[OSM-talk] Using OpenStreetMap on a daily basis

[Bryce Nesbitt]

On Mon, Jul 8, 2013 at 9:41 PM, Guillaume Pratte <
guillaume at guillaumepratte.net> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I have been a serious user of OpenStreetMap for less than six months, and
> I am proud to recently have achieved my one hundredth contribution to the
> project. I really love the OpenStreetMap project, and I would like to
> replace my daily usage of Google Maps with OpenStreetMap.
>
> But it just seems I cannot. Anybody else feel the same issues?


I feel the same issues. But at the same time I think it unwise to try and
play catch-me-if-you-can with Google.
There are many tasks where OSM is better than Google Maps.  I use OSM
gladly for things like:

* Natural area trail maps or tracking.
* Non-commercial POIs (e.g. toilets, drinking water, viewpoints, tourist
oddities, fun stuff)
* Detailed maps in pedestrian zones.
* Printing
* Mapping fun.

------------------------

To date OSM is run by a group of mappers that caters to mappers. There is
an unlikely but burning desire to somehow turn more ordinary muggles into
mappers.  It is as if the map was meant to be made, not used:
and it's working.  Of the people I talk to and show OpenStreetMap, the vast
majority have never even heard of it, and that includes land management,
GIS professionals, teachers and engineers all who could in theory be
interested.

What would drive more mapping would in fact be more passive users: some
percentage will survive the test of fire on the tagging list and become
mappers.  OSM could offer high quality print exports, or
one-click embeddable maps, or a dozen other compelling services.  But
someone would have to pay for all that bandwidth and user support, in order
to glean a few more true believer mappers.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk/attachments/20130719/7d0d04ba/attachment.html>