#OSGEO IRC Log - 2009-04-02

For logs after Feb 3, 2007, all times are GMT-8. Prior logs are GMT-9.
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01:38:39 CIA-12: osgeo: sab * r1463 /foss4g/2009/website/ ( 2 files in 2 dirs ): updated the new date for registrations
01:38:40 sigq: osgeofeed: Changeset [1463]: updated the new date for registrations <http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo/changeset/1463>
01:54:25 CIA-12: osgeo: camerons * r1464 /foss4g/2009/website/images/ ( web-banner-fancy.jpg web-banner-square.jpg Thumbs.db ): copied foss4g logos into the website/images dir
01:54:25 sigq: osgeofeed: Changeset [1464]: copied foss4g logos into the website/images dir <http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo/changeset/1464>
02:57:14 sigq: osgeofeed: Changeset [1465]: resized the flags <http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo/changeset/1465>
02:57:33 CIA-12: osgeo: sab * r1465 /foss4g/2009/website/ ( 47 files in 5 dirs ): resized the flags
02:58:57 simeon: I'm having some trouble getting the gdal affine geotransform stuff to work, can anyone help?
04:18:04 CIA-12: osgeo: sab * r1466 /foss4g/2009/website/ ( 7 files in 6 dirs ): added tutorials, workshops, speakers
04:18:35 sigq: osgeofeed: Changeset [1466]: added tutorials, workshops, speakers <http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo/changeset/1466>
04:18:51 w0lfie_: in #csharp
07:57:25 kstreith: kstreithVp,ry4htrsy
08:43:08 sigq: osgeofeed: Ticket #351 ( task created ): Update uuid of MapGuide SVN mirror to match main SVN <http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo/ticket/351>
08:43:31 mloskot: svn st
11:34:37 TylerM: oh man, that's quite a lot of chatter on gsoc mentor list :[
11:35:32 FrankW: no kidding. I had to setup a rule to /dev/null it.
11:35:59 FrankW: I'm trusting that Wolf will let us know if we need to know something. :- )
11:36:01 TylerM: good plan.. I have a heartattack every morning : )
11:36:06 TylerM: maybe some people are just lonely ;- )
11:38:02 bitner: how many students for OSGeo so far?
11:39:09 TylerM: 13 so far i think
11:41:36 FrankW: lots of interest in the router/geocoder area as I understand it.
11:42:12 bitner: FrankW: very good, I'd personally love to see some action in that area
11:42:31 bitner: for geocoder, I take it there are willing mentors lined up?
11:42:42 FrankW: I'm wondering if the students will end up being kind of scattershot - duplicating stuff that is already done -r ather than really advancing stuff.
11:43:35 FrankW: I wish I had a deeper attention span. I'd like to recommend http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/633927 but I'm having trouble focusing long enough to read it through first.
11:43:36 sigq: Title: Maine Invests in Collaborative Web Mapping ( at www.govtech.com )
11:46:48 bitner: nice article
11:47:57 bitner: A very fast reliable orthoimagery WMS hosted by one of our state agencies in MN has done more to push SOA in MN than anything else
11:49:10 bitner: using their home grown mysql based image server
11:49:14 : * FrankW emerges from 120 seconds of concentrated focus on one topic!
11:49:33 : * bitner wishes for just 10 seconds of focus today
11:50:58 TylerM: check your pulse frankw ; )
14:16:37 TylerM: Can you see this? http://www.osgeo.org/tyler/brochure
14:16:39 sigq: Title: OSGeo Brochure | OSGeo.org ( at www.osgeo.org )
14:16:42 TylerM: thx sigq : )
14:16:50 TylerM: curious how well it works for anyone watching
14:17:09 TylerM: it's been browser nightmare day for me.. time for a reboot I think :(
14:17:42 j03lar50n: no worky for me
14:17:47 j03lar50n: ie and ff
14:18:56 TylerM: hmm what happens then?
14:18:58 TylerM: thx j03lar50n
14:19:43 j03lar50n: ie7, and ff3 to be more specific
14:21:15 TylerM: you see my text, then nothing below it?
