[OSGeo-Discuss] OSGEO & OGC spec development

[Jo Walsh]

dear all,
On Thu, Jul 19, 2007 at 10:17:38AM -0400, P Kishor wrote:
> Might I ask, what will a separate list accomplish that posting on just
> the main OSGeo list won't? Standards are a sufficiently important
> subject that all should be concerned with it, and definitely
> knowledgeable about.

At the recent EC GI-GIS workshop i enjoyed the relaxed attitude
towards OGC specifications shown by members and vendors. CSW is broken
in such a way, WCS is incomplete in such a way, we go back to the
drawing board with tests, release a new point version. From the
outside, the OGC specs look more absolute; inside, more malleable. 

"Standard" implies something common in use. The OGC's work on a
TileCache-equivalent spec sounds as if it would benefit a lot from
recognising and absorbing the work done in the open source community.   
The ISO is the place for "standards" and even there, a lot of TC211
look unused and unproven. 

http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/board/2007-January/001734.html
is the start of a long email thread "OGC Relationship" that 
began during uncertainty about OSGeo's role in making "specifications" 
such as http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Tile_Map_Service_Specification

I would enjoy seeing less of this sort of thing in my inbox.

Often so many words are exchanged where a set of test cases would do
better. Aren't common idioms developed from what works in practise?
If OSGeo "intervention" in OGC could help spread that mindset...? ;)

cheers,


jo