[OpenLayers-Dev] New Kid on This Block

[Arnie Shore]

Hello all.  Let me tell you a bit re what I'm doing (he sez, as though 
he really knows!) and invite suggestions.

I've written a free open source computer-aided dispatch application, 
targeted to teams/agencies with zero budgets for software of this 
nature.  (It's Tickets by name, and with a demonstration/download site 
at http://www.saefern.org/tickets/  - in addition to SourceForge.)  It's 
built using the usual open source suspects, PHP and MySql.   Of special 
relevance here is that I've included Google Maps as the geo-spatial 
component.  Justification for the latter is, not surprisingly, its zero 
cost, ubiquity, and convenience - as well as its capabilities.  By 
design for its expected installation by first-timers, it avoids use of 
any other than the most basic components.

Now I want to port Tickets to a mapping base that wd allow its use in 
situation where - at least temporarily - there's no Internet access;  
the maps/tiles/images wd need storage and accessibility at the web 
server.  (Client browser and server are readily configured onto a single 
box, of course.)  Certainly, OpenLayer's open Source aspect is 
especially attractive, given all of the above.

Tickets can/is deployed where there's limited mapping available, but I 
expect that users - many of them ham radio enthusiasts - might be 
willing to spend some effort in developing the kinds of map information 
appropriate to their particular situations. From what I see on this 
list, there's no shortage of tools and advice to help them do so.  This 
might be a particularly positive aspect in such an  implementation, 
although possiblY more than countered by the possible lack of immediate 
availability.

Th - th - th - that's it folks.  Comments and suggestions invited, and 
certainly from anyone who's undertaken a similar task.

Arnie Shore
Annapolis, MD