On 21/12/2017 10:28, Frederik Ramm wrote:
My vision of OSM is that of a grassroots movement that makes its own
decisions about the data. We decide what the fuel station around the
corner is called - not the marketing department of the fuel station
chain. Corporate interests already dictate enough of our everyday lives;
I don't want Shell to "help" me show the "right" information about their
fuel stations.
A lot is wrong with capitalism; large chains are one of those things.
Small independent shops, booksellers, or pubs *already* face
difficulties against the marketing and purchasing power of big
corporations. Your approach will ultimately lead to every last
large-chain pub in England being nicely mapped from afar, whereas the
independent pub next door has to wait until a mapper comes around. You
might say "well one pub mapped in town is better than no pub", but this
is not my opinion; I would have wished for OpenStreetMap to be a map
made by the people, not a map made by corporations large enough to hire
SEO companies to manage their online presence.
My vision of OSM is a movement which places its users first, by
providing the maximum utility possible for those who look at the maps.
That means maximising the quantity, accuracy, relevance and timeliness
of the data.
I don't particularly care where that data comes from, so long as it is
accurate, up to date, and open. Who provided the data, and what their
motivations may be, are neither here nor there. Individual mappers can
have compromised motivations just as much as mega corporations. Our task
is simply to sift that data, ensure that it is accurate and up to date,
and incorporate it in an effective, consistent and timely manner.
On a wider note, the potential conflicts that can occur when a formerly
under-the-radar, purely grassroots movement becomes big enough to
attract participation from bigger players are not confined to OSM. The
debate between the "purists" and the "expanders" has been played out in
scenarios as different as open source software, fair trade products and
real ale. But, in the long run, the expanders win, or the movement dies.
Because once the principles are adopted by the large corporations, if
the pioneers of those principles reject their participation then they
will simply take their participation elsewhere.
Mark
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