14:35:12 darkblue_B: geez thats fancy
14:35:21 darkblue_B: Safari
14:35:38 darkblue_B: WebKit Nightly / Mac actually
14:37:18 darkblue_B: FF3 Mac also working fine
14:38:43 darkblue_B: FF3 Ubuntu linux says "additional plugins are required to view this page".. flash or flash equiv choices are then shown
14:39:10 darkblue_B: gnash, swfdec or adobes
14:42:22 darkblue_B: yep, works fine on FF3 linux for me
14:44:36 j03lar50n: hrm, my ubuntu VM didn't even give me the choices - could view page in ie7/ff3 on windoze
14:44:58 j03lar50n: *choices of plugins
15:34:55 CameronShorter: Hi all, I'm looking to describe a compelling business case for sponsoring FOSS4G. In particular, what people will be at FOSS4G who represent big government programs?
15:34:55 sigq: osgeofeed: Ticket #351 ( task closed ): Update uuid of MapGuide SVN mirror to match main SVN <http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo/ticket/351#comment:1>
15:35:14 CameronShorter: Any attendees from INSPIRE?
15:35:30 CameronShorter: Or the Canadian, US, or Asian equivalents?
15:47:48 darkblue_B: CameronShorter: much of what has been written about OSS in general can be applied to Geo in specific..
15:48:11 darkblue_B: ( lookig at bookshelf )
15:48:37 darkblue_B: The Success of Open Source by Weber is good if wordy
15:49:04 CameronShorter: darkblue_B, I'm looking more for case study type stuff:
15:49:11 FrankW: I think CameronShorter is hoping for some specific examples of who will be attending FOSS4G to impress potential sponsors.
15:49:37 darkblue_B: chicken and egg!
15:49:54 CameronShorter: "Joe Blow, from the XXX ministry of YYY in Country B, who sits on top of XXX $$$" plans to be coming to the conference.
15:49:57 darkblue_B: great hollywood event makers just lie like a rug :D
15:50:42 darkblue_B: this is high sorcery ..
15:50:42 CameronShorter: Some examples of big names who attended previous conferences would be a good start.
15:51:04 darkblue_B: but seriously, the political pressures and developments around climate change cant be understated
15:51:37 darkblue_B: the wall has cracked.. I can tell you that the academics I am running into
15:52:01 darkblue_B: among them they are coming out of the woodwork to have some kind of modeling or predicion or mapping project
15:52:21 darkblue_B: politically, we have the Western Climate Initiative here in the US
15:52:26 darkblue_B: and Canada
15:52:36 darkblue_B: otherwise known as Carbon Markets
15:52:57 darkblue_B: its just too big to have ESRI sell and train everyone
15:53:16 CameronShorter: Are they coming to FOSS4G, and do they have big $$?
15:53:37 darkblue_B: well, you are endeavoring to make a persuasive case
15:53:52 darkblue_B: I have to say I did a graduate program in some of this
15:53:57 darkblue_B: its not a small topic
15:54:06 darkblue_B: in short there are stages of persuasion
15:54:15 darkblue_B: the very first is to let them know it exists
15:54:46 darkblue_B: thats partly why common companies can spend far more oney than we can easily grasp, on an ad that simply has a color image
15:54:49 darkblue_B: and the product name
15:55:03 darkblue_B: so people know it exists.. that is the huge first step
15:55:37 darkblue_B: next, there are several qualities that make it approachable, once people *and companies* know it exists
15:56:05 darkblue_B: showing to prospective sponsors that you are doing this, makes you desirable to sponsor
15:56:44 darkblue_B: when we did the 5th International Symposum on Digital Earth, many many formal govt and prvate agencies showed up
15:57:18 darkblue_B: mainly through formal connections I imagine. Our director was the former head of UNEP
15:57:44 darkblue_B: and had a huge rolodex.. so we got govt and military and the major corporpate people
15:57:58 darkblue_B: though his work was far from spotless, he did do that well
15:58:21 CameronShorter: darkblue_B, do you have any connections that you could use to invite some big names to FOSS4G to present?
