Why GratisGIS
A passion project, not a startup.
The shorter version: I built GratisGIS to give back some of what three decades of working in GIS has given me. It is free because that is the point.
Three decades in
I have been doing GIS full time since the mid 1990s. Over those three decades I have been fortunate to work alongside people who share ideas freely, who are not driven by the sole goal of keeping knowledge to themselves so they stay “valuable.” That instinct, that a rising tide raises all ships, is the foundation of this project.
A culmination, not a product launch
GratisGIS is a culmination of all of that. The ideas, the challenges, the interactions with people, the things I have learned the hard way and the things I have watched commercial portals get wrong. This is my way to give some of that back so other people can use it, learn from it, or build on it.
I understand the need to make a living. I have to swim in that pond too, and I am not hating on that. But money has never been my sole driver. Curiosity is. I want to keep learning, keep coming up with new ideas, keep sharing them.
Built on the side
This was built on weekends, nights, and lunch breaks. I am one person with kids, a full time job, and a life. So GratisGIS gets the time I can give it, on my own resources, and what you see here is the product of that time. If it works for you and you like the idea, great. If it does not, but you are still interested in where it is heading, I love constructive feedback.
How to participate
If you want to contribute financially, I appreciate that, but it is not necessary. If you want to share feedback or ideas, awesome, that is the kind of contribution I am most likely to act on. If you want to actually write code with me, let’s talk.
In the meantime, it is what the name implies: gratis. Free.