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| GeoCommunity Mailing List |
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| Mailing List Archives |
| Subject: | Re: GISList: re: Linux RS and GIS software for the masses |
| Date: |
06/10/2002 07:58:37 AM |
| From: |
Dave McIlhagga |
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Dimitri,
Maybe the real difference here has been a debate between who the mass
market really is. Is there really a "mass market" in the numbers you
describe for software providing analytical GIS alone? That I'm not sure
of. Being a geographer I would love to think this were true, however
how many people can really benefit from pure GIS software on a regular
basis - enough to justify purchasing GIS software, even at a low cost -
even at a fraction of the use of MS Word or Adobe Photoshop?
I guess the proof will be in terms of success for a company like
Manifold. I really hope you're right, and if Manifold can make it
happen then kudos to you for that because there is no question that a
bigger GIS industry would result in much higher quality software, at a
much cheaper price then we see in our market today.
To me however, a different scenario seems much more likely. Where the
mass market will truly interact with GIS will in much more likelihood
occur through web or desktop applications - things like MapQuest and
many others which have a spatial component integrated with a lot of
other information. These applications do and will continue to require
Geomatics professionals to support them.
So perhaps the true "mass market" will not deal with open source on the
surface, but access desktop & web applications (free or not) that
contain open source components underneath.
Interesting discussion, I guess we will have to look back in a few years
to see what happens.
--
Dave McIlhagga
DM Solutions Group
www.dmsolutions.ca
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