[OSGeo-Discuss] Abstract, please look at.

[Tyler Mitchell]

On a similar note, I've seen some institutions build their own tools or
build on top of existing tools.  Then in subsequent years, different
researchers and student continue adding on to it.  What you get in the
end is a more comprehensive package than you could otherwise have had if
you had purchased a canned product or started from scratch on your own.

Good ideas, Gary.

Tyler

Gary Watry wrote:
> Several good points, with your permission, I would like to include the
> following
> 
>   * Ability to verify what is going on internally.  Black-boxes interfere
> with good science.
>   * Flexibility to tweak any aspect of the system in experimentation.
>   * Ability to disseminate solutions to other researchers without requiring
>     them to acquire software licenses first.
> 
> In the rework of my abstract
> ______________________________________________________________
> Gary L. Watry
> 
> GIS Coordinator
> Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies
> FSU / COAPS
> Johnson Building, RM 215
> 2035 East Paul Dirac Drive
> Tallahassee, Florida 32306-2840
>  
> E-Mail: watry at coaps.fsu.edu
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Frank Warmerdam [mailto:fwarmerdam at gmail.com] On Behalf Of Frank
> Warmerdam
> Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 8:55 AM
> To: discuss at mail.osgeo.org
> Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Abstract, please look at.
> 
> Gary Watry wrote:
> 
>>Hi
>>
>>I am starting to put together a presentation for the Florida Joint Mapping
>>Conference. The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
>>(ASPRS) Florida Region, is soliciting presentations for the Joint Mapping
>>Conference entitled "Accessing Geo-Spatial Data".  
>>
>>Here is what I want to submit as a abstract
>>
>>Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Abstract
>>
>>Open Source GIS Software and its potential use in the Post Grad
> 
> Environment
> 
>>One of the major issues that arise with the introduction of Geospatial
>>technology in a post-college education or research program is the inherent
>>cost of Commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS). The initial cost and
>>annual maintenance fees for most COTS, is hard to justify by the
> 
> occasional
> 
>>use of these applications in Non-GIS courses and research projects. The
>>introduction of Free Open Source Software (FOSS) at the college and
>>post-grad level will make available the powerful tools of Geospatial
>>analysis without the cost. As FOSS applications achieve parity and in many
>>cases exceed the capabilities of the comparative COTS tools, a valuable
> 
> tool
> 
>>is available to the grad student or research assistant. Once educated in
> 
> the
> 
>>usefulness and availability of FOSS applications, the individual would be
>>able to download, utilize, and then discard the appropriate GIS tools
> 
> until
> 
>>the next time they were useful. If and when the FOSS applications are not
>>capable of meeting the needs of the user, then and only then should the
>>individual be encouraged to examine COTS.  
> 
> 
> Gary,
> 
> This seems like a useful presentation to make.
> 
> I would encourage you to focus on a variety of benefits of FOSS in the
> post-grad / research environment.
> 
>   * Low cost - focus available research money on humans and hardware.
>   * Low barrier to introducing new tools.  No purchase cycle just to try a
> new
>     package.
>   * Ability to verify what is going on internally.  Black-boxes interfere
> with
>     good science.
>   * Flexibility to tweak any aspect of the system in experimentation.
>   * Ability to disseminate solutions to other researchers without requiring
>     them to acquire software licenses first.
> 
> Some of the above benefits are generic too many fields, but some of them are
> (in my humble opinion) especially important in research.  I think it would
> be
> an error to be overly focused on the cost aspect.
> 
> I trust you will let us know when it is complete so we can make the material
> more widely available?
> 
> Best regards,