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Large Investment in OpenStreetMap from Knight Foundation

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Re: Large Investment in OpenStreetMap from Knight Foundation

#11
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would Google do that?

I assume they're currently paying license fees, and spending lots of money on keeping their systems up to date. Switching to open data would hopefully reduce both factors.

I routinely switch between 4 different map and map-based services (Google Maps for Streetview, Bing Maps for Ordnance Survey maps, OpenStreetMap for paths and Geograph for pictures overlayed on OS grid cells) - I'd love to have some way of combining these.

Re: Large Investment in OpenStreetMap from Knight Foundation

#12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume they're currently paying license fees, and spending lots of money on keeping their systems up to date. Switching to open data would hopefully reduce both factors.

I routinely switch between 4 different map and map-based services (Google Maps for Streetview, Bing Maps for Ordnance Survey maps, OpenStreetMap for paths and Geograph for pictures overlayed on OS grid cells) - I'd love to have some way of combining these.

Not sure in what context you want to combine them but OpenLayers enables maps from multiple services to be used together: http://openlayers.org/

Re: Large Investment in OpenStreetMap from Knight Foundation

#14

How long, one wonders, until Open Street Map becomes the ubiquitous standard? Could Google switch to using it, and feed into it themselves to improve its results further?

Not any time soon, their licenses are incompatible.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/lc88a/were_the_google_...

Re: Large Investment in OpenStreetMap from Knight Foundation

#16

How long, one wonders, until Open Street Map becomes the ubiquitous standard? Could Google switch to using it, and feed into it themselves to improve its results further?

It seems a bit hypocritical for Google to have and open source OS that gathers mapping data from a proprietary source.

Down the road, I don't want Google to be the only one with enough mapping knowledge to have self-driving car tech. That doesn't seem like data that should be owned by a corporation.

Re: Large Investment in OpenStreetMap from Knight Foundation

#17

How long, one wonders, until Open Street Map becomes the ubiquitous standard? Could Google switch to using it, and feed into it themselves to improve its results further?

Btw, did anyone else notice that Apple credits OSM contributors for map data in the new Maps? They seem to be merging a whole lot of different sources into that database.

Re: Large Investment in OpenStreetMap from Knight Foundation

#18
post #14

How long, one wonders, until Open Street Map becomes the ubiquitous standard? Could Google switch to using it, and feed into it themselves to improve its results further?

Not any time soon, their licenses are incompatible. http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/lc88a/were_the_google_...

OSM just changed their license. Possibly for this very reason...

Re: Large Investment in OpenStreetMap from Knight Foundation

#19

How long, one wonders, until Open Street Map becomes the ubiquitous standard? Could Google switch to using it, and feed into it themselves to improve its results further?

Bing has added a open street maps layer, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is in the next iteration of the Nokia 3d maps (http://maps3d.svc.nokia.com/webgl/index.html) which does not currently have street names or local listings. My question is, are they waiting for webgl to be on mobile?

Re: Large Investment in OpenStreetMap from Knight Foundation

#20

How long, one wonders, until Open Street Map becomes the ubiquitous standard? Could Google switch to using it, and feed into it themselves to improve its results further?

Bing has added a open street maps layer, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is in the next iteration of the Nokia 3d maps ( http://maps3d.svc.nokia.com/webgl/index.html ) which does not currently have street names or local listings. My question is, are they waiting for webgl to be on mobile?

Support from Bing / MS to OpenStreetMap goes even further - at least in London where I'm participating in the OSM mapping they also provide Satellite images for the editing processes.
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