GFOSS software (free and open source geospatial software) is against the commercial software
No! The free software is commercial. Many free geospatial applications are used every day in commercial projects by companies that offer services. Free software is generally consistent with the requirements of these companies. If indeed we are talking about proprietary software, so effectively is neither free nor Open Source. The GFOSS respects the role played by proprietary software in the geographical area and does not want to act in any way to eliminate the proprietary software companies that produce them. The GFOSS may have an important role in the geospatial industry. After all, the availability of good quality free software as an alternative to the owner, is a good thing for users, businesses and even for those who sell proprietary software, considering that most proprietary software is somehow supporting the free software.
Free GIS software is difficult to use and only for experienced users
That may be true only for some programs where the greatest freedom of customisation might scare the beginner. Desktop GIS applications like QGIS or GRASS are not substantially different from their proprietry equivalents. The server applications are, at times, even simpler to use than their proprietary equivalents.
Free GIS software is unreliable and not suitable for professional use
Many large companies and government departments base mission-critical services on free software. There are no systematic demonstrations to support a lack in condidence in free GIS when compared with proprietry GIS, and in many cases, the opposite is demonstrated.
Free GIS does not have support, training or documentation
There are a number of companies and professionals that offer support for free GIS (including training and the prduction & adaptation of documentation). At present, these organisations are few in number compared with those providing support for proprietary software, but this stems from the fact that, for now, proprietry GIS software is more widely used.
Free GIS does not offer guarantees
All licenses, particularly those of proprietary software, state that there is no liability for damage resulting from the use of the software. Furthermore, there is no guarantee of proper operation. In this sense, proprietary software and free software are the same, but considering the savings made by * not * purchasing licenses, it's possible to ensure effective training and support with adequite guarantees of continuity of service.
Migration from proprietry to free GIS is difficult and costly
Thanks to data standards (shapefiles, GeoTIFF, etc..) and service standards (see the standards developed by the Open Geospatial Consortium, adopted by both free software and proprietary software), appropriate migration plans can be developed and implemented without any interruption to service, saving considerable resources.
Maintenance is very expensive
Although the release cycles of free software are very regular, it's possible to keep a system up-to-date and in perfect working order by applying continuous updates. As a result, maintenance can be planned and carried out at a cost comparable with that of proprietary software.
Bugs are not fixed or are only fixed in the long term
There is much evidence to the contrary. In most cases, bugs are solved by the community, for no cost, in a matter of hours. In any way, you can guarantee a prompt solution to a problem and the distribution of an updated version through an appropriate commercial support service.
"Feature X" is missing and it's the most important feature for my work ...
In general, free GIS are very feature rich (proprietary software often lacks features present in free software). In the event that an important feature is missing, it's worth noting that the cost of developing new functionality is usually surprisingly low thanks to the re-use of existing and widely tested components (one of the core principles of open source software). The cost of GIS software is irrelevant considering that money is spent mainly on data. Data is a key component of GIS, and is usually very expensive. But the software does not have a weight that is indifferent, because:
- The cost of the data is implicitly included the use of very expensive software
- GIS data are used for many other subjects (eg independent professionals, consultants, universities and research institutions, students, associations, etc..) When it includes the cost of the software to all these subjects, then the percentage change substantially.
Free software is free
Often you can download free software without the limitations of the Internet, but the free software does not enforce gratuitous. Freedom and gratuity are two orthogonal aspects. There are many programmers and companies that sell free software, in particular associated services:
- Installation
- Configuration
- Training
- Support
- Quality control
Free software is free
False! The free, when available only in binary form and with a proprietary license, does not guarantee any of the freedoms that are characteristic of free software.
The free software can not be copyrighted
False! Each product of human creativity, where original, is protected by the principles of copyright. Free software is distributed in a legal system more elastic and forgiving, thanks to inspired use of private licenses to the copyleft model, with legal value.
The opposite of free is commercial
Wrong. The opposite of free software is "proprietary." The sale does not depend on the software license used: there are many companies that sell free software and offer services based on free software.
Sources: http://www.gfoss.it/ - http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Desmistificar_crenças_sobre_os_SIG_livres
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