[Gvsig_english] OpenSource Vs. Commercial solutions disputations

[ernesto sferlazza]

Hi all
I agree with Chris Puttick's Not So Humble Opinion when he says that file
paths should not be absolute.
With regard to MS Windows Vs. Linux disputation, I believe to be
quite realistic when I assume that many people works in a MS Windows
Operating System environment, not because they have money to burn, but just
because they cannot or  won't spend time (=money) learning how to work with
a new operating system, maybe more flexible and opened but sometimes not
simple to set up, since the people whom I refer are often simple users an
not IT consultant or students.
I agree, also, with the opportunity of looking at Open Sources solutions
(like PostgreSQL with PostGIS as a enterprise spatial DB  and GVSIG as an
excellent GIS sw), but as well we have to keep in mind that we need to work
with other *deliberately* proprietary formats, since often they are standard
"de facto" or they are very widely used.
I think, also, that is not a bad thing or a shame to be inspired by
commercial software features and functionalities to develope new features
and functionalities for an Open Source cuncurrent software; moreover, the
first time I tested out GVSIG, I thought "wonderful !!!, it works like
ArcView 3.2, it seems it's clone, with some improvements! "
Best regards

ing. Ernesto Sferlazza
responsabile Unità Organizzativa Sistema Informativo Territoriale
della Provincia regionale di Agrigento
piazza Aldo Moro, 1 - 92100 AGRIGENTO
tel 0922 401935


>Chris Puttick wrote (1):
>IMNSHO file paths referenced in applications should never be absolute,
because they can't be. Even if you stick within Windows, you are making the
poor >assumption that the application will only ever be one computer on one
version of Windows, or all organisations have network shares configured the
same >way (and still use network shares rather than repositories). And good
applications (read "applications I permit organisations I manage to use" ;)
), like >gvSIG, do not only work on Windows, and it is only on Windows that
the silly concept of drive letters even exists...
>Why would you use absolute file paths?
>Chris
>Chris Puttick
>CIO
>Oxford Archaeology: Exploring the Human Journey
>Direct: +44 (0)1865 263 818
>Switchboard: +44 (0)1865 263 800
>Mobile: +44 (0)7917 058 568

>Chris Puttick wrote (2):
>And don't use ESRI GeoDB either - apart from significant technical
shortcomings it is *deliberately* proprietary and intended to make it
>difficult to move away from the ESRI stack - I would strongly urge looking
at PostgreSQL with PostGIS as a enterprise spatial DB >solution, or, if you
have money to burn and an organisational need for big brands, Oracle
Spatial. That way you will at least have an >easier time choosing to deploy
different spatial solutions (such as the excellent gvSIG ;) ).
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