[OSGeo-Discuss] Proprietary GIS on our OSGeo website

[Gert-Jan van der Weijden (OSGeo.nl)]

As a regular user of proprietary GIS software (ArcGIS, FME, Oracle 
Spatial etcetera) I can assure that it is very valuable to have some 
sort of guidance in the diversity of the FOSS landscape.

I agree that "similar proprietary products" isn't the right label. 
However, instead of the proposed "migratte from" (which sound like a 
complete migration plan) I'd suggest the label "comparable proprietary 
software".

Kind regards,

Gert-Jan



María Arias de Reyna schreef op 21-09-2017 8:30:
>>> On 20 September 2017 at 02:41, Helmut Kudrnovsky <hellik at web.de> 
>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Dear OSGeo community
>>>> 
>>>> I want to bring you a discussion on a github ticket about linking to
>>>> "similar proprietary products" [1] to your attention.
>>>> 
>>>> My comment there:
>>>> 
>>>> "I support and concur with Venka that the item "Similar Proprietary
>>>> Products" should be removed. There isn't only one proprietary GIS 
>>>> software
>>>> out there, there are several others. IMHO such comparisons may be 
>>>> part of
>>>> e.g. a reviewed scientific paper/elaboration, where our OSGeo 
>>>> projects - if
>>>> they want to - may link to. I see no added value for OSGeo to serve 
>>>> such
>>>> links. As already elsewhere mentioned by me, reciprocity is the key 
>>>> if such
>>>> items are listed, but I can't see this happen. "
>>>> 
>>>> I'm pretty much convinced that more effort to help our OSGeo 
>>>> projects
>>>> improving on every level (e.g. documentation, reach out, testing, 
>>>> etc) is
>>>> the key rather than linking to proprietary software. One of such
>>>> opportunities may be the upcoming Google Code In (GCI) 2017 e.g. to 
>>>> produce
>>>> nice screenshots for documentation, produce some fancy videos etc. 
>>>> based on
>>>> tiny little tasks for students aged 13 to 17. A good invest in the 
>>>> young who
>>>> will be our OSGeo's future.
>>>> 
>>>> Kind regards
>>>> Helmut
>>>> OSGeo charter member
>>>> 
>>>> [1] https://github.com/OSGeo/osgeo/issues/100
>>>> [2] 
>>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/discuss/2017-September/036217.html
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> Discuss at lists.osgeo.org
>>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>> 
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> On my opinion, it makes sense to show relation between propietary and
> free and open software. Just because we want to people to migrate to
> free and open source software, so it is good if they can search for
> the software they are currently using to know what software will they
> use. It makes sense, it makes life easier on migrations.
> 
> Said this, I prefer the "Migrate from" label much better. And sure, no
> link to the product, just the name. Why would we need a link? If they
> don't know what that software is, the information is useless to them.
> If they already know what that software is, the information is
> redundant. So having a name is fine, having a link is nonsense.
> 
> Is "Migrate from" label aggresive? Not at all. We are OsGeo, we are
> promoting FLOSS. Promoting FLOSS means we are encouraging people to
> move from propietary to open. That is our philosophy, that is our
> motto. If propietary software feels bad because we follow our goals...
> well, then maybe they should stop promoting their own software too
> because that makes me feel bad.
> 
> Regards,
> María.
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