[OSM-talk] Milestone

[Frederik Ramm]

Hi,

>> Strange t at h chaps they must have been, since *not* having a benevolent 
>> dictator is one of the key differentiation factors between t at h and 
>> Mapnik (the other being the - usually - lower turnaround times in t at h 
>> but the Mapnik camp is in the process of fixing that I believe).
> 
> The thing that triggered those remarks were the few dropped colours in 
> 64-colour quantized PNGs, and the observation that there is no 
> definitive coordination to get at least the colours of all map elements 
> synchronised, so it would actually show correctly in 64 colours

I would give an arm and a leg for a proper graphic designer who does a 
full set of icons, and whom we could also call upon to create new ones 
in the future (or, but that's even less likely, who is able to write up 
a set of design guidelines that enables the semi-capable computer geek 
to create icons that at least superficially look as if they match the 
existing set).

RichardF put it a bit acidly with his "MS Paint icon" remark but he's 
right in that the sheer number of stylisitcally absolutely non-matching 
icons is an eyesore. (Mapnik doesn't have any better icons, it just 
circumvents the problem elegantly by dropping 95% of POIs...)

Having a proper set of icons would of course also fix the colour 
problem. But it would not need a benevolent dictator for this - if 
someone were to present a good set of icons, everybody would love him 
for it and they would be adopted in no time. It's just the absence of a 
good set of icons that is the problem.

Bye
Frederik