[OSM-talk] OSM as Map Publishers (was Re: TomTom acqures TeleAltas)

[Richard Fairhurst]

Nick Black wrote:

> On 7/23/07, 80n <80n80n at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 7/23/07, Raphaël Jacquot <sxpert at sxpert.org> wrote:
>> > * you get to see highways and main roads at the startup level (similar
>> > to what google does)
>>
>> Good point, the start page is totally unimpressive at the moment.
>
> Don't underestimate the OSM homepage - I've just come from a meeting
> with clients who used the openstreetmap.org home page as an example of
> what a web map site's homepage *should* look like!

Yeah, getting the front-page map right is - sadly - not quite as easy  
as just adding motorways and trunk roads.

Cartographic decisions are complicated by the fact that we have vastly  
different coverage for different countries. So if you add the motorway  
and trunk layers, Britain will look like a jumbled-up mess, whereas  
Croatia and Serbia will look depressingly stark. (Note that Google  
_doesn't_ show motorways/trunk roads at the equivalent zoom level to  
OSM's default: and on the next layer in, OSM looks  neater IMO,  
largely because Google's UK styling shows trunk roads in a very  
similar colour to forestry.)

I'm sure we could find a way to have this very first map portray OSM  
coverage in particular areas (density of nodes in shades of grey,  
perhaps?), and that'd be a great, immediate introduction to the  
project. But it would be both a cartographic and programming challenge.

Still, hey, we thrive on those don't we?

cheers
Richard