In your letter dated Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:05:11 +0000 you wrote: >Philip Homburg wrote: >> If the data is not 100% complete and accurate it is useless? >> >> Get real. > >Realizing that the database isn't up to the job it was designed for is >getting real, instead of stick heads in the sand & pretending it's not >happening. > >> I just tried the Google maps app. on my G1 to get home from work by >> bike. It was horrible. The app itself is horrible, and the map is bad: >> bike paths are not there. >> >> In contrast, openstreetmap data gets me there by car and bike. The lack of >> house numbers is annoying though. So it is not door to door, but street to >> street. And for me that is good enough. > >But not good enough for others evidently.
I guess it's to bring out the duck again: If it looks like a map, swims like a navigation system and quacks turn instructions, then it probably is a pratical navigation system. I don't care about all the companies that don't want to use OSM. I am very greatful to the contributers all over the world that made OSM into a practical navigation system for me. Whether or not we tag cycleways correctly, what else the database isn't up to. Of course, if any of those companies want to work with OSM to improve the system then we should take a look at that. I wonder if it is worthwhile introducing some kind of metric of how well OSM works for navigation in a particular area. For example with the following scale: 0 total failure 1 the town you want to reach is on the map, but the street isn't 2 the street you want to reach is on the map 3 OSM gives some kind of route from where you are to your destination street (even if it doesn't make much sense) 4 OSM gives a route that mostly makes sense 5 OSM gives a route that is actually legal (and also makes sense) 6 OSM gives a good route: a route about as good as you would also get from a printed map if you don't know the area 7 OSM gives a perfect route: any improvement would be nitpicking 8 OSM guides you door to door (the exact location is on the map, not just the street) I think .nl is most of the time at level 6. _______________________________________________ talk mailing list talk@openstreetmap.org http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk
