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Why We Need OpenStreetMap (Video)
This video is a conversation between Slashdot's Timothy Lord and informal OpenStreetMap spokesman Serge Wroclawski. Serge stresses the point that OpenStreetMap isn't a mapping application, but consists of the data behind mapping applications; that there are many apps that use OpenStreetMap data; and that you are free to use OpenStreetMap as the data engine behind a map-based application. You are also welcome, even encouraged, to contribute, and you may want to check out the OpenStreetMap Foundation, which is "an international not-for-profit organization supporting, but not controlling, the OpenStreetMap Project." Now comes the question: Do you really want Google or MapQuest or another commercial (or government) entity to know where you are and where you're going? With OpenStreetMap you can download maps of your area, country or even the whole world and keep your travels confidential. You can also help create accurate maps of the areas you know best, including points of interest chosen by actual users like you, not because they paid to have their names on a commercially-produced map. A last thought: In addition to watching Serge in the video, you might want to read an article Serge wrote for his blog that The Guardian picked up about the need for OpenStreetMap. The 195+ comments attached to the article are interesting, too.
Anything that knocks Google (and Apple) down a peg or ten is good in my book.
I actually pushed to add OpenStreetMap tile support to our geo-spatial stuff at work. I even went and made a VM with the world database and pre-compiled metatiles so I wouldn't hammer their official servers. It's definitely nice to have imagery (even if it isn't satellite) even if you're on a standalone network and don't have internet access.
When anyone can download a few hundred gigs and build their own maps server I see that as a good thing (TM).
-SaNo
I consider "render it how they like" the equivalent of freedom to choose your own clock face and size rather than the time the clock displays.
I can't speak to the edit/delete wars issue, because I don't know the rules under which it operates.
But without resorting to the use of hugely expensive satellite imagery, and official sources, and mapping that to known points, openstreetmaps misses a lot of the less traveled roads, even in countries like the US where everyone is carrying a cell phone with GPS turned on. Look into south america and the quality drops off quite a bit.
Enthusiasts may run mapping apps and contribute, but until they can get a large segment of people doing so they will always be behind the curve.
There are some mapping track submission apps for Android and probabl for IOS, but these are fairly crude and battery hogging things. They are unwieldy, and more than a little geeky to use.
What they really need is something that will track your location and speed on your phone. Anything over 15 to 20 indicates some sort of vehicle. Just record that on your phone, and not upload it. Then, (when connected to wifi or on the charger perhaps), download just those map segments needed and compare that to the recorded track. Any travel at speed NOT on a known road, would periodically submitted. When there is enough evidence to suggest a road from enough different users, they could add the road to the map.
That way, they can make up for the lack of official sources and satellite imagery by using the power of thousands of phones without users having to do anything other than install the app, and key in some random digits to use for anonamizing the submissions.
Google gets real time traffic data via this method, so we already know it works.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
You obviously know nothing about maps or data. GMaps is a mapping product. OSM is a data storehouse. It has a minimal map structure to facilitate editing data. The idea behind OSM is to provide data which we can freely use to make our own maps. If you need to see examples of pretty maps made with OSM data, just look at Mapbox (https://www.mapbox.com/tour/).
You're jumping to unwarranted conclusions. OSM usually has better detailed and more accurate data than Google Maps. Don't take my word for it, though - look for yourself: OSM: http://www.openstreetmap.org/#... GMaps: https://www.google.com/maps/pr... OSM: http://www.openstreetmap.org/#... GMaps: https://www.google.com/maps/pr... OSM: http://www.openstreetmap.org/#... GMaps: https://www.google.com/maps/pr... OSM: http://www.openstreetmap.org/#... GMaps: https://www.google.com/maps/pr...
I used this for navigating all around cities in Europe. The data set over there is very complete.
Frankly, having a smartphone which can't operate it's most useful and potentially life-saving features without a data connection just seems retarded - and I'd regard having very completely world maps on the device as a critical aspect of that.
I wrote the article, but I didn't write it *for* The Guardian. They picked it up and syndicated it, as did Gizmodo ( http://gizmodo.com/why-the-wor... ), but the original is still on my blog: http://blog.emacsen.net/blog/2...
Fascinating topic, and I'd love to check it out but TOO BAD the video requires the craptastic Adobe Flash plugin. It's 2014, Flash is dying and HTML5 is the real way of doing things now. And Slashdot is supposed to be the home of FOSS-friendly early-adopting geeks? WTF?
https://dalgamotor.wordpress.com/ - Elektronik beyinlere ozgurluk asisi (Turkish)
In recent years, OpenStreetmap has been used more and more in disaster response. This is because the data can be updated easily by volunteers on the ground, and it can easily serve as the basis for custom maps. A number of organizations have been in the news in recent years with their work in disaster response and OpenStreetmap. For example, MapAction.org, iMMAP.org, and SahanaFoundation.org, and probably others. I'm sure they use google maps too, but the OpenStreetmap source provides flexibility that none of the other commercial mapping sources can.
Whatever point you were trying to make failed in the delivery. Check your links.
The OpenStreetMap people are trying to fix problems that don't actually exist.
Google Maps: Google decides what is displayed on the map. Google owns the data. We can't do anything with the data.
OSM: You and me decide what is displayed on the map. We own the data. We can do whatever we want with the data.
I'm sorry if you can't see the disadvantage of having your life (Google Maps, Google Search, Google Books, Google Mail, Andoid, Chrome...) owned by some company whose only interest it is to please shareholders. I'm sorry if you cannot appreciate freedom.
What he's saying is you can get a pretty picture but you can't actually get the data that makes up those pretty pictures.
For example, I have a little bike computer that uses OpenStreetMap. It will tell me what street I'm on and what intersection I'm approaching and whether that intersection has a traffic light or a stop sign. No map. Just data.
Google will be happy to send me a pretty map with my present location and the next intersection all drawn out. Which is nice if I don't mind squinting at a map while riding a bicycle and trying to read a street name sideways. But if I actually want the data about a street and what other streets intersect it? Google won't tell you. They'll just give you a map.