Demise of GRASS

[robert miles white]

: In article <9405040145.AA01396 at charon.er.usgs.gov> you write:

((( in part )))

: |>This is unfortunate because GRASS is one of the few, if not only,
: |>public domain GIS systems and thus provided a service for those lacking
: |>deep pockets.  By being open software, it also allow others to
: |>contribute procedures and methods more easily than allowed by
: |>proprietary systems and thus afforded a research environment for
: |>developing GIS tools.
: |>
: |>I am sure that some readers will claim I am too hasty to bury GRASS
: |>and should wait until the body is cold.  But my conclusions on GRASS's
: |>status are meant to either shock those who do not see the significance
: |>of recent discussions or warn potential new users away from getting
: |>involved with a dying system.  A third alternative is to get some
: |>group interested in picking up where CERL has left off; but I
: |>do not feel that is likely.
: |>

: Usually I don't reply to negative messages but this time I have to.
: I absolutely don't agree with you. I think that the kind of message you
: are sending is what may kill GRASS.

: Please don't destroy our efforts by sending these useless negative
: messages. I really hope that your intention was to wake up everyone. If it
: is so, thank you. If you are not interested in GRASS, unsubscribe from
: the user's list and buy a commercial GIS.

: I think that people should stop complaining and start WORKING.

: My company is investing a lot of time, energy and money to improve GRASS. 
: We are currently working on many enhancements including some GUI 
: work and some Database work. Most of it will be contributed. If we can
: do it, many others can.

: We are also installing GRASS in a rapidly growing number of Fortune 500 
: companies which are using it for real-life applications.

: GRASS is not dying, it is finally coming to life.

: I would really like to have comments from the Open GRASS Foundation on the
: subject. Anyone agrees with me ? Let me know. 


: Amities sinceres a tous ceux qui 
: travaillent a l'amelioration de GRASS !

I am not part of the Open GRASS Foundation, but am a GIS specialist
with a naive world view:  if GRASS is 'public domain' software, is it
possible to acquire the software (at least something that would permit
my browsing coverages and images).  In my work I use Arc/Info almost
exclusively, and I know that it is as you say, very expensive.  In the
interest of making more data available to the agency with which I work
(the Texas Legislative Council in Austin, Texas) I will also explore
the question of wheter grass data can be imported into an Arc/Info 
database.

 Just to satisfy my own curiosity.

best regards,
Robert White

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