[OSM-talk] [OSM-dev] What is OSM and what isn't?

[Andy Robinson (blackadder-lists)]

Alan Wright wrote:
>Sent: 30 April 2009 9:43 PM
>To: talk at openstreetmap.org
>Subject: Re: [OSM-talk] [OSM-dev] What is OSM and what isn't?
>
>
>> On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 4:46 PM, Alan Wright
>> <alanwright.atex at googlemail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I think OpenStreetMap needs a "shop window" - perhaps a different
>website
>>> altogether.
>>
>> I disagree. OSM doesn't need a faked-up website to show what can be
>> done. There's plenty of real places using the data for real
>> applications, and that's waaay better than anything that is conceived
>> just for showing-off.
>>
>> OSM needs two aspects - a place which is a hive of mapping activity
>> (i.e. for mappers) and places of OSM consumption. IMnotveryHO the
>> consumption stuff has been left to others, and rightfully so. If we
>> want to show off OSM to consumers, then lets point them to awesome
>> places that are using OSM data.
>>
>> And then on the other front, which boils down to what should
>> openstreetmap.org be focussed on, that's everything that's needed for
>> mapping activity. Like a ship's bridge or a surgical theatre or a
>> well-stocked toolbench it should have everything close to hand that
>> mappers need to get their jobs done, and do it well. Maps to see
>> what's there. Tools to edit the data and inspect it. Ways to
>> communicate with other mappers. Calendars to organise parties. Blogs
>> to keep the community bound together.
>>
>> One small part of that (in the "inspecting the data" part) is routing.
>> I don't want a journey planner on osm.org (unless it's for getting to
>> the mapping parties :-) ) but I do need a way to check the
>> connectivity and correctness of the mapping data. And not as some
>> hidden extra in an editor I don't happen to use - it should be
>> somewhere close to hand. We started with a map and then developed
>> maplint, nonames, keepright et al, so we should start with
>> point-to-point routing and then figure out how we can improve things -
>> with the primary purpose being to help mappers.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Andy
>
>Ok you disagree and that's fine - it is a community after all :)
>
>However I'd like you to perhaps think about some of the conversations I'm
>having...
>
>"Take a look at this... It's call OpenStreetMap and it's the Wikipedia of
>Maps...
>it has a really strong backing from a huge community and it really looks
>promising ..."
>
>"...Yeah, that looks cool I see you get some fantastic detail in those
>maps... What
>else can it do?"
>
>"...Oh a bunch of stuff - it's all free to use... you can do what you like
>with it"
>
>"Like what?"
>
>"Routing, geocoding... all sorts of stuff..."
>
>"Great, where can I see this?"
>
>"Hmmm... not sure, try hunting around a bit... check their wiki... there's
>stuff announced
>on their mailing list all the time..."
>
>"...hmmm, right".
>
>
>Apologies if this sounds trite, and I'm certainly not trying to sound like
>a
>spoilt child, but these are the types of conversations I'm having
>regularly.
>Now you could argue that I simply don't know enough about what's going on,
>but I've read enough User Diaries and mailing list comments to know that
>a lot of people are having real difficulty in identifying a central place
>where
>stuff can be found.  The only place we have right now (that could be
>considered
>a "front door") is osm.org and in my opinion it doesn't have enough of a
>wow
>factor to attract the attention I think it deserves.  As a website, osm.org
>serves
>it's "mapper" audience very well - it's the casual browser, or company boss
>that perhaps need something a little more polished and less wiki-like in
>nature.
>
>Alan.
>

The reason for the struggle is quite simple. The project is still relatively
young so developers haven't yet filled your browser with rich pickings that
use OSM data. Consider this, the Ordnance survey started collecting geodata
200 years ago. It's only in the last few years that any of its data has been
used for routing, displaying maps on websites (via Google or others) etc
etc.

OSM is today what the OS was 200 years ago, breaking new ground and
collecting geodata to make maps. Back then the OS did it all by hand and
hand drew maps. OSM doesn't have to draw the maps by hand any more but it
still has to gather the data, that's its role here. In future I'm sure we
will see all manner of companies and individuals using, displaying and doing
clever things with OSM data, but Rome wasn't built in a day.

So to answer your friends you need to explain about what makes Google and
all the other guys able to deliver their services. It's the data that drives
them. The front end is just window dressing. (and yes I bow to all the
software developers who make very clever and nice window displays).

Cheers

Andy (another one)