15:58:24 darkblue_B: I for my part did "cold calls" to several hundred Academic reasearch institutions
15:59:29 darkblue_B: CameronShorter: I am only informally affiliated.. others have strings to pull.. I just have a buch of insights :-/
16:00:08 darkblue_B: I can speak knowledgeably about really good outreach, thats my contriution
16:00:20 darkblue_B: b
16:01:22 CameronShorter: ok
16:11:52 darkblue_B: didnt the political polarities of NZ and AU switch recently?
16:12:09 darkblue_B: NZ was heavily present at ISDE5, but they have a new govt
16:12:23 darkblue_B: meanwhile your AU govt changed strongly
16:12:46 darkblue_B: its in your country, your govt agencies are a strong place to start I'd say
16:13:05 darkblue_B: I'd also say the nationas that have announced a strategic support of OSS
16:13:28 darkblue_B: the obvious being Brazil, but I dont know a thing about Brazil
16:14:40 darkblue_B: the core strong contributers to making OSS .. where they are geographically located
16:19:58 darkblue_B: I'd think you would have to have a Japan strategy.. one way or the other
16:21:22 darkblue_B: I dont trust the govt of China.. I have serious personal political issues with the govt of China.. you willhave to fend them off no doubt, since they have shown up in force at every single Geo science anyhting I have been to
16:21:55 darkblue_B: ISDE6 is in Beijing.. dont go.. thats my opinion on that
16:23:00 darkblue_B: big names.. who is a big name in Geo? You mean like RIchard Gere the movie star ? probably not... no offense I am seriously thinking about what a big name means
16:24:17 darkblue_B: you have to have a Microsoft strategy, one way or the other, too
16:25:49 darkblue_B: World Wildlife Fund and others like that? The IMF ? these are real candidates
16:26:21 darkblue_B: I think geo is of huge interest.. thats why I am here.. they might think that too..
18:58:48 hobu: any proponents of http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OSGeo_Cartographic_Library here?
18:58:50 sigq: Title: OSGeo Cartographic Library - OSGeo Wiki ( at wiki.osgeo.org )
19:08:07 : * springmeyer is an interested bystander
19:08:19 springmeyer: headed out now hobu, but back later on
19:09:22 wildintellect: same here - you should probably poke TylerM
19:11:04 hobu: I want whomever wants it to happen to defend why it should exist
19:11:06 hobu: : )
19:11:34 hobu: and tell me why it doesn't already exist if it were so needed
19:11:41 wildintellect: ah
19:11:53 wildintellect: to be honest it barely exists in the commercial world it seems
19:12:12 wildintellect: and most pro-GIS people just use Arc
19:12:30 wildintellect: it is an issue that prevents many people from using QGIS or GRASS
19:13:19 wildintellect: and QGIS is top issues on the todo list involve symbology and labeling
19:13:37 hobu: but why one uber library? why not grass/qgis/udig/etc all implement their styling, labeling, etc themselves or using pieces of other code?
19:14:02 wildintellect: oh I don't necessarily agree that it should be a library either
19:14:08 hobu: I just don't see how this can be successful without an application backing it up
19:14:18 wildintellect: I think all of the pieces should implement SLD coverage
19:14:52 wildintellect: maybe since none of them have managed to find a solution and one shared solution would take less work
19:14:56 hobu: for example, the wiki page talks about mapserver's labeling engine ... mapserver's labeling engine is the way it is because of what mapserver aspires to be -- a decent quality, fast-as-possible map rendering engine for the web
19:15:02 wildintellect: theoretically....
19:15:08 hobu: it doesn't make sense that its label placement engine would be dropped into qgis.
19:15:27 hobu: but even if it did, what incentive is there for mapserver or qgis to go to some other library to use it?
19:15:40 hobu: ah, there he is : )
19:16:20 wildintellect: I think the goal is a label engine for desktop GIS that results in high quality cartography
19:16:34 wildintellect: which is not the intent of existing lib like mapserver as you point out
19:16:58 hobu: spatialguru: can you make the elevator pitch for http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OSGeo_Cartographic_Library why should it exist, and if the need is so great, why doesn't it *already* exist?
