At the rapidly approaching State of the Map 2010, I will be hosting a potentially controversial panel on the subject “What’s wrong with OpenStreetMap?”
A slightly risque look at the areas we think OSM is getting it wrong, and getting it right too of course. SotM is a big celebration of all things OSM, but there is a need to highlight issues that the community, the OSMF, and local chapters, should address.
With the geo world now all paying attention to OSM, just look at the sponsor list for this year, there are big challenges coming up – keeping community cohesion as OSM membership growth continues, the ‘IBM Moment’ – is OSM ready for a big commercial donation, how do we secure lasting funding for OSM, what on earth is going on with the licence, do we need paid staff like Wikipedia… etc etc
I’m looking for some questions to put to the panelists, so this is your chance to tell me “What’s wrong with OpenStreetMap?”
As a fan of design and 80s racers, I was thrilled to purchase a Peugeot two years ago that was not only in mint condition but came with the original manual.
Its a time warp back to when the Personal Computer was a brand new phenomenon and lasers were taking the disco by storm. Breathe in the coolness by association:
Way back in October 2009, I contributed to the AGI’s Foresight Study; predicting the shape of geo in 2015. Seeing as the future is rapidly encroaching, and I have yet to see the study be published, I thought I would share.
After presenting our predictions, some of the surrounding discussion was a sad reflection on the shape of the geospatial industry – the constant clinging to the security blanket of “but we are GIS *Professionals* and our skills are essential” was a particular low point. To me, GIS means clunky desktop software with terrible usability, ugly cartography and elitist terminology – wearing that as a badge of honour is an odd concept.
That aside, my five takeaway predictions for 2015 were:
1) OpenStreetMap to have over one million contributors.
2) Large scale investment in OSM from commercial organisations.
3) Widespread crowdsourcing of geodata to utilise excess cognitive capacity.
4) ‘Big data’ – huge, real-time, actively/passively crowdsourced datasets from the sensor
web.
5) Legislation requiring central and local government to release nearly all PSI to the public
domain.
Even Gary Gale gave me a strange look when talking about point 4, though in the brief time since then he has admitted I was correct. I stress that many of the big datasets coming from the sensor web will be closed, and that new commerical opportunities for geo lie there – whether it be for the data or services with the data.
Point 5 is practically enshrined in law now. I would add one little caveat to point 2 though, I expect government and commercial investment in OSM.
A very nice write up on WhereCampEU, by Steven Feldman, from the pages of GIS Professional. Also, hearing word that a WhereCampUK is in the offing… Wherecamp EU Report – GIS Professional April 2010
As this blog is rapidly turning into a vanity project, its only fair to point out this triumph:
No, I’m not responsible for the fighting dogs.
A few months experience of marketing and working with the press has taught me this: great stories, in a well written press release, with a media pack of images and quotes will get OSM on the front page of pretty much anything. Its been wonderful to observe how individuals and organisations have spread the OpenStreetMap message in the last few weeks. We’re getting better at marketing ourselves, lets keep it up.
btw if you’re not from the UK, being on the front page of the BBC News website is *a big deal*
It doesn’t come much better than sharing a stage with Sir Tim Berners-Lee, and I am mighty proud to have taken a small part in the launch of Data.gov.uk.
Confusion reigns in the aftermath of any big natural disaster, but particularly in what was already a failed state – Haiti. With the little existing political and social infrastructure now destroyed, the situation is bleak.The irrepressible Mikel seems to be coordinating the OSM response amongst other missions. It might seem pretty small but you can get involved in creating better mapping to help in the search, rescue and eventual cleanup operations. The information is crucial to aid agencies arriving on the ground.
Result
Christopher Osborne