Why should open geospatial data and software be taken seriously?

It’s now the eve of the State of the Map (SOTM) and Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G) events, which take place back-to-back in Denver. The OpenStreetMap and FOSS4G communities will converge to cover open data and open source software, with a focus on development tools, applications, and shared objectives. The combined audience of more than one thousand users and contributors from around the globe (200 for SOTM and more than 840 for FOSS4G) speaks to a vibrancy in tough economic times, and should make you wonder what you’re missing if you’ve brushed aside this community in the past...