[Incubator] GeoFunctions Incubation Application

[Cameron Shorter]

Peter, you are right, your Open Source credentials are top-notch. The 
stumbling block is maturity of the software.

Canvasing support at FOSS4G is a great idea.

Rushforth, Peter wrote:
> Hi Frank and Cameron,
>
>   
>>> OSGeo on the other hand has a goal of promoting Open Source 
>>>       
>> Geospatial 
>>     
>>> Software by show casing the best Open Source Geospatial software 
>>> available. Unfortunately this doesn't quite align with your 
>>>       
>> goals. Ie, 
>>     
>>> I don't think GeoFunctions is mature enough for OSGeo 
>>>       
>> graduation yet.
>>     
>
> I think GeoFunction's goals and OSGEO's goals align, mostly.
>
> What could be more open source than XSLT, which when used in
> the client can be explicitly viewed as an HTTP resource, and
> which doesn't need external compiling to do useful things with
> geodata? 
>
> But I agree that the project is not mature.  I will try to drum
> up some more support at FOSS4G.  I will promote it at the GeoFunctions
> BOF:
> http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/FOSS4G2007_BOF_Sessions#GeoFunctions_-_X
> SLT_2_functions_for_GEO_using_saxon
> ;-)
>
>   
>>> What I suggest is that you request something similar to the MOSS4G 
>>> project - a Mobile client. MOSS4G are using the OSGeo 
>>>       
>> infrastructure 
>>     
>>> (svn, bug list etc) but are not officially promoted by OSGeo.
>>>       
>
> I will have a little bit of time to devote to the project this fall.
> Since I haven't actually got a code repository or a bug list started,
> I would be willing to use OSGEO svn and trac,  and I could put in
> the time this fall to initialize those resources, and hopefully
> add some more code.
>
>   
>> However, I would like to see it prosper.  If OSGeo infrastructure
>> (trac/svn) would be of benefit that is a possibility.  I also 
>> wonder if it would make sense for GeoFunctions to be loosely 
>> affiliated with some existing project.
>>     
>
> Cameron suggested I advertise on the MapBuilder developer list to
> see if I could generate some interest there.  I will do that.
>
> I thought of GeoServer, because GeoFunctions could be a useful 
> WFS request and response translation filter, 
> but I notice it's not an OSGEO project either.  But once I get 
> a bit more ground under me, I'll go see them too.
>  
>   
>> I sort of have the same problem with libraries like libtiff, 
>> libgeotiff and PROJ.4.  I think they are useful parts of the 
>> "OSGeo Stack" but it isn't clear to me that they have 
>> substantial enough communities to justify being freestanding 
>> foundation projects with the overhead that this implies.
>>     
>
> Thanks for your advice and support.  I'll come back to ask about
> those trac and svn resources when I am ready to go this fall.
>
> Cheers,
> Peter
>
>   


-- 
Cameron Shorter
Systems Architect, http://lisasoft.com.au
Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254