[OSGeo-Edu] Some thoughts on the production of educational materialabout FOSS Geospatial Tools

[Charlie Schweik]

Simon Cropper wrote:
> ******** 2nd thought by SCC **********
>
> why do we need templates. most of the editors looked at, especially open 
> source, can save in a variety of formats. If the objective is to make it 
> easier for someone to create a derivative then who care what format something 
> is in (as long it is not in binary). 
I think we have two distinct situations:

(1) authors who are "user-centered innovators" (to use Eric von Hippel's 
labeling). They are developing content for their own needs and use and 
are willing to share this content;
(2) authors who we are trying to get to "collectively act" in the 
development of a document or volume, together.

The first describes what we've been collecting so far on our inventory 
system. This second describes where some in the group (Cameron, Venka, 
perhaps others) think we should go -- toward the development of a volume 
of materials like Cameron has done coordinating the Live DVD effort. In 
the IRC, Venka was pushing for our group to try and put together two 
handbooks: one on open source DeskTop GIS; one on open source Web GIS.

In my opinion,

I don't think we need a template for the #1 situation. I think it adds 
friction and requirements that will reduce our already fairly limited 
submissions.

I think we should develop a template structure if, as a group, we are 
going to try and develop the handbooks Venka has proposed (or some other 
collaborative document not yet identified).

QUESTIONS FOR THE GROUP:

1) Do others agree or disagree?

2) Should we start an effort to collectively build the handbooks Venka 
proposed, following a development strategy that Cameron used for the 
Live DVD? If so, we need one or two people to step up as "coordinators" 
of the Desktop and Web handbooks. (I'd also like to see if we could, in 
parallel, develop Webinars on the subjects or YouTube videos or 
something, returning us to the discussion last year about outreach to 
the NY State GIS community). I'd also like to see us use this as a way 
to connect more closely to the software groups.

Cheers
Charlie




 


> People who make derivatives need to 
> disassemble everything and recreate it anyway.
>
>
> (C) Simon Cropper 2010. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Australia
>
>   

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