[OSGeo-Discuss] Open Location Services

[P Kishor]

On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 8:49 AM, Daniel Morissette
<dmorissette at mapgears.com> wrote:
> P Kishor wrote:
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 3:47 AM, Cameron Shorter
>> <cameron.shorter at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> P Kishor wrote:
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 1:26 PM, Cameron Shorter
>>>> <cameron.shorter at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> David,
>>>>> LISAsoft has a java implementation of OpenLS which we would like to
>>>>> Open
>>>>> Source if we can find a sponsor to cover our packaging costs.
>>>>>
>>>> What kind of costs are "packaging costs," and what do they amount to
>>>> generally, and for OpenLS, more specifically?
>>>>
>>> P Kishor,
>>> As you are probably aware, just dumping code into sourceforge is not an
>>> effective way to start a successful Open Source project.
>>> There needs to be suitable  technical documentation, development
>>> processes
>>> documentation, web pages set up, issue trackers put in place, access
>>> writes
>>> granted to developers, and then have at least one champion sit on email
>>> lists supporting new users.
>>> That is what I consider "packaging costs".
>>
>> The above makes sense, but honestly, I had never heard of this until
>> now, and I have been tinkering with open source for almost a decade
>> now. Most open source projects seemed organic to me. Someone had an
>> itch, they scratched it, they put it out, and the project either
>> gathered traction, or it died. Seems like my scholarship of open
>> source has been lacking in this aspect hugely.
>>
>
> Hi Puneet,
>
> I have to run now, so I don't have time for a long answer, but I just wanted
> to add that Cameron is right... unfortunately it's not as simple as setting
> up a project on sourceforge even if it may seem to be that way from the
> user's perspective.
>
> I have been through the process of open sourcing projects several times over
> the last 10 years, and did it again a few weeks ago with the GeoPrisma
> launch. I think we are getting better at it as we gain experience, and can
> confirm that those packaging costs and planning requirements are real and
> need to be taken into account for a successful project launch. Another
> aspect to consider that I don't think was mentioned is to balance the pros
> and cons of open sourcing and not doing it on your own business and on the
> project/product itself.
>

Based on Daniel's response, a thought occurred to me -- my inquiry in
this thread might be seen as an "attack" on the concept of packaging
costs. I want to put this disclaimer forward, even though I thought I
had made my intentions clear in my first email -- I am not at all
antagonistic or in any way attacking the concept of packaging costs in
general or LISASoft in particular. I am merely curious. I had never
heard of packaging costs until this thread, so obviously, my
scholarship of open source, particularly its economics and motivation,
has been seriously lacking, and I need to correct it. And, what better
way to do that than to ask the person who is asking for packaging
costs in the first place.

1. How much are we talking about here?

2. Of course, any price is worth it if someone is willing to pay it,
but how to determine if the amount being asked in #1 above is
commensurate with the value of the product being considered, and is in
line with the value of similar products?

3. If no one comes up with the packaging costs, would you not put it
into open source, or would you still put it, but just "dump the code
into sourceforge" and let Darwin take care of it?

4. If you do put it in open source without any packaging costs being
paid to you, would you be losing out on any particular revenue other
than the time spent to put it into open source?


> Daniel
> --
> Daniel Morissette
> http://www.mapgears.com/





-- 
Puneet Kishor http://www.punkish.org
Carbon Model http://carbonmodel.org
Charter Member, Open Source Geospatial Foundation http://www.osgeo.org
Science Commons Fellow, http://sciencecommons.org/about/whoweare/kishor
Nelson Institute, UW-Madison http://www.nelson.wisc.edu
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