[OSM-dev] Cloudmade routing for OSM rails_port site.

[Frederik Ramm]

Hi,

Dermot McNally wrote:
> Clearly every potential user of OSM is different, but for me, a key
> benefit when I discovered the project what "hey, vector data, that can
> be used for routing!". If we think that others discovering the project
> would thing likewise then a prominent path from project home page to a
> routing engine (and I really couldn't care less whose) would be a Good
> Thing. As long as it works acceptably well, of course...

But isn't this angle one where the open/closed distinction gains weight 
again? Currently, you can (and I've done this a number of times) tell 
potential OSM users: "Everything on openstreetmap.org is free software 
and free data - you can build the exact same site for yourself with all 
its functionality from our database and our svn" *). With non-free 
routing or geocoding services that would stop.

Bye
Frederik

*) And add in fine print "if you're willing to devote a few man-months 
to get to grips with the finer details of Ruby, PHP, Python, PostGIS, 
Mapnik and others"

-- 
Frederik Ramm  ##  eMail frederik at remote.org  ##  N49°00'09" E008°23'33"