[OSGeo-Discuss] presenting open source software or open source projects

[Tom Chadwin]

> I would like to bring to discuss a question that we are struggling with for
> the website/rebranding - do we present "open source software" or "open source
> projects"?

> I am personally having a hard time thinking in terms of software since I like
> the fact that open source project encompasses both the technology and the
> people.

For me, "projects" is of interest to contributors, while "software" is of
interest to potential users. The range of OSGeo software/projects is bewildering
to an outsider, with several pieces of software fulfilling the same function.
Someone looking to migrate (I am assuming that is the prime audience of this?)
would presumably need to know which of the many software packages to investigate.

I would argue therefore that having QGIS Desktop and QGIS Server (for example) as
a single entity for this audience is not helpful. Surely potential users have an
idea of what they want to use the software for, and including multiple
applications together is confusing ("I wanted a WFS server, not a desktop GIS").
Of course, a "See also" for each package would then allow eg the linking of QGIS
Desktop to QGIS Server, and also QGIS Desktop to gvSIG - in other words, links to
software which integrates, and links to alternative software.

I wasn't on the marketing list discussion - apologies if I'm covering old ground.

Tom


Tom Chadwin, ICT Manager
Telephone: 01434 611530 Mob:
Web: www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk<http://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/>

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