[Web Comm] GeoTools content for OSGeo follow up ...

[Jody Garnett]

Hi Jo :-)
>> Developer Spotlights
>> - OSGeo is doing them already with some success, not sure how we sign up 
>> but I would love hear what Gabriel has been up to :-)
>>     
> I don't know if they are being actively produced anymore. It would be
> easy enough to make a "community spotlight" type object in drupal and
> ask PMC chairs to cough them up, using publicity as leverge to
> interrogate their developer community.
>   
Is the format pretty clear ... interview etc.
>> Powerpoint
>> - architecture or design material showing how the library fits in the middle
>> - goal is to allow budding projects to steal good looking pictures that 
>> happen to have geotools in them
>>     
> I shudder at the powerpoint word - there are open formats which it
> would be preferable to use - there are those standard Open Document
> Template layouts in the VisCom library. Or maybe this is a generic use
> of the word? ;) 
>   
Problem was I spent 30 mins taking the open document template and 
producing a power point template out of it :-( And still could not make 
sense at the different fonts used on the slides ... Specifically for 
this target audience power point is the only option (if we want them to 
lift our diagrams and make use of them).

So no I am sorry it was a specific use of the word, and I am not sure 
open office as a technical alternative helps :-(
> It would be good to incorporate such in-depth material into an
> overview of the complete OSGeo stack - a diagrams-and-code-snippets
> version of the stack of informational brochureware PDFs. Right, you
> could archive components and sequences of them. Ideally you could have
> some interface to pick-and-mix, autostitch a whole presentation.
>   
I see where you are going, but once again my top pick would be to 
publish a set of OSGeo clipart. At least with this approach SVG could be 
used, although a power point presentation would still probably need to 
be made.  Beyond diagrams I was hoping to get people to reuse points.

Well lets try doing this a couple times and see what the results look like.
> You mentioned this was specifically directed at encouraging people
> running small consultancies to write up their projects and that sounds
> really good - case studies, ideally with details on the numbers -
> timing and rates and maintenance even.
I was hoping for a little bit less specific on all accounts:
- ie white papers on technologies often serve to illustrate intended use 
(regardless of case studies) - so lean more on the FUD
- a name if good, email fine, a logo would be great (but rates and 
maintenance can be done on email)
> was going to cost as much to set up the project in terms of developer
> time and planning for maintanance time; reliable contractors and good
> service level agreements are harder to find then when operating
> within a proprietary framework".
Interesting FUD, probably too often true - but something to take apart 
regardless. Best approach would be a report
card showing public improvements between last year and this year (mostly 
due to DM Solutions I would expect).
> So along with the business directory ideas that are swimming around, this would help
> provide a "convincer" that would also be useful for individuals.
>   
An idea worth following up.
> So how do we make it easier for people to produce this sort of
> material? You also mentioned PDF export being a key requirement for
> online doc management systems. Again we could provide templates and
> patterns for producing this kind of whitepaper - you have examples
> kicking around yet that you're offering to geotools developers?
>   
I was going to run up an example of each and see what took.
Cheers,
Jody