[Legal-general] Introduction

[Eric Wolf]

I wanted to make a quick introduction. Some of you may know me already - but
likely many of you don't know why I subscribed to the list.

First, I subscribed because the OSM/PD page on the OSM Wiki said this was
the mailing list to discuss PD map issues.

Second, I am involved in efforts within the USGS to understand how to work
with the OSM community. I've done this in the past through things like
joining mapping parties and taking Steve Coast on a tour of Washington DC.

Third, the primary hurdle between the USGS and OSM interchanging data on a
large scale is due to licensing. The USGS is required by federal law to
release all data free of any restrictions. Technically, it's not PD but it's
a flavor of PD. I'm not a lawyer, so I won't even try to get into it.
Essentially, the USGS would be putting some significant effort directly into
the development of OSM if it weren't for the license issue.

Fourth, I'm involved in a project where we are testing some of the software
capabilities and social processes within the context of current USGS data
compilation. We've already stood up an empty OSM software stack on our own
server and have begun populating with some test data. It's a very controlled
test and there is very, very little actual data.

So, I am interested in the OSM/PD project and I look forward to the
discussions here.

-Eric Wolf

-=--=---=----=----=---=--=-=--=---=----=---=--=-=-
Eric B. Wolf                    New! 720-334-7734
USGS Geographer
Center of Excellence in GIScience
PhD Student
CU-Boulder - Geography

GPG Public Key: http://www.h4h.net/ebwolf.public.key.txt
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