[OSM-talk] Tracks4Africa

[Mikel Maron]

I've been meaning to get in touch with Tracks4Africa. This month, they're a Featured Layer in Google Earth, and have a lot of good data.

They operate differently from OpenStreetMap. They accept GPS track contributions from their community, apparently run an algorithm
to derive "spatial averages" of the tracks, and make that derived data available for community members only, for personal use only.
In fact, that data is not to be used for any other purpose than verifying your uploads. 

They (Tracks4Africa people, not the community) then add metadata, producing a navigable map dataset with features, and market that commercially.

http://www.tracks4africa.co.za/misc/the_red_and_the_grey.pdf

I'm not really sure what's the benefit for the community here .. you still have to purchase the data you help contribute to.


Looking through their mailing list, http://paperjam.overland.co.za/pipermail/t4a/2006-November/thread.html,
looks like Etienne has made contact, but very oddly the discussion on OpenStreetMap degenerates into a discussion of Spam.


It's an interesting twist. Suppose they are doing well, with the Google Earth tie in and all. Wonder ultimately what would keep the community
from contributing their tracks to OpenStreetMap as well. Would be great to find a way to work with them.

-Mikel


----- Original Message ----
From: John Fagan <John at multimap.com>
To: talk at openstreetmap.org
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 4:11:14 PM
Subject: [OSM-talk]  Tracks4Africa




 
 

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Would be neat if these guys would contribute to OSM.
 

http://www.tracks4africa.co.za/
 

  
 

My apology if this has been discussed before.
 

  
 

John.
 




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