19:16:59 sigq: Title: OSGeo Cartographic Library - OSGeo Wiki ( at wiki.osgeo.org )
19:17:19 spatialguru: hi guys
19:17:41 spatialguru: library is probably not the right term in fact
19:18:05 spatialguru: The main barrier is from real world common trouble using an FOSS
19:18:37 spatialguru: most projects have very limited printing capabilities, so they cannot be used seriously in "industrial" ( in my case ) environments.
19:19:14 spatialguru: Web mapping components are quite well advanced of course, but they are for speed, small size, etc.. not for punching out a 600dpi 32" wide print job.
19:19:24 spatialguru: This is where Arc* has the market, right?
19:19:28 wildintellect: yes
19:19:41 wildintellect: daily plotting is what most Arc jockeys I know do
19:19:51 spatialguru: So while I'm all for QGIS, udig, gvSIG, etc. to make a kick-butt layout and print toolset..
19:20:13 spatialguru: it just isn't happening as fast as we need.
19:20:30 hobu: MapServer will have scalable rendering at 6.0 ( and a cairo backend too ), but that's a side point.
19:20:49 wildintellect: partly because most of the programmers on those projects aren't graphic rendering gurus
19:20:52 spatialguru: So this is a generalised solution for taking, for example, a mapserver config file, or a QGIS project file, or some sort of GRASS layout - Pipe it through some scripts and make what is needed.
19:21:12 hobu: who is *we*?
19:21:56 spatialguru: me and others listed as interested parties on the wiki page I guess
19:22:09 wildintellect: I think he meant the FOSS desktop stack in general
19:22:34 spatialguru: "we" is also the people I advocate to.. who retort that they still need a proprietary part to meet their printing demands.
19:23:12 spatialguru: I fully expect that the solution will be to reuse an existing package, but to lay out a standard way of getting the config. info shoved through in a simplified way.
19:23:48 wildintellect: I really expect inkscape to yield some good information and idea
19:24:06 spatialguru: e.g. what is needed to make the map? layer styling info ( eg SLD ), data source pointers, layout component definition..
19:24:14 hobu: I guess i'm in the pramsey camp when it comes to marketing open source gis ... fight the next battle( s ) ( on the cloud, server side, etc ) instead of the last one( s ) ( desktop gis )
19:24:16 spatialguru: then also what sort of output format, resolution, scale, etc
19:24:20 hobu: SLD is not enough
19:24:51 spatialguru: sure, then what's the gap? if there is one, then how can it be filled.
19:24:53 wildintellect: that's fine a good, but it doesn't solve the reality of what people are doing on a daily basis and what is taught as GIS in schools
19:25:21 spatialguru: yeah that's my particular interest and goal.. put a tool in students hands, so they can then use it in consulting industry, etc.
19:25:36 bitner: gap is a simple tool to make a good quality map
19:25:43 wildintellect: I agree most GIS will move to the web - but a lot of what GIS analysts get paid to be the artist to make final renderings
19:25:50 spatialguru: I don't mind two camps.. but you won't see me asking why we shuold bother doing server side cloud stuff : )
19:26:04 spatialguru: lots to do on all sides!
19:26:11 wildintellect: they are on par with people who get paid full time to do illustrator and photoshop
19:26:59 wildintellect: hmm, have we thought about making mapserver or mapnik easier to use as a desktop map production tool
19:27:04 spatialguru: I wouldn't mind if it was seen as a GRASS project or a QGIS project, but my hope is that there would be wider interest from a student that might not care particularly about either, but about the problem in general.
19:27:49 spatialguru: hobu: making any more sense to you?
19:28:17 hobu: slightly. I'm not convinced though : )
19:28:34 spatialguru: wildintellect: I forgot that you would be fighting a similar battle as I do re: the training/incorporation of new tools into industry
19:28:37 hobu: and i'm really not convinced that exploring developing a new project makes a good SoC effort
19:28:53 spatialguru: think of it as a new feature of grass then : )
19:29:01 wildintellect: or QGIS
19:29:24 wildintellect: label engine is very high on the discussion list
19:29:26 spatialguru: yeah, i've talked to several folks from both projects over the past two years on this idea.. danmo too had some great feedback..
