[Talk-GB] Ordnance Survey response

[Dave F.]

Richard Fairhurst wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> As threatened I've finished a response to the Ordnance Survey consultation:
>
>    http://www.systemeD.net/documents/os_consultation.pdf
>
> For those without the appetite to read five pages of PDF, the summary is:
>
> - Good news generally
> - Releasing 1:25k and 1:50k rasters is not necessary and may be harmful
>   

I've had a quick look through your document in the limited time I've got.

"The availability of raster cartography is not a barrier to innovation."
Could you expand on what you mean by that? Do you mean the availability 
now, or after the consultation?
Not sure what you mean by innovation. To me the legal _use_ is the more 
important element.

" the strongly-coloured, dense cartography of the 1:25k and 1:50k 
products is entirely
unsuitable for superimposing information."

Within OSM I'm using the excellently scanned OoC 1:25k by Andy R. with 
no problems.
In the wider issue of mash-ups, faded backgrounds could be, & is being 
,used to reduce any perceived obscurant.

"Free release of the raster products would also harm public perceptions 
of Ordnance Survey."

The perception of OS is that they're data hoarders (which the tax payer 
payed for) in the belief that 'knowledge is power'

"Disassociating the cartography from the company, as free release 
implies, would reduce the value of this good will."

But it's not. OS will continue to update & maintain the database. What 
goodwill is there - it's a monetary transaction (twice!).

"Though custom cartography is the right answer for many applications, it 
will find it difficult to compete with the free, universally-recognised 
cartography of the OS."

Are you saying you want to prevent these releases to protect the likes 
of OSM?

Competition leads to improved services through innovation.


By thoughts will be sent to OS shortly...

Regards
Dave F.