Open Source And Spying

stigmatic writes: "The National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), which provides maps to defense and intelligence agencies, has sponsored the project to see if a Open Source can benefit the world of spying. It sounds like a joke to some that a U.S. intelligence agency may soon rely on free software to turn complicated data from spy satellites into detailed maps. But a collaboration between the government, private industry and academia may lead to just that with OSSIM, or Open Source Software Image Map. Space.com is carrying the full article."

Comments

Forget surveillance, Sat imagery is big business

[hughk]

The guys sitting out in the copper boxes may want the latest and greatest in imagery, however lower-res images are interesting for a lot of people.

First of all, what is the easiest way for a country to check its agricultural production? Sat. Imagery. How can I quickly see pollution effects? Again sat. imagery. How can I see the growth of a city, again sat. imagery. We can buy old images comparitively easily now, we can even find them on the web, but they are out of date.

The point is let the boys have their toys, but there are a lot of people who would be quite interested in current slightly lower res. imagery and it would be great if we had some common tools to work with it. Of course there are military uses, but what about everyone else who wants to work with GIS?

An 'Open Source' Movie we'd like to see:

[Bonker]

[SCENE: Interior Gatestech Laborotories]

Gatesfinger: Ah, Mister James Bond. I see that you have applied a patch against the CVS tree for our nuclear control system.

Bond: How does the old rote go? "Security through obscurity is no security?"

[Bond types "Make" at the BASH prompt. The legion of goons behind Gatesfinger all raise their automatic weapons, but Gatesfinger raises his hand and pushes his glasses up on his nose. Bond's finger hovers threatingly above the "Enter key]

Bond: Release Dr. Greattits and I *could* just walk away without compiling this binary.

Gatesfinger: You think you have won, Mister Bond? Well, Think again.

[Gatesfinger speaks into his watch]

Gatesfinger: GOATSEX! Attack James Bond

Goatsex: ROAR!