[OSGeo-Discuss] OSGEO & OGC spec development

[Jeroen Ticheler]

Hi Lorenzo,

On 17 Jul 2007, at 1:09 PM, Lorenzo Becchi wrote:

> Jeroen, all, very important thread to me too.
>
> generic questions:
> - what would it mean to create an OGC Committee?

A place where those involved / interested in OGC spec development  
connect with each other and where OSGEO interests in standards  
development are coordinated or at least communicated.

It could also be the place where members agree to take up issues in  
the TC meetings in the relevant working groups. The meetings are held  
every 3 months and I think most of us are unable to always attend them.

> - is it an overhead for the board?

I think it would be the same as the other existing Committees that  
OSGEO now has.

> - will there be a board member to support this Commitee? is this  
> needed?

Good question :-)

> - does it mean to subscribe as OSGeo to OGC? how much does it cost?

I mentioned that initially this would not be my idea, I would just  
start with coordination first.

Later it may evolve in that direction if deemed necessary or more  
efficient than individual membership by OSGEO contributing  
individuals/ organizations/ companies. At the same time that could be  
a financial commitment OSGEO can not permit itself.

TC membership is 11.000 USD per year. Many small companies or  
individual contributors are unlikely to be able to afford that.
  (See http://www.opengeospatial.org/ogc/join/levels ) It gives 2  
persons free access to the meetings.

There's the non-voting Associate membership that gives access to all  
documents and meetings as an alternative though. This would also  
apply to OSGEO as far as I can see and would only cost 1.100 USD per  
year. It gives 1 person free access to the meetings.

There are some advantages in terms of marketing OGC compliance of  
OSGEO projects. To use the OGC Trademark there are fees to be paid  
for those products. See http://www.opengeospatial.org/compliance/ 
#products

>
> I think every OSGeo project is more or less supporting at least one  
> OCG standard. New standards has been created too under OSGeo  
> umbrella and it would be great to present them and make them  
> officially OGC.
> This will strength interoperability between OSGeo softwares and  
> other softwares. Between OSGeo softwares and OSGeo softwares.  
> Between ... I love interoperability!
> :-)

Indeed, I agree. In my email I didn't try to cover all OGC spec  
development OSGEO members work on as I only wanted it to trigger some  
internal discussion. The list of specs used in OSGEO is a substantial  
one. It's also a way to influence the ISO/TC211 standards development  
that is out of reach to OSGEO except through members that hold some  
observing status to that committee. OGC specs have been and probably  
will be used as input into the TC211 standardization process.

Ciao,
Jeroen


>
> ciao
> Lorenzo