cloudsourced

Now, you may or may not have heard about a series of events called GeoVation. (That’s Geo and Innovation spun together to form a totally awesome combination).

The whole aim of this totally worthwhile enterprise is to promote Ordnance Survey data to newbies who may not currently be enjoying the derived data lockin practice of the OS.  I quote their website:

“Through GeoVation, Ordnance Survey® will offer for the first time public access to its digital mapping products for people developing new ideas.”

Absolute genius – give the public access to data! My word, those idiots at Google and Yahoo are in trouble now! I can create awesome mashups, safe in the knowledge that the good ol’ OS is going to extort charge me licensing fees to use my own data. Totally awesome guys!

Now, a few of you may have heard some earlier disparaging comments I might have made… you know, things like:

or

Now, after a warm message from Vanessa, head of the OS I thought a rethink might be best:

I was seeing the error of my ways when Vanessa’s favourite Googler, Ed Parsons, dropped this photo into the mix:

So, let it be known – GeoVation is a totally awesome thing, no really. Now please don’t make me ‘disappear’, I’ll pay your license fees, I’ll do anything, dear God think of my family!