Open Geodata
The Irish Linux Users Group announces an OpenStreetMap meeting scheduled to be held in Dublin on the 22nd November 2007.
The announcements states:
“OpenStreetMap is a project aimed squarely at creating and providing free geographic data such as street maps to anyone who wants them. The project was started because most maps you think of as free actually have legal or technical restrictions on their use, holding back people from using them in creative, productive or unexpected ways.”
OpenStreetMap announces the launch of the completed digital map for the City of Brighton and Hove in the UK on the 29th November 2007.
Noord-Nederland Open (NN-Open) borrel announces a meeting on open GIS that will be held in Groningen on the 29th November 2007.
NN-Open is een vereniging die zich inzet voor gebruik van Open Standaarden, Open Source en Open Content in Noord Nederland en het verbeteren van de kennis omtrent deze begrippen.
OpenStreetMap presented the recent developments within the Netherlands (reference ePSIplus news topic: The most up-to-date map!) at the ePSI plus Thematic Network national meeting for the Netherlands that was held in Utrecht on the 27th September 2007. The presentation sparked a debate on the impact of such developments on both existing Private Sector companies and the Public Sector Information Holders of topographic digital data with respect to their business models.
One of the public sector information data sets that maybe side lined due to the barriers of re-using PSI is that of the digital topographic map. A number of technological developments have been taking place that facilitate the movement to the creation and use of other data sets outside of the public sector. At a number of ePSI plus Thematic Network meetings this topic has been raised and discussed. One of the issues that is raised is that of data currency and accuracy. The posting by RefNum makes an interesting comparison between Google Maps which is using TeleAtlas topographic data and that of OpenStreetMap.
The cost of maintaining the currency of topographic data sets is high as it involves field survey operations. This however could well change due to Web 2.0 advancements and the number of products that are now beginning to appear on the market where the user of the product updates the data dynamically (via a quality assurance process), this is similar to the use of the mobile telephone and car drivers reporting to radio stations the current state of the roads.
OpenStreetMap data now covers increasing amounts of the geographic area of 25 out of the current 27 European Union Member States, with only Greece and Malta not yet active. Three out of the 4 EEA & EFTA Countries are active.
Is Crown Copyright making a profit?
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