[Openstreetmap] The bigger picture

[Tom Carden]

On 2/14/06, David Groom <reviews at pacific-rim.net> wrote:
> 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:
>

I wasn't either, but now we really know not to bother suggesting it on
purpose :)

> >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
>

Sounds good to me.  Perhaps add a ticket for this request on trac? 
http://www.openstreetmap.org/trac (your OpenStreetMap account should
work there).

> 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.
>

This is exactly what I was talking about.  Useful tools to allow
potential map consumers to customise what they get out of OSM for a
fee.  Nothing about locking up the data.

For example, it's currently not possible to get the tile renderer to
produce images bigger than the current tile size.  It would be nice to
offer bigger images but we don't for performance reasons.  Perhaps we
could offer a hi-res image rendering service for a small fee... it
wouldn't change the licensing and it would help pay for hosting.

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

Neither do I, of course.  The whole point of the London poster for me is that:

* Steve and I did it first
* it captures a particular moment of OpenStreetMap
* we went out of our way to make sure it was printed nicely
* anyone could make one
* if you buy one from me and Steve, the money goes to OpenStreetMap

Note that the code to make it isn't Free, and we didn't distribute the
digital format.  The paper maps are licensed in the same way as the
OpenStreetMap source data.

Best,

Tom.