Comments on: Chambered Cairns, islands, whiskey and no computers! http://www.archaeogeek.com/blog/2009/09/22/chambered-cairns-islands-whiskey-and-no-computers/ Archaeology in a Digital World Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:26:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Andrew Zolnai http://www.archaeogeek.com/blog/2009/09/22/chambered-cairns-islands-whiskey-and-no-computers/comment-page-1/#comment-95515 Andrew Zolnai Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:38:07 +0000 http://www.archaeogeek.com/blog/?p=404#comment-95515 FOSS vs. COTS is like a clash of fundamentalisms. Without rehashing the geodata.gov story with the same players Jo mentioned, compare proprietary maps like Google etc. to OpenStreetMaps that are crowd sourced. I don't think that one entity, be it an agency or a corporation, can hope to outpace group think... That's another take on what I harp on about anyway, to give users the control back again. FOSS vs. COTS is like a clash of fundamentalisms. Without rehashing the geodata.gov story with the same players Jo mentioned, compare proprietary maps like Google etc. to OpenStreetMaps that are crowd sourced. I don’t think that one entity, be it an agency or a corporation, can hope to outpace group think… That’s another take on what I harp on about anyway, to give users the control back again.

]]> By: Martin http://www.archaeogeek.com/blog/2009/09/22/chambered-cairns-islands-whiskey-and-no-computers/comment-page-1/#comment-95488 Martin Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:12:29 +0000 http://www.archaeogeek.com/blog/?p=404#comment-95488 I went to Orkney last year, and yes! found that a week away from the tech was quite refreshing! It's an interesting point you make about the open source 'movement'. Like the organic and green options, open source continues to be seen as a slightly 'left' and idealistic area, slowly becoming more mainstream and perhaps acceptable, after spending many years as the antithesis of big business. And I hope that, like environmental and organic lifestyles, it will eventually be more widely known for its other qualities: compatibility, security, community, efficiency (also applicable to its cost), and that it is not necessarily a choice between Big Corp OR 'Beardy' Open Source. I went to Orkney last year, and yes! found that a week away from the tech was quite refreshing!

It’s an interesting point you make about the open source ‘movement’. Like the organic and green options, open source continues to be seen as a slightly ‘left’ and idealistic area, slowly becoming more mainstream and perhaps acceptable, after spending many years as the antithesis of big business. And I hope that, like environmental and organic lifestyles, it will eventually be more widely known for its other qualities: compatibility, security, community, efficiency (also applicable to its cost), and that it is not necessarily a choice between Big Corp OR ‘Beardy’ Open Source.

]]> By: Martin Daly http://www.archaeogeek.com/blog/2009/09/22/chambered-cairns-islands-whiskey-and-no-computers/comment-page-1/#comment-95415 Martin Daly Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:01:25 +0000 http://www.archaeogeek.com/blog/?p=404#comment-95415 Jo, I have no problem with any competition; open source or proprietary. We, of course, already use lots of open source libraries in Cadcorp SIS, and will continue to do so. We also have lots of users who have chosen PostGIS in preference to the alternatives. What I do have a problem with is sweeping statements about open source being "better", or "purer", or whatever than closed source. Nor would I make such a claim the other way round because it would be just as invalid. There are plenty of good and bad examples of both to make any such claims arrant nonsense. See you in Stratford, Martin Jo,

I have no problem with any competition; open source or proprietary. We, of course, already use lots of open source libraries in Cadcorp SIS, and will continue to do so. We also have lots of users who have chosen PostGIS in preference to the alternatives.

What I do have a problem with is sweeping statements about open source being “better”, or “purer”, or whatever than closed source. Nor would I make such a claim the other way round because it would be just as invalid.

There are plenty of good and bad examples of both to make any such claims arrant nonsense.

See you in Stratford,
Martin

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