[OSGeo-Discuss] Software Standards - The Ugly Truth

[Blammo]

Landon,

Hmmm, interesting read.

Didn't offend me at all.  It actually hit on a few sweet spots of 
interest of mine.  One being, that just because everyone else is using 
it, doesn't mean it's the right thing to use.

One thing I will rant at you about though, is you didn't really get to 
the heart of providing a solution.   I think a good measure of the 
problem is that there is a Chicken and Egg scenario to deal with, where 
you can't build a (good) standard until you have users of the standard, 
and you can't have users until there's a standard to use.   Seems like 
things need to go back and forth a while between the "user" and "build" 
cycles before something (really) good comes of it.

I'm not sure what to do about the monetary aspects of the Standards 
participation.  But in the end, they are only successfully implemented 
if the developer community implements them.

I've built my fair share of what I would like to think were good 
standards that I thought someone else might benefit from, but I've not 
had the time nor resources to promote my ideas and settled with 
implementing them within my sphere of influence instead.  The OGC 
standards that I've used have all provided a measure of improvement to 
my systems, they have also increased my user base as well as sources of 
data considerably of late.  They are however not perfect in many 
respects, some on the technical side, as well as some probably being to 
subtle to affect the masses.

I'm in complete alignment with your thinking though related to bad (or 
poorly thought out) standards having a stifling affect on innovation.  
There have been many times in the recent past where I've wanted to try 
some things new and different, only to discover that the standards were 
holding me at bay on one point or another.

It seems like we're at a point where we should try to identify the 
shortcomings and run through a "user" and "build" cycle and see what 
comes of it.  Doesn't need to necessarily be under the direction of the 
OGC either.  

All it takes is enough users.

Bob Basques



Landon Blake wrote:
>
> I'm sending this to GeoWanking and OSGeo discuss, so I apologize in 
> advance if your inbox gets hit with it twice. :]
>
>  
>
> I've written a blog post on the OpenJUMP blog about some of the
> problems with software standards.
>
> I imagine this post will make some people upset, but I think it raises
> some valid points. I don't think that everyone involved in open source
> GIS will agree with me, but I think I identify some problems with the
> love of standards that our of particular interest to our community.
> (In a way that isn't of interest to those that develop closed-source
> GIS programs.)
>
> At any rate, the post is a long one, so if you do read it give
> yourself 5 or 10 minutes. Before you flame me remember that I'm just a
> surveyor that has seen too much sun, and that my opinion doesn't count
> for a whole lot in the big scheme of things. :]
>
> You can read the post here:
>
> http://openjump.blogspot.com/
>
> The Sunburned Surveyor
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
>
>
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