[OSM-talk] Java and freedom

[Martyn Welch]

On Tuesday 23 May 2006 08:00, Richard Fairhurst wrote:
> It's not. Target audience is "I just want something I can use without
> installation, config or downloads" - i.e. a second applet. Even on OS X
> 10.4 you have to configure the Mac to use Java 1.5 before you can run
> JOSM, and that's a technical step too far for many people.

So is using a GPS unit to log tracks, downloading this data to a computer and 
uploading it to a website isn't? Given that in many instances you were likely 
to have to install one piece of software in order to complete that task? 
Installing java 1.5 to use one of many editing utilities for OSM doesn't seem 
to me to be that onerous. 

Unless of course you can't get java 1.5 for you platform, but that was very 
close to one of the points Nick was making.

<rant>
At any rate, as has already been stated, the web-based applet is currently 
compatible with java 1.4. This, if carefully written, should be compatible 
with *most* modern computers with java installed, including those using the 
open source JVMs. Creating another app using Flash seems likely to just yield 
"yet another not fully featured OSM editor". I do not mean to belittle the 
tremendous efforts that the current writers have gone too to create the 
current apps (and I can't say I have used all of them nad I am thankful for 
their wonderful contributions), just the effort could be better spent 
improving the ones we have or at the very least finding a way to use one of 
them.

Co-incidentally on many OSes and, depending on the version of flash you use 
when writing a flash app, you will probably eventually end up in the same 
predicament with OS X, requiring you to download a new version of flash.

To be picky - regardless of what technology you use to deliver the app, you 
will end up downloading it. Whether that is a one-time deal (to install it) 
or every time you visit a web-page. 
</rant>

Martyn

-- 

Martyn Welch (welchm at comp.lancs.ac.uk)

PGP Key : http://ubicomp.lancs.ac.uk/~martyn/pgpkey/