19:29:32 wildintellect: and SLD incorporation
19:29:35 spatialguru: I just didn't have time to do anything on it myself, or I would : )
19:29:53 wildintellect: they saw some label engine in Europe last summer they really wanted to try
19:30:06 spatialguru: Individually, I just don't see any 1 project spending enough time and energy to get it right, though granted there are some good starts.
19:30:16 hobu: GRASS has had 25 years to match arcplot and it hasn't yet. why? because no one's saw enough need to do so
19:30:28 spatialguru: I think doing good research and development is a great way to encourage students : )
19:30:40 wildintellect: I would do it, if I thought I had the coding skills
19:30:44 spatialguru: wolf and markus would know more about that particular question
19:31:16 wildintellect: but I can barely cobble a python plugin together
19:31:38 spatialguru: I'd guess it's an error to say no one saw enough need to do so... it just didn't tickle the volunteers' fancies
19:31:43 spatialguru: my guess
19:31:52 wildintellect: and I've had bum luck converting cs students to geostuff
19:32:55 spatialguru: hobu: so you think it is somehow a waste of time to pursue this? at what cost to us if it is?
19:33:26 hobu: I think it is a waste of an SoC slot
19:33:48 spatialguru: oh, are we limited?
19:33:56 hobu: if it were to get one. We shouldn't be developing new projects with SoC slots
19:34:25 wildintellect: I guess we're of a differing opinion in that we think it's a QGIS/GRASS add on
19:34:30 spatialguru: but it's aimed at extending capabilities of existing projects.. hmm
19:34:44 spatialguru: precisely
19:35:19 hobu: http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OSGeo_Cartographic_Library is very poorly named then : )
19:35:19 spatialguru: wolf thought it fit the soc mold well enough, but if there are a few people suggesting to push it toward a particular project, then that's no problem.
19:35:21 sigq: Title: OSGeo Cartographic Library - OSGeo Wiki ( at wiki.osgeo.org )
19:35:33 spatialguru: heh - well, one hopes you read more than the title ;- )
19:35:48 spatialguru: i think it started out with maybe a different idea in mind
19:36:15 spatialguru: i've been trying to refactor a bit.. but didn't get as far as I like to
19:36:22 hobu: having lived through Python Cartographic Library, I'm very skeptical
19:36:29 spatialguru: ohhhh
19:36:37 hobu: trying to do a lot means you end up sucking at all of it
19:36:39 spatialguru: i never made that connection
19:37:03 spatialguru: i think 're-use' is an appropriate mantra here
19:37:23 spatialguru: and there are a handful of options to choose from now
19:37:33 spatialguru: springmeyer will make sure we use mapnik ;- )
19:38:34 wildintellect: mapnik/QGIS plugin
19:38:40 wildintellect: hmm...
19:38:48 spatialguru: natural fit, i agree
19:39:12 spatialguru: Is PCL useful at this point?
19:39:18 hobu: no
19:39:43 hobu: it was pieced out into items like Shapely, and Rtree, etc.
19:40:01 hobu: which allowed items that had usefulness to have focus
19:40:22 hobu: and live beyond their heritage as a giant ball of code that tried to do too much
19:41:27 spatialguru: from what you can tell, is the goal the same here? I'm not too familiar with PCL's goals
19:41:44 spatialguru: though I always thought it was a reaction to mapscript limitations
19:42:45 hobu: it tried to be much more than mapscript. The idea was you had a generic library that you could write code to and ( theoretically ) not have to worry about backend things how it was rendered, how the data came in, etc.
19:43:26 spatialguru: ah okay
19:43:37 hobu: It tried to be OGR, MapServer, GEOS, and shapelib/qix all at once.
19:43:39 spatialguru: I don't exactly see how shapely and rtree came to the forefront from that.. hmm
19:43:51 spatialguru: cool : )
19:44:18 spatialguru: Maybe this project would be better named OSGeo Print Engine or similar
19:44:27 spatialguru: biab.. nice chatting
19:44:35 hobu: OSGeo Canvas