[OSM-talk] OpenSportMap database layer

[Dave Sutter]

There has been discussion from time to time about separate layers of
data for OSM. One proposal is to use an alternate instance of the OSM
database to serve as the database for an alternate layer of data.

While I was riding my biking this morning I thought of a good use for
such a database layer, a layer holding GPS tracks from recreation
events such as biking and hiking. There have been and are numerous
services that do this. The first I know of was MotionBased. I worked
at such a company myself back in the early days of cell phone GPS on
Nextel phones.

Storing such data in OpenStreetMap would be good because it could
attract a lot of developer attention for clients and services because
it is open. The data could also be fed back in to help refine the
trail network of OSM.

I put up a wiki page here with some dicussion:

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OpenSportMap

At the bottom it talks about generalizing this idea to all kinds of
data. One example is allowing users to create their own maps on top of
OSM, like MyMaps from Google. There are many other uses too. I think
it is a good idea because it can extend OpenStreetMap from being just
a base map to being an entire online GIS platform where users can
create any layer they want.

Dave