[Live-demo] Review of iPython Project Overview

[Cameron Shorter]

Hi Brian,
I've just reviewed your draft Project Overview for iPython / iPython 
Notebook. [0]

Rich (CCed), I haven't met you yet, but found your presentation: 
"Adventures with GIS: an introduction to IPython and the joy of 
play"[1], and suspect (hope) you might want to share some of your 
expertise with our OSGeo-Live team. Feel free to chime in on this 
conversation.

My comments are initially general:

* I think we still need to explain what is uniquely valuable about 
iPython or iPython notebook. Why should I use iPython instead of R, or 
QGis or GRASS or something else?

* OSGeo-Live [2] focus is describing geospatial end user applications 
(rather than libraries). It doesn't describe languages (such as C, Java, 
python). From what I'm gathering, iPython is like a language and isn't 
an end-user application so we probably shouldn't be describing iPython 
directly. iPython notebook is an end user application. It is like a 
cross between an excel spreadsheet and HTML document. However, what we 
should be describing is the geospatial functions grouped by user use 
case. We shouldn't be referencing GeoPandas by itself, we should be 
describing the groups of geopandas functions that can be accessed. See 
the qgis overview [3] for an example of this grouping.


[0] 
http://adhoc.osgeo.osuosl.org/livedvd/docs/en/overview/ipython_overview.html
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_fbS4t_Koc
[2] http://live.osgeo.org
[3] 
http://adhoc.osgeo.osuosl.org/livedvd/docs/en/overview/qgis_overview.html

-- 
Cameron Shorter,
Software and Data Solutions Manager
LISAsoft
Suite 112, Jones Bay Wharf,
26 - 32 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009

P +61 2 9009 5000,  W www.lisasoft.com,  F +61 2 9009 5099