[Talk-ca] Quick update

[richard at weait.com]

Sam said:
[ ... ]
> The idea of importing the next version of the ibycus topo.
[ Why don't we import ibycus topo into OpenStreetMap? ]

My understanding of Ibycus topo is limited.  I apologize if I'm getting
this substantially wrong.  In my opinion the answer to your question is
this:

Ibycus and OpenStreetMap are two different projects with different goals.

What's wrong with Ibycus?

0. Ibycus is restricted by the non-commercial clause of the cGPSmapper
compiler.  cGPSmapper is also proprietary.  This limits my interest in
cGPSmapper and in Ibycus.

1. Is the entire Ibycus download in Garmin format?  Isn't the Garmin
format a proprietary format that is (imperfectly?) reverse engineered? 
Reliance on a proprietary data format is a very bad idea.  Why would we
restrict OpenStreetMap with data in a proprietary format?

2. Ibycus is described as "topo maps for Garmin GPS."  Wouldn't that turn
the Canadian portion of OpenStreetMap into just a topo map for a Garmin? 
That makes OSM Canada less useful than the rest of the World.

3. Ibycus is not the data source.  Any conversion from original to Ibycus
to OpenStreetMap is dependent on the Ibycus step.  OpenStreetMap can go
directly to the data sources without relying on Ibycus.

What's good about Ibycus?

Ibycus is good enough for Sam to be a fan.  That suggests to me that
Ibycus is good at the intended purpose, it is a good topo map for Garmins.
 Congratulations Dale, on creating Ibycus, and thanks for hosting the
large downloads.

What next?

Other projects have been included in OpenStreetMap after demonstration as
a separate project.  For example, the cyclemap is now included as a layer
on OpenStreetMap.  It was a separate map, using OSM tools, plus tools
modified and or created for the cyclemap.  Many people enjoyed it and
asked that it be included in OpenStreetMap.

Not everything can be included in OpenStreetMap.  For example, an added
layer requires additional layer rendering.  Serving additional layer tiles
consumes more bandwidth.  The additional resources of tile server
bandwidth and rendering servers reduces the resources available for the
rest of OpenStreetMap unless a sponsor can provide the resources to the
new project.

Conclusion

The goals of Ibycus and OpenStreetMap differ in ways that make importing
the Ibycus data to OpenStreetMap undesirable in my opinion.  Ibycus
enthusiasts can use the open and Free OpenStreetMap tools to demonstrate
the utility of Ibycus to build support for including Ibycus in
OpenStreetMap in future.

Best regards,
Richard