[Openstreetmap] The bigger picture

David Groom reviews at pacific-rim.net
Tue Feb 14 16:47:28 GMT 2006


Let me make it quite clear that in my original post I was NOT suggesting 
charging for access to any of the projects data. When I wrote:

>To this end I believe that even if the basic data remains free there needs
>to be a way of charging for something.

I'm afraid I'm not that technical so I'll have to resort to being overly 
simplistic here. But what I meant by that is that anyone should have access 
to as much of the underlying data as they wish, and that some basic from of 
map, such as the ability to reproduce something like what is on the "view" 
tab of OSM  should also be free an unrestricted.

What I was suggesting is that there was the possibility that added value 
could be created if, for instance,  there was an applet which say:

- allowed me to turn off the landsat photo as a background
- allowed me to alter the background colour of the map
- allowed me to turn off / on the printing of street names
- etc

and that maybe this generated an image which I could download. It was this 
which I was suggesting could be charged for.  If this suggestion still gives 
problems, then don't even make payment mandatory, just provide a method by 
which I could donate something for that image.

I honestly don't see any difference to my above suggestion, and the selling 
of the London Poster.

David







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