[GRASS-user] About .mdb geo-data base file format... please some information about alternative file formats!

[Dylan Beaudette]

On Thu, Feb 28, 2008 at 7:27 PM, Nikos Alexandris
<nikos.alexandris at felis.uni-freiburg.de> wrote:
>
>  Some time ago I said that I will post a question in EEA about "...why only
>  shapefiles and mdb's". So I did.
>
>  It took some time but I received a reply. I posted back my feedback using
>  some CLC tiles and I was waiting (still waiting) for a second reply (this
>  second is of minor importance I think).
>
>  Reading again my questions I realise that they could have been formulated
>  better, from a more "correct" perspective. Anyhow, here they are (my
>  question and the reply). If anybody is interested about contact details just
>  give me a sign.
>
>  > > Dear Madams/ Sirs,
>  > >
>  > > herewith I kindly request an answer to the following question:
>  > >
>  > > Why are the geospatial data (available in EEA's data portal) provided
>  > > only in closed source geo-data file formats (e.g. ESRI shapefile, .mdb
>  > > geo-data base)?
>  > >
>  > > Why not also in open-source file formats?
>  > >
>  > > As a student, trying to satisfy my "experimental" needs, I am not in
>  > the
>  > > financial position to pay for proprietary softare.
>  > >
>  > > The alternatives (Free and Open Source) for processing and analysing
>  > > geo-spatial data exist, and allow me to state, some of them
>  > demonstrate
>  > > superior performance and experience a continuous development.
>  > >
>  > > Students and teachers and both the academic and the scientific
>  > community
>  > > worldwide can benefit if EEA's geo-data are available publicly (with a
>  > > subscription) in open source file formats.
>  > >
>  > >
>  > > Thank you for your time in advance.
>  > >
>  > > Sincerely,
>  > >
>  > > Nikos Alexandris.
>
>  and the reply:
>
>   Dear Nikos Alexandris,
>  >
>  > Thank you for contacting the European Environment Agency.
>  >
>  > Based on your e-mail, I have consulted a colleague working with
>  > geospatial data. He has responded that shape files can be seen as an
>  > open industry format and can be read by many open source software today.
>  > Also DBF files also both have limitations such as support on
>  > multilingualism (UTF8, UTF16). EEA also provide, where possible,
>  > everything in textual or XML formats. We also provide other industrial
>  > formats to insure we have no loss of quality or information. Soon we
>  > will be able to provide GML, WFS formats once those formats have been
>  > better understood by us. The amount of formats provided depends on the
>  > cost producing them.
>  >
>  > Please let me know if you have further questions that have not been
>  > answered by the explanation above.
>  >
>  >
>  > Kind regards,
>

Thanks for posting this transaction Nikos. I look forward to further
communications from the EEA.

As Hamish mentioned a couple messages up in this thread, it would be a
good idea (if it hasn't already been done) to formalize these type of
communications with government agencies to lobby for open formats.

Cheers,

Dylan