[OSGeo-Discuss] open source desktop shootout

[Seven (aka Arnulf)]

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Christopher Schmidt wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 09, 2010 at 10:16:52AM +0200, Seven (aka Arnulf) wrote:
>> Markus Neteler wrote:
>>> On Tue, Apr 6, 2010 at 6:50 AM, Cameron Shorter
>>> <cameron.shorter at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Percy,
>>>> To start the ball rolling, I've created a wiki page for a desktop comparison
>>>> here:
>>>> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/GIS_Desktop_Comparison
>>> Here a reasonable contribution, lead by Tom McConnell:
>>>
>>> "Matrix on OSGeo and COTS software functionality"
>>> http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Albk_XRkhVkzdGxyYk8tNEZvLUp1UTUzTFN5bjlLX2c&hl=en
>>>
>>> Best regards,
>>> Markus
>>>
>> Here comes the prayer wheel again...
>>
>> What does "COTS" mean? "Ready-made products" [1]. Is that the opposite
>> to Open Source software? No.
> 
> Did anyone say anything about it being an opposite? "OSGeo and COTS"
> is one phrase -- there is no distrinction in the spreadsheet (although
> there is a row stating whether the software is proprietary or not,
> which is obviously distinct from COTS.)
> 
> I don't understand your complaint. What would you change about the
> spreadsheet that causes you to make this point?

Did I complain? Nothing wrong with the spread sheet. It is just the
words we are used to. To me "Matrix on OSGeo and COTS software
functionality" reads as "Comparing OSGeo software on one hand and COTS
on the other". COTS comes right out of FUD-works-studio. Hence my
turning of the old, relentless prayer wheel to raise our awareness for
FUD-rooted terminology.

Or do you want to say that a QGIS, gvSIG or other OSGeo software is in
general less commercial-off-the-shelf and ready-made product than any
other in that list?

Thank you for double checking on me. Yet another chance to deepen
neuronal connections that isolate FUD for what it is.

> -- Chris
> 
>> Citing some more Wikipedia: "The term often refers to computer software
>> or hardware systems and may also include free software with commercial
>> support."
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COTS
>> [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_off-the-shelf
>>
>> --
>> Arnulf Christl
>>
>> Exploring Space, Time and Mind
>> http://arnulf.us
>> _______________________________________________
>> Discuss mailing list
>> Discuss at lists.osgeo.org
>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> 


- --
Arnulf Christl

Exploring Space, Time and Mind
http://arnulf.us
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