Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 13:52
All Points Blog offers an entry named Ten Things You Need to Know about Open Source Geospatial Software.
Here's the list, and head to the entry to read further explanations:
- Open source geospatial software refers to GIS, GPS, spatial data management and related developer tools and end user applications delivered with an open source license.
- An open source license must meet the definition developed by the Open Source Initiative.
- Open source software is written by a community rather than a development team associated with a single software company. [...] Some do this as part of their “day jobs,” while others volunteer.
- The Opposite of Open Source is Closed Source or Proprietary Software, not Commercial Software
- Open Source Software is “Just” Software
- OSGeo is the Body for Open Source Geospatial Software
- Open Source and Open Standards-based Software are not the Same Thing
- Implementing Open Source Software May Cost Money
- Software developers and software users mix and match open source and proprietary software all the time. Esri’s ArcGIS, for example, includes the open source GDAL (raster handling) library.
- Open source licenses are designed for software, not data. There are other licenses appropriate for data.
