[GPSToGo] Fwd: Beyond OpenStreetMap parties

[Sam Larsen]

Philip,

Thanks for contacting us, i am sure we can work together.
I am doing some re-inventing of the GPSToGo project at the moment including 
creating a new website, better communication with donors, recipients & mappers, 
the OSM community & the wider world.
I think there is also a chance for us to start using not just monetary 
donations, but possibly GPS device donations from OSM mappers who don't use 
their GPS anymore because they may have a smartphone or have upgraded devices.  

The aim for me is to work on this over the next few months so that by the end of 
August (before the State of the Map conference) we will have a new, working 
platform for the project.  


In the meantime, i am sure you would like to get involved & start helping to map 
Ghana.  Do you make any regular trips back to Ghana in which you could transport 
devices?  Do you know any mappers in Tamale or have any connections with the 
University for Development studies in Tamale?  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_for_Development_Studies
Maybe they would like to use devices for exercises for students?
I have a friend from my GIS Masters course in the UK from Ghana who is now back 
there, i will try to contact him to see if he would like to get involved on the 
ground.

So, we can either:
1) buy new GPS devices - i have to get more familiar with those on offer & costs 
as i just recently got involved with this project
2) ask the OSM community to donate working but disused devices

We would have to connect with some mappers in Tamale, to make sure that the 
devices will be used to help build the map of Tamale & surrounds.  


We would also have to organise transport of the devices to Ghana.  I am based in 
the UK, Mikel seems to be travelling all over the place, there are people from 
the OSM community that we can use to help transport devices between countries. 
We will need to take a quick look at the import laws for Ghana & if there are 
any GPS device restrictions - i doubt there are.

Before you commit your personal money at the project, i have had comments from a 
few people that there are some corporate sponsors who would like to donate some 
money to the project.  Maybe we can try to get those donations organised first.

You are welcome to join the GPSToGo mailing list, this will help you follow the 
project closer & get involved.
http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/gpstogo

Regards,


 
Sam Larsen
Web GIS Specialist
M: +44 (0)794 433 7455




----- Original Message ----
> From: Philip Cunningham <philip.cunningham at uovo.co.uk>
> To: samlarsen1 at yahoo.co.uk
> Cc: Mikel Maron <mikel_maron at yahoo.com>
> Sent: Wed, 18 May, 2011 10:14:45
> Subject: Fwd: Beyond OpenStreetMap parties
> 
> Hi Sam,
> 
> Below is the original email I sent Mikel.  He suggested that  we waited
> until you got back from your NZ tour to discuss it with  you.
> 
> In short:
> 1.  I was born in Tamale, Ghana and want get an  OSM map of Tamale made.
> 2.  This could be generalised to anyone giving  money to map a place;
> specifically, I think there is mileage in a specific  "twining" scheme
> to raise money from people born in a place that needs  mapping.
> 3.  I should be able to contribute a minimum of £1K for this  project,
> may be more once we've sorted the details.
> 4.  I should be  able to contribute a small amount of time to the
> project as well.
> 5.   Mikel thought of the synergies with GPStogo and you.
> 
> How do we move this  forward?
> 
> Philip
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From:  Philip Cunningham <philip.cunningham at uovo.co.uk>
> Date:  14 April 2011 15:31
> Subject: Beyond OpenStreetMap parties
> To: mikel_maron at yahoo.com
> 
> 
> Hi  Mikel,
> 
> I read your splendid push back on Google's map licensing
> (http://brainoff.com/weblog/2011/04/11/1635).
> 
> It is a little off beat  but I'd like your help.  I've tried emailing
> OSM direct but haven't had any  reply - may be you can direct me to the
> right person or, between us, we can  just get this sorted.
> 
> Thought I have lived in the UK for a long time, I  was born in Tamale,
> Ghana.  I am a great fan of OSM and I'd like to support  the mapping of
> Tamale.  The problem is I'm not there - all I really have is a  (small)
> amount of money to sponsor the development.  I think there's  a
> generalised solution to the problem here - beyond the party  organiser,
> there is the map sponsor.
> 
> I imagine a page where someone  can define a task e.g. map Tamale.
> Donors can pledge specific amounts of  money to that task.  Mappers can
> look at the list and see what funds are  available and then get on with
> it.  We need to define a kit list - what do  they need to do it (gps
> etc).  We also need some sort of validation process  to "approve" the
> mappers... you can imagine the problems if we open this up  to much
> without vetting.
> 
> The advantage of the map sponsor concept is  that there are a lot of
> people who were born somewhere where OSM mapping  could really help and
> this is a very personal, specific way of giving  something back.
> 
> Through a foundation I am a trustee for I think I can get  a small
> amount of funding (thousands NOT tens of thousands) towards  the
> software required and fund the first Tamale map if I can find  someone
> to work with me.  Are you interested?  Do you know someone who  might
> be?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Philip
>