6 ms·

Some local public transportation "companies" in Germany (which are called "Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts" - literal translation "entity of public law" - and a

by foepys 6y ago

Some local public transportation "companies" in Germany (which are called "Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts" - literal translation "entity of public law" - and are more or less non-profit businesses funded by the city) are using OSM data for their apps and websites and they often edit the bus/tram/train routes and stops if they change them. This is where OSM shines: public entities keeping their data up to date for the benefit of all.

izacus 6y ago
Is that really so much different than those same companies pushing their timetable feeds directly to Google for display in GMaps? Where does OSM provide value here and how can it beat GMaps in mindshare and keep suriving?
- Retric 6y ago
  It’s simply more efficient to update OSM, which makes OSM more up to date. Google maps pulled data from OSM so the government had ~zero incentives to publish to GMaps and every other mapping service directly. It’s simply more work without benefit. PS: If I remember correct Google was on a 2 week delay for OSM data at the time, but that wasn’t considered meaningful. Also, what’s with all the hate here?
  - esarbe 6y ago
    I don't know. Just ignore them, the hate is not relevant.
- foepys 6y ago
  I can pull, analyze, and use the data I paid for with my taxes instead of having to beg Google or any other company for access to the data.
- croes 6y ago
  OSM is non-profit, Google is not. Google tracks the users, OSM does not.
  - zelphirkalt 6y ago
    Although recently they started enabling another spy to spy on their users, when they decided to rely on fastly.
    - rualca 6y ago
      You can download the entire OSM data catalogue and host it in your servers. https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Downloading_data https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Downloading_data
      - meibo 6y ago
        I feel like when saying this, you have to mention that it is(or at least was when I was tasked to do so 2 years ago) notoriously crazy to host an OSM tile/nominatim server for a mid-size country, and even more so for the entire world. Requires some dedication and lots and lots of disk space and bandwidth - probably most feasible in a box at home with only you yourself having access and not having to pay monthly for high-traffic storage.
        ryantgtg 6y ago
        But at least you can host the world wide tileset for $11/mo on linode! It’s not the data, but it’s still valuable and easy.
        adrianN 6y ago
        Last I heard the situation improved somewhat because of vector tiles.
        matkoniecz 6y ago
        It is a bit crazy, but at least it is possible. So if someone has special requirements (100% pure software, special rendering, special routing, special data analysis) they can do this. What is both illegal and basically impossible and even more complicated technically to do with Google Maps data.
        6y ago
- paulryanrogers 6y ago
  My guess is the license is the key differentiator.
- rakoo 6y ago
  It's not just about market share. In both cases there is an intermediary between the (public) service provider and the users, which is the public. In one case the intermediary is a private entity that answers to no one; in the other case the data belongs to all of us. If you go beyond a mercantile view, it's easy which one is the best for the public in the long term.
- matkoniecz 6y ago
  > Where does OSM provide value here and how can it beat GMaps in mindshare and keep suriving? OSM data is on open license, so you can take it and adapt for your own use. In case of errors you can fix it instead of begging Google t do this. In some places and for some types of data it is much better than Google Maps. Google is sole entity controlling Google Maps and may suddenly do 1400% price hike (they did one already). If you want to do anything with data - with OSM you can, with Google not. ---- BTW, it is not necessary to beat GMaps in mindshare to flourish and grow.
- contravariant 6y ago
  It's easier to justify spending public money on public data, as opposed to spending money to help some foreign company.
reaperducer 6y ago
"Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts" - literal translation "entity of public law" - and are more or less non-profit businesses funded by the city As a point of interest, the American equivalent of this is called an "Authority." Examples include the Chicago Transit Authority, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

by foepys 6y ago

izacus 6y ago

Is that really so much different than those same companies pushing their timetable feeds directly to Google for display in GMaps? Where does OSM provide value here and how can it beat GMaps in mindshare and keep suriving?

Retric 6y ago
It’s simply more efficient to update OSM, which makes OSM more up to date. Google maps pulled data from OSM so the government had ~zero incentives to publish to GMaps and every other mapping service directly. It’s simply more work without benefit. PS: If I remember correct Google was on a 2 week delay for OSM data at the time, but that wasn’t considered meaningful. Also, what’s with all the hate here?
- esarbe 6y ago
  I don't know. Just ignore them, the hate is not relevant.
foepys 6y ago
I can pull, analyze, and use the data I paid for with my taxes instead of having to beg Google or any other company for access to the data.
croes 6y ago
OSM is non-profit, Google is not. Google tracks the users, OSM does not.
- zelphirkalt 6y