[OSGeo-Discuss] Open Location Services

[Cameron Shorter]

Puneet,
I don't have a specific answer for "How Much LISAsoft's OpenLS code 
costs to Open Source" yet, I'd need to do the analysis, and so I'll talk 
in general terms, based on my experience with other projects.

1. For LISAsoft, "Just dumping code into Sourceforge" is usually not an 
option. Our reputation is based upon our understanding of Open Source 
and producing quality software, and it would be detrimental to our 
image, and hence our future job prospects to do a poor job.

2. For simple projects, Open Sourcing can easily at least a few weeks, 
to put processes and web sites in place. But the bigger cost is growing 
and supporting the community, maybe one person day per week, for the 
rest of the year. I heard that Autodesk decided to provide a major 
re-write of their MapGuide Open Source software before Open Sourcing, 
which would likely have cost them man months, probably man years.

3. Yes, LISAsoft will miss out on opportunity costs because we derive 
commercial advantage by owning an OpenLS codebase.

At the end of the day, our decision will be financial. Can we make more 
money by Open Sourcing or not. At LISAsoft we support both Open and 
Closed source business models, depending on which makes better business 
sense.

P Kishor wrote:
> 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/
>>     
>
>
>
>
>
>   


-- 
Cameron Shorter
Geospatial Systems Architect
Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254

Think Globally, Fix Locally
Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source
http://www.lisasoft.com