[OSM-talk] High Cartographic Quality Label Placement on OSM-based Map

[Christoph Hormann]

On Sunday 14 July 2013, Andreas Reimer wrote:
>
> The whole point of algorithms research is to move beyond
> implementation and do research, well on algorithms, instead of
> software libraries. That Max has a very stable and functional
> framework is uncommon for the scientific community.
> And he built that framework mostly in his free time over the years to
> better test his hypotheses & results.

I never said anything about the whole framework.  I am well aware there 
is much more to producing a map like the one you showed than just the 
label placement code.  But the point is that for your work to 
contribute to scientific progress you need to make available everything 
others need to reproduce your research results.  If you can do this 
just using pseudocode and verbal description that is fine.  Since in 
your blog you cite Eduard Imhof who is well known for his ability to 
describe in minute detail his cartographic techniques i should probably 
give you the benefit of the doubt but knowing the complexity of label 
placement i do not expect this to be practical.

Of course there is a lot of stuff published in science journals, 
especially wrt. algorithms that does not include the information 
necessary to reproduce the results.  This does not make it right though 
and such publications usually make little contribution to the overall 
scientific progress.

> There are strong interests at stake that make wholesale software
> development at Universities a risky endeavour or plainly forbidden.
> You might disagree with that, but I hope you can at least acknowledge
> there are competing interests here which neither of us can change at
> the moment.

Of course there are competing interests but since the financiers of 
public research in Europe these days do not usually require or even 
explicitly support making available the results to the public this 
competition is a little one-sided.  You, the researchers working at 
those institutions, are the only ones who can actually make a 
difference here.

> And we
> hope we pushed the boundaries in what is feasible without any
> proprietary software a little bit.

Just to clarify this - if the code is not available for others to use, 
modify and redistribute it is proprietary software, even if all code 
except your own is free.  

Greetings,

-- 
Christoph Hormann
http://www.imagico.de/