Enabling a Wider Web-Mapping Open Source Community

1
Enabling a Wider Web-Mapping Open Source
Community

• Darren Redfern
• Product Manager
• DM Solutions Group Inc.

2
DM Solutions and Open Source

• core of our Corporate Philosophy
• currently develop several Open Source products
• MapServer (_at_ UMinn)
• Chameleon
• MapLab
• etc.
• access provided through MapTools.org
• which hosts other OSS projects as well

3
MapTools (Today)

• first developed in 2003
• www.maptools.org
• currently set up more like a Developers Forum
• primarily one-way communication, developers ?
  users
• works well for that paradigm!

4
MapTools (Tomorrow)

• want to create a true Community Portal
• information flows in many directions
• developers ? users,
• users ? users,
• etc.
• all members of the community contribute to the
  overall technology and understanding
• all members of community are welcomed to help
  build the structure of the community too!

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Getting Community Input!

• Help us help you. ?
• Lets have two-way communication on how to go
  about establishing/maintaining two-way
  communication.
• What do you feel is missing from MapTools that
  would make it more effective for you?
• Are there elements from other OSS sites (e.g.,
  Linux, Apache, OpenOffice, etc.) that youd like
  to see in MapTools?

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Some Ideas Weve Had

• Application Gallery
• More than just links to Websites
• Also contributions of supporting files
• Chameleon templates
• supporting code
• skins, graphics
• design docs
• etc.
• The idea is to make the products easier to use
  as a Community.
• ???

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Some Ideas Weve Had(cont)

• Document Exchange
• Place to share product-related documentation
• Complete documents
• Community-built documents
• Other ideas
• Translations
• ???

8
Some Ideas Weve Had(cont)

• Curriculum Exchange
• Place to share
• labs
• course material
• tests
• etc.
• Other ideas
• ???

9
Some Ideas Weve Had(cont)

• QA/Testing Centre
• Download test suites for products
• Run automated tests online
• ???

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Some Ideas Weve Had(cont)

• Community Whiteboard
• Free-form area where the Community would build
  the structure
• Completely organic hands-off
• Use Twiki/Wiki technology to implement
• other thoughts on structure building tools?

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Some Ideas Weve Had(cont)

• Product Roadmap
• What are various developers working on?
• for next version
• for future versions
• What features would the Community like to see?
• ???
• News and Events
• Upcoming shows, conferences, etc.
• Contributed by the Community
• ???

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What Future do YOU see?

• Contact me anytime
• dredfern_at_dmsolutions.ca
• during the rest of conference