[OSM-talk] Using OpenStreetMap on a daily basis

[guillaume]

Simon Poole wrote:

[ http://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Zethradon/diary/19605#comments ]
> While we are not very clear about it, OpenStreetMap.org is mainly
> about collecting and editing our data and not about providing
> services to end-users.

[ http://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk/2013-July/thread.html ]
> The important part is to understand that the current lack of
> end-user services is not because of lack of knowledge,
> technology or any thing similar, but by design.

When I first read these sentences I was in shock. I had always assumed 
that the goal of the project was to create a free and open map that 
could be used by anyone.

I must admit I do not understand why a project that relies so strongly 
on user contribution not have the goal to attract its user base on a 
daily basis.

How can users actively contribute to the map if they need to rely to a 
competitive service for their daily needs? How can they spot errors on 
the map when they are not even exposed to the data? Why is it only a 
minority of users that actively contribute to the map? [1]

[1] http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/File:Osmdbstats8.png

Simon Poole wrote:
[ http://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk/2013-July/067503.html ]
> OSM providing such a site is simply a major policy
> change and it needs to be thought about and discussed in such a 
> context
> and not in  "I want a feature on the main site" squabbles.

Then consider you can reinterpret my original message as a proposal to 
discuss such a policy change.

Should the OpenStreetMap project invest time and energy to make a 
usable map on the main website?

Should the map be abandoned altogether, and rendering of the map be 
left to third parties, like Skobbler or Open MapQuest?

Or should, perhaps, a new, independent and community-driven project be 
started with the goal to propose a complete end user interface for 
map.openstreetmap.org, leaving the main project focused on the data?

What do you think?

Guillaume Pratte