[Live-demo] Re: we are running out of time to have libLAS on OSGeo-Live?

[Howard Butler]

On Aug 1, 2011, at 4:16 PM, Cameron Shorter wrote:
> Our criteria for getting an application written up on OSGeo-Live is that either:
> 1. You can run it and see it tested
> 2. You are a library which has graduated OSGeo incubation.
> This criteria is in place as a demonstrated commitment to quality. If the project has not gone through the incubation process, then we have at least proven that it can be installed, and users can see it working.

libLAS is probably too small to ever go through OSGeo incubation.  OSGeo-Live presumably includes things like curl and libxml2, etc.  libLAS is essentially that, except for LiDAR data.  It's never going to big enough to have a community behind it.  libLAS' "users" are really other applications like GRASS, and my efforts with getting libLAS on the OSGeo-LiveDVD were essentially to lay the groundwork so applications like that can take advantage of that.  It's not really a user-facing application.

> 
>>> . Cameron Comment: Please include a suitable graphic. In this case, probably a pretty picture of LiDAR data over a coverage? Maybe something like this: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/911/images/lg-map-lidar1.jpg . Make sure you have rights to publish the image.
>> I do not want to give any impression that libLAS is a LiDAR exploitation or visualization tool.  Putting a picture of a rendered elevation model or some such visualization on the quickstart might give that impression.  libLAS is water pipes and plumbing, not Trevi Fountain :)
> 
> We have an image on each page in order to draw people's eye in. It is a common practice on marketing documents, and doesn't need to be directly related to the text. Marketing documents often have pictures of smiling people looking at a white board.
> 
> I note that you have a logo. Can you please also include a picture which ideally is related to the libLAS document. (hence my suggestion of a LIDAR picture, but I'm happy for you to suggest something different)

/me wanders through wikipedia for a picture of Kane from Mortal Kombat shooting his eye laser :)

>> 
>>> .. Cameron Comment: Note that many (most?) readers won't know what LIDAR, or ASPRS LAS is. They also might not be connected to the internet, so won't be able to follow links you provide. Hence, please add a sentence or two here explaining what they are and why you would use it.
>> Can one call oneself a GIS practitioner these days an not know what LiDAR is?
> Many (most?) people looking at this DVD will not be GIS practitioners. They may be software developers are setting up a web mapping website, are familiar with WMS and Google Maps, and have been asked to see if there is anything else on this DVD worth investing in.
> 
> At conferences, I am continually surprised by the simple language I need to fall back on.

/me wanders through wikipedia...