OpenRAW

An Open and well-documented format will enhance the revenue stream of supporting companies.
Creation of a "finished product", be it a print or web image, requires 3 separate technologies to work in as seamless a fashion as possible. The first is the hardware, the camera itself, the attendant compute power therein, as well as the firmware to drive the hardware. The second is the software to process, develop, and distill the data the camera presents. The third is the "wetware", the mind and creativity of the photographer. When any of these three elements are either not present or are inefficient, the end result will suffer.
Due to the complexities involved it is no longer possible to get the "best" from any single software approach. By opening the format of the RAW data to all 3rd parties, the opportunities for the "wetware" component of this triad to create the best possible product is enhanced. This will translate into enhanced sales for those companies who embrace such openness directly in hardware sales as well as in "good will" and advertising. It will also be incumbent upon the 3rd party providers that they have as much concern for my RAW data as I have, and that nothing that is performed will degrade the original data.
I highly recommend that you pass on this site URL and information to all of those you know who will be affected by this now and in the future. The time is now to drive this forward. Both for the flexibility it will allow for us to produce the "best we can" as well as for the issues of archival and retrieval in the future.

Thank you,

Bill Dewey
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http://www.deweydrive.com