[Openstreetmap] Re: update - open letter to google

[Richard Fairhurst]

Tom wrote:
> > So why not do it? We're hide-bound over here (UK) because we don't 
> have
> > the free data... though Openstreetmap is working on it.
>
> But it's only small.  Presentation advice in particular would be 
> welcomed.

Actually, that's why I was having a play around with the OSM XMLRPC 
interface the other weekend. I'd like to have a go at producing a 
viewer client with Flash/Ming, which (despite the flaws of SWF as a 
platform) is probably the quickest way to get Google Maps levels of 
slickness.

The British Cartographic Society used to hold a regular design group 
(seems to be in abeyance at the moment) at which members would discuss 
map presentation and design - 
http://www.cartography.org.uk/Pages/Membership/DesignG/ . Perhaps we 
should try a similar event for OSM?

(Both http://www.cartography.org.uk/ and http://www.soc.org.uk/, and 
the associated CARTO-SoC mailing list, are worthwhile reading for 
anyone with a wider interest in mapping, particularly those in the UK.)

Richard