epiphany about the idea of the Foundation

[Gary Watry]

Being as this is a non-profit open source Foundation, I hope that we will
ask the other commercial Internet map software companies to join the
Foundation in the same manner as AutoDesk.

This should include ESRI, Integraph, Microstation, MapInfo, DeLorme, etc etc

Anyone who has a vested interest in Internet Mapping should be asked to
contribute and participate. If they opt not to - fine - but then they are on
record for choosing not to play

But then the contributors could insure their other products were compatible
with MapServer(OS) and that it was compatible with their products.

The two fold benefit to this is 
1. the foundation will not be concieved as a partner to Autodesk
2. Autodesk or no other Commercial company will control the Foundation

______________________________________________________________
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: UMN MapServer Users List [mailto:MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU] On
Behalf Of Lester Caine
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 2:06 PM
To: MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: Re: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] current OS license

Charlton Purvis wrote:

> Hi, folks:
> 
> Although there continues to be an open source spirit surrounding the code
> amid the launch of a MS Foundation, I'd like to ask for clarification re.
> the license of the MS code as it stands now.
> 
> If for whatever reason a company like Autodesk (or I guess it would have
to
> be the Foundation) wanted to slap some kind of non-open source license on
> the code, is it true that the current code we call MapServer in its
current
> state will always remain covered under the license below?  Basically I'm
> trying to make sure that a shop can't somehow repossess something that was
> originally OS thus preventing folks from using it like it's being used
now.

Borland tried it with Interbase, but Firebird is now freely available 
and there is not a lot Borland can now do about it ;)
I am sure Autocad have a 'hidden agenda' but as long as there are free 
versions of what ever is needed to provide a working system then there 
will not be a problem. Anything commercial will have to be worth the 
money to make any sales :)

p.s. I am not seeing my posts to the list so if you get this Charlton 
and it's not on the list please can you forward it :(

-- 
Lester Caine
-----------------------------
L.S.Caine Electronic Services
Treasurer - Firebird Foundation Inc.