When the UK Government put its popular Ordnance Survey maps online, it insisted on charging citizens for use of the data, angering many.
One, Steve Coast, took action, catalyzing groups to bring their GPSes and vehicles together for mapping parties. They would train newbies, head out around the town in question, then gather back to upload their data into an open database. Soon the OpenStreetMap project had mapped the UK, creating a data source equal to MapQuest or other private geodata banks.
With Steve, let’s discuss:
- What have you learned from the OpenStreetMap project?
- How can companies live in its ecosystem? What are the opportunities?
- What might the OpenStreetMap community do next?
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