3 ms·

> I still have to understand openstreetmap mapping solutions. It's named open, not free, so I guess providing your own server with osm data would work. Only wit

by rmc 8y ago

> I still have to understand openstreetmap mapping solutions. It's named open, not free, so I guess providing your own server with osm data would work. Only with FreeStreetMap the data would be infected also. I'm not sure what you mean with "free"/"open". The OSM licence has a share-alike part if you merge your own map data with OSM data. If you just have a map and put points on it, it'd be fine.

rbrtdrmpc- 8y ago
I've worked for european companies with revenues on the scale of tens of millions of euros using OSM for the same reason of the OP (and Google offered "deals" like the ones Al Capone used to offer in NYC) 1) follow the OSM copyright rules (easy) 2) share your new data with the open ones you are using with the same license (tricky, but not hard at all) 3) design your tile CDN infrastructure (the hardest) 4) if you need to mock Google map tile layout, take a deep breath, it's fucking hell (hell as stated before)
andygates 8y ago
This. Services are invited to take a slurp of data and use it as they wish, and contribute back of they make changes. It's not uncommon for a service of a certain size to become a contributor. But there's no requirement: if all they use it for is lookups and tiles, go ahead, "fill yer boots".
zmk_ 8y ago
It's not free as in you are not allowed to use OSM tiling servers for commercial purposes. "OpenStreetMap’s own servers are run entirely on donated resources. They have strictly limited capacity. [...] OpenStreetMap data is free for everyone to use. Our tile servers are not." [1]. They've even banned some sites for abusing their servers, e.g., FastPokeMap in 2016 [2]. But there is a very clear way of switching to OSM and serving your own map tiles with any styling you want [3]. I personally think that startups like these should go for these options since their user base is concentrated in one region. [1] https://operations.osmfoundation.org/policies/tiles/ https://operations.osmfoundation.org/policies/tiles/ [2] https://github.com/openstreetmap/chef/pull/78 https://github.com/openstreetmap/chef/pull/78 [3] https://switch2osm.org/serving-tiles/ https://switch2osm.org/serving-tiles/
- rmc 8y ago
  Well if you don't like the OSM.org tile usage policy, they'll give you a full refund. OSM.org doesn't prohibit commericial usage, per se. But if you're running a business, you shouldn't rely on volunteers from another project which you're not paying for.

by rmc 8y ago

rbrtdrmpc- 8y ago

I've worked for european companies with revenues on the scale of tens of millions of euros using OSM for the same reason of the OP (and Google offered "deals" like the ones Al Capone used to offer in NYC) 1) follow the OSM copyright rules (easy) 2) share your new data with the open ones you are using with the same license (tricky, but not hard at all) 3) design your tile CDN infrastructure (the hardest) 4) if you need to mock Google map tile layout, take a deep breath, it's fucking hell (hell as stated before)

andygates 8y ago

This. Services are invited to take a slurp of data and use it as they wish, and contribute back of they make changes. It's not uncommon for a service of a certain size to become a contributor. But there's no requirement: if all they use it for is lookups and tiles, go ahead, "fill yer boots".

zmk_ 8y ago

It's not free as in you are not allowed to use OSM tiling servers for commercial purposes. "OpenStreetMap’s own servers are run entirely on donated resources. They have strictly limited capacity. [...] OpenStreetMap data is free for everyone to use. Our tile servers are not." [1]. They've even banned some sites for abusing their servers, e.g., FastPokeMap in 2016 [2]. But there is a very clear way of switching to OSM and serving your own map tiles with any styling you want [3]. I personally think that startups like these should go for these options since their user base is concentrated in one region. [1] https://operations.osmfoundation.org/policies/tiles/ https://operations.osmfoundation.org/policies/tiles/ [2] https://github.com/openstreetmap/chef/pull/78 https://github.com/openstreetmap/chef/pull/78 [3] https://switch2osm.org/serving-tiles/ https://switch2osm.org/serving-tiles/

rmc 8y ago
Well if you don't like the OSM.org tile usage policy, they'll give you a full refund. OSM.org doesn't prohibit commericial usage, per se. But if you're running a business, you shouldn't rely on volunteers from another project which you're not paying for.