mailto:ica-osgeo-labs-bounces at lists.osgeo.org<mailto:ica-osgeo-labs-bounces at lists.osgeo.org>] På vegne af Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX)
Sendt: 27. februar 2015 18:48
Til: ica-osgeo-labs at lists.osgeo.org<mailto:ica-osgeo-labs at lists.osgeo.org>
Emne: [Ica-osgeo-labs] The LAS format, the ASPRS, and the “LAZ clone” by ESRI

Dear OSGEO,
For what our good name is worth. . .
Do we have an opinion on something so essential as an open standard for a data format?
Speak now, or forever hand over your wallet. Individual and collective response encouraged.

Can OSGEO provide a short position paper commenting on our values? I.e., “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all [data] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these [is Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Openness].”

The LAS format, the ASPRS, and the “LAZ clone” by ESRI
http://rapidlasso.com/2015/02/22/lidar-las-asprs-esri-and-the-laz-clone/

[First paragraph]
We are concerned about ESRI’s next moves in forcing yet another proprietary format into wide-spread deployment. Forwarded emails, retold conversations, and personal experiences suggest that sneaky tactics<http://rapidlasso.com/2014/11/06/keeping-esri-honest/> are being used to disrupt the harmony in open LiDAR formats that we have enjoyed for many years.
[cid:image002.jpg at 01D052C3.B23B1060]

Thanks much,
-Patrick

Patrick.Hogan at nasa.gov<mailto:Patrick.Hogan at nasa.gov><mailto:Patrick.Hogan at nasa.gov<mailto:Patrick.Hogan at nasa.gov>>
 Project Manager
NASA World Wind
(650) 604-5656<tel:%28650%29%20604-5656> (office)
(650) 269-2788<tel:%28650%29%20269-2788> (cell)

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Puneet Kishor
Manager, Science and Data Policy
Creative Commons

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Cameron Shorter,
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