[Strategic] Fw: [ppgis] RE: Collaborative slum mapping initiative with Google Map maker kicks off

Mikel Maron mikel_maron at yahoo.com
Wed Apr 27 21:19:48 BST 2011


Insight from Muki (from a discussion on Google MapMaker's slum mapping 
initiative). Something to consider in our discussion of Front Page and other 
strategic issues.

 == Mikel Maron ==
+14152835207 @mikel s:mikelmaron



----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Muki Haklay <m.haklay at ucl.ac.uk>
To: Open Forum on Participatory Geographic Information Systems and Technologies 
<ppgis at dgroups.org>
Sent: Wed, April 27, 2011 8:12:14 AM
Subject: [ppgis] RE:  Collaborative slum mapping initiative with Google Map 
maker kicks off

But here is a problem, or inconvenient aspect, which we need to face     up to. 

While OpenStreetMap is promoting the concept of open access to the     data, as 
a community it is not as welcoming and open to people as it     should be. It's 
got a strong 'hacker' culture, so while the efforts     of the few people who 
are trying to make it participatory &     democratic, by and large it is not 
easy to use or join. 


Google made map maker very easy to use - in few clicks you can start     adding 
data. OpenStreetMap - despite being aware of their usability     problems since 
at least 2007, have made relatively little progress -     Where is the Google 
Map Maker interface equivalence? Where is the     ability of anyone to start 
mapping within 2 minutes from wanting to     do so? Where is the deep concern 
within the community about the very     high number of people who manage to 
register to OSM but do not enter     any data? Where is the concern about the 
aggressive exchanges in     forums that are exclusionary by their very nature? 
Where is the     discussion about the gender bias? 


Just like with Linux, OSM have an ambivalent culture which at the     same time 
want people to join while feeling very proud that it is     'not for everyone' 
and a certain level of mastery is required to     join in. The lack of a major 
sustained effort to make it as easy as     Google Map Maker - especially when 
there is such an obvious example     out there - lead to the conclusion that 
within the 'do'-ocracy that     OSM is, not enough people think that it's a top 
priority. 


Universal usability, accessibility and ease of use are critical     elements of 
making participatory mapping system truly participatory     and democratic. 
Actually, that's why I got interested in     Human-Computer Interaction and why 
I think that it's critical for     participatory GIS. 


That's the way in which OpenStreetMap is leaving a gap that Google     utilises 
to do their work and make people ignore the data ownership,     privacy and 
control issues. 


Muki

On 27/04/2011 06:14, Giacomo Rambaldi wrote: 
 
>There are alternatives, which are very important             when it comes to 
>socially sensitive data. Google Maps Rio             case docet.
>Map Kibera uses openstreetmap www.mapkibera.org 
>Giacomo Rambaldi
>From:mikel_maron at yahoo.com [mailto:mikel_maron at yahoo.com] 
>Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 7:09 AM
>To: Open Forum on Participatory Geographic                 Information Systems 
>and Technologies
>Subject: [ppgis] Collaborative slum mapping                 initiative with 
>Google Map maker kicks off
>Richard
>
>I'm shocked. Please read this and respond: 
>http://brainoff.com/weblog/2011/04/11/1635
>
>You are trying to organize people globally to map some of             the 
>world's poorest areas, into a proprietary database,             wholly owned by 
>Google. With the partnership of major             international organizations. 
>Do you trust Google to manage             our common data resources, forever? Do 
>you think this is the             best thing for slum dwellers?
>
>Note what was reported just today in Rio: 
>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13193503
>
>Best
>Mikel
>== Mikel Maron ==
>+14152835207 @mikel s:mikelmaron
>
________________________________

>From:Richard                   Sliuzas <sliuzas at itc.nl>
>To: Open Forum on Participatory Geographic                   Information Systems 
>and Technologies <ppgis at dgroups.org>
>Sent: Tue, April 26, 2011 3:47:19 PM
>Subject: [ppgis] Collaborative slum mapping                   initiative with 
>Google Map maker kicks off
>Some of you may be involved in past                   or present slum mapping 
>work or know of others who                   are. If so you may be interested in 
>collaborating in a                   new slum Mapping Project via Google map 
>Maker.                   Together with my colleague Rob Lemmens and partners at                   
>JRC, ISPRA and UN-Habitat we are trying to get more                   people 
>involved in the collaborative mapping of the                   extent of slums 
>in different cities around the world.                   We are especially 
>interested in collaborating with                   Community Based Organizations 
>and NGO’s but individual                   contributions from those with local 
>knowledge of slums                   and unplanned neighborhoods are also very 
>welcome.
>On this website you will find more                   details of the project 
>https://sites.google.com/site/mapyourworldcommunity/events/slum-mapping#link.                   
>If you are interested please read the information,                   sign up and 
>post a personal introduction message on                   the forum to get 
>started. Hope to see you on the site                   soon.
>Richard
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Dr. Richard                     Sliuzas
>Associate                     Professor Urban Planning
>University of                     Twente
>Faculty of                     Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation 
>(ITC)
>PO Box 217,                     7500AE, Enschede, Netherlands
>T:                     +31-53-4874236
>F:                     +31-53-4874575
>M:                     +31-6-38311993
>Skype:                     richard1126
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
________________________________

>Faculty of                   Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation 
(ITC)
>University of Twente
>Chamber of Commerce: 501305360000
>
>E-mail disclaimer
>The information in this e-mail, including any                   attachments, is 
>intended for the addressee only. If                   you are not the intended 
>recipient, you are hereby                   notified that any disclosure, 
>copying, distribution or                   action in relation to the content of 
>this information                   is strictly prohibited. If you have received 
>this                   e-mail by mistake, please delete the message and any                   
>attachment and inform the sender by return e-mail. ITC                   accepts 
>no liability for any error or omission in the                   message content 
>or for damage of any kind that may                   arise as a result of e-mail 
>transmission.
>The Open Forum on Participatory                     Geographic Information 
>Systems and Technologies is                     managed bywww.iapad.org and 
>hosted bywww.ppgis.net.
>You may register to French-,                     Portuguese- and Spanish 
>speaking chapters of this                     list viawww.ppgis.net.
>PGIS/PPGIS related bibliography is                     foundhere!
>PGIS/PPGIS related literature is                     foundhere!
>Join us on LinkedIn
>Follow us onTwitter and Facebook
>Visit web site | Reply                       to sender | Click here to 
>unsubscribe
>The email is intended only for the recipients. The                     owners of 
>the Dgroups cannot be held responsible for                     the contents of 
>the email message.
>The Open Forum on Participatory Geographic               Information Systems and 
>Technologies is managed bywww.iapad.org and hosted bywww.ppgis.net.
>You may register to French-, Portuguese- and               Spanish speaking 
>chapters of this list viawww.ppgis.net.
>PGIS/PPGIS related bibliography is foundhere!
>PGIS/PPGIS related literature is foundhere!
>Join us on LinkedIn
>Follow us onTwitter and Facebook
>Visit web site | Reply to sender | Click here to               unsubscribe
>The email is intended only for the recipients. The owners               of the 
>Dgroups cannot be held responsible for the contents               of the email 
>message.
>The                   Open Forum on Participatory Geographic Information                   
>Systems and Technologies is managed by www.iapad.org and hosted bywww.ppgis.net.
>You may register to French-,                   Portuguese- and Spanish speaking 
>chapters of this list                   via www.ppgis.net.
>PGIS/PPGIS related bibliography is                   found here!
>PGIS/PPGIS related literature is                   found  here!
>Join us on LinkedIn
>Follow us onTwitter and Facebook
>Visit web site | Reply                 to sender |               Click here to               
>unsubscribe
>The email is intended only for the recipients. The owners               of the 
>Dgroups cannot be held responsible for the contents               of the email 
>message. 
>

-- 

Dr. Muki Haklay: Senior Lecturer in GIS 
Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic               Engineering
University College London (UCL)
Gower St. London WC1E 6BT 
T: +44 20 7679 2745
E: m.haklay at ucl.ac.uk
W: http://www.ge.ucl.ac.uk/~mhaklay/  
Towards Successful Suburban Town Centres - www.sstc.ucl.ac.uk
Bridging the Gaps - www.ucl.ac.uk/btg
Mapping for Change - www.mappingforchange.org.uk
Po ve Sham blog - povesham.wordpress.com  
The Open Forum on Participatory  Geographic Information Systems and Technologies 
is managed by www.iapad.org and hosted bywww.ppgis.net.
You may register to French-, Portuguese- and Spanish speaking  chapters of this 
list via www.ppgis.net.
PGIS/PPGIS related bibliography is found here!
PGIS/PPGIS related literature is found  here!
Join us on LinkedIn
Follow us onTwitter and Facebook
Visit web site | Reply to sender | Click here to unsubscribe
The email is intended only for the recipients. The owners of the Dgroups cannot 
be held responsible for the contents of the email message. 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/strategic/attachments/20110427/26de4d77/attachment-0001.html>


More information about the Strategic mailing list