[OSGeo BC] Re: [Talk-ca] [AtlanticCanada] Introduction

[Emilie Laffray]

Hello,

to make it very short, if you want to talk about free, please refer to a
definition.
Freedom in the open source world is very subjective. It is an old debate
with old arguments over whether whose licence is freer: BSD or GPL. If you
follow that line of argument, you will see that OSM is free following the
definition of FSF foundation. I have no desire to go over that debate that
is known and is debated quite frequently.
Whether OSM switches to a new licence or not, it doesn't change the fact
that ultimately OSM data will remain under a share alike licence which you
already qualified as less "free".
I once again apologize that background noise and this will be my last reply
to this thread :)

Emilie Laffray

On 2 February 2011 11:30, Sam Vekemans <acrosscanadatrails at gmail.com> wrote:

> ... but their is a conflict, as OpenStreetMap is not as 'free' as some
> people in the OSGeo community has indicated. (from my presentation to
> the osgeo-bc chapter last summer).
>
>
> But I agree, I can take a more professional approach, and write a
> Paper about this.
>
>
> It will be interesting to hear the results of if OSGeo-BC have changed
> their opinion, and perhaps this opinion is not reflected in Atlantic
> Canada?
>
>
> .... or perhaps there is no interest in discussing it, as people will
> still misunderstand what 'free' means, even after April 1st.
>
>
> I guess only time will tell.
>
>
> Cheers,
> Sam
>
> On 2/2/11, Emilie Laffray <emilie.laffray at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > just a quick comment following your observation.
> > I would like to point out the relation between osm and osgeo are
> orthogonal
> > considering they have two different mandates: osgeo is working on open
> > source geography tools, many of which I use almost everyday, osm is a
> free
> > data source. The members between the two groups largely overlap and there
> is
> > absolutely no conflict. Many people from osgeo are doing some work in osm
> > and vice versa.
> >
> > OpenStreetMap Canada will never become osgeo-Canada because they don't
> have
> > the same goals in the first place. I would also like to point out that
> > several local osm groups are a sub section of local osgeo groups like
> what
> > is happening in France and Germany. There is no licensing problem
> whatsoever
> > or conflicts. I am part of osgeo-fr. In addition, tools like Mapnik are
> > moving towards OGC standards allowing to use WMS. In addition, the OSM
> wiki
> > website is full of examples on how to use many people produced by the
> osgeo
> > community like mapserver, openlayers, GDAL/OGR2OGR, Postgis, etc.....
> >
> > You can of course talk about different source of data on osgeo mailing
> > lists. But you would however find very difficult to go and praise latest
> > incarnation of Arcgis from ESRI on and on on the osgeo mailing list: that
> > would be considered trolling. Similarly, raving on CommonMap on osm
> mailing
> > lists is not considered polite at best. You are more than welcome to talk
> > about it but making it the single point of all discussion is not
> considered
> > polite.
> >
> > In addition, many people including me are talking to Brendan Morley
> > regularly and we have no qualms about CommonMap. It is a different
> solution
> > answering to a different need. However, it is not free of licensing
> issues
> > itself, and so far it is possible for them to contribute back two ways
> with
> > Australian government as it is using the same licence (CC-BY, a ported
> > version for Australia), which may or may not prevent similar interaction
> in
> > in Canada, or the US for example due to licensing issues. Apart from
> that,
> > it is wonderful project which I hope will succeed.
> >
> > Anyway, this was a quick answer to your email. There is no point in
> > continuing to hijack this thread in public and I am more than happy to
> > continue to reply in private as I don't want to look like I am raving.
> >
> > Emilie Laffray
> > OSMF Treasurer
> >
> > On 1 February 2011 14:16, Sam Vekemans <acrosscanadatrails at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> >> FYI,
> >> Just an observation.
> >>
> >>
> >> On the talk-ca mailing list, where i have attended and creating osm -
> >> 'mapping parties', i have noticed where the difference is from an
> >> osgeo 'informal meeting'
> >>
> >>
> >> The OSGeo Community (all things geo-related) is a much more
> >> professional group.  The group members tend to be professional gis
> >> people (in their day jobs).
> >>
> >>
> >> Where-as, for OSM, there is a tendency (or at least in the begining)
> >> for it to be 'weekend hobbiests, and geocaching, and maaping
> >> inthusiasts'
> >>
> >>
> >> So there is a contrast, which is known, but perhaps not apparent,
> >> especially when writing notes to each mailing list.
> >>
> >>
> >> Just an observation.  If OpenStreetMap Canada wants to become
> >> osgeo-canada .... this is where the data licence conflicts.
> >>
> >>
> >> I can freely talk about 'commonmap and open map features, and
> >> alternate api's at a osgeo-canada meetup, but that discussion is
> >> 'shunned' on the osm-ca mailing list and meetups.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Just an observation,
> >>
> >
>
>
> --
> Twitter: @Acrosscanada
> Blogs: http://acrosscanadatrails.posterous.com/
> http://Acrosscanadatrails.blogspot.com
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sam.vekemans
> Skype: samvekemans
> IRC: irc://irc.oftc.net #osm-ca Canadian OSM channel (an open chat room)
> @Acrosscanadatrails
>
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