I went to my first ever HertsLUG meeting last night as OpenStreetMap were giving a talk. While I lurk on the OpenStreetMap mailing list and was familiar with their project, it was interesting to see the various tools demonstrated. JOSM, their primary online collaborative editor, looked particularly capable.
I was hoping to bend the ears of some of the OpenStreetMap chaps about Geograph and Ordnance Survey issues, but the talk went on a little longer than planned and I had to leave to transport a colleague back to the train station. Even so, it was worthwhile and has inspired me to go out and at least map my home town of Baldock.
My first post in September. Must try harder!
I’m Steve from the HerstLUG presentation. If you have OS issues you can always float them on talk@openstreetmap.org or else go to the Society of Cartographers mailing list (see http://www.soc.org.uk//cartosoc.htm), but be warned OS stafers may be lurking!
It’s an issue about how to square Geograph’s need to maintain open content with the OS’s need to retain their IP when people are creating CC-licenced works that contain both a National Grid Reference and other metadata directly or indirectly derived from an OS map.
I don’t want to discuss it on the OSM list as it would cloud the current riot of activity about the OSM’s own licencing issues, and we are making good progress with the OS themselves with a lot of thought going into the debate from both sides.
What I will probably do is see if the OS will let me post a public summary of our discussions which should spark some wider debate…