[talk-au] Mapping in Sydney..

[Ian Sergeant]

"Franc Carter" <franc.carter at gmail.com> wrote on 20/08/2007 12:11:41 PM:

> I think the pub problem is an instance of the more general problem
> of overcrowding
> on a map when we ge lots of detail (which is a good thing). The
> solution that I have
> heard that I like most is to have map layers that contain deifferent
> classes of information
> so you can do things like turn on/off the maps. Having said that I
> know little about
> map generation.

Yes, the OSM way seems to be add the data, and leave the rest to an
advances in rendering technology at some later stage.

However, I can see the purpose in putting the pub location in a country
town where you may actually want to find a pub.  I can see the point in
listing cafe's in the suburbs, as I need a coffee now and then when I am
cycling around.  I can see the purpose of using it in the UK, where people
often navigate by pubs.

However, in the Sydney CBD, where there are several pubs, bars, cafes or
restaurants on every block, I just don't think we are helping anyone find a
drink by listing every single one of them in the OSM, and the current
rendering obscures other features - and currently there are only a fraction
of the pubs currently entered into OSM - so it is going to get much worse
before it gets better.

I just don't think it would be possible to ever produce a map with any
rendering technology at any level of zoom that could successfully map them
all in a readable way, even if we were producing a pub & bar guide.

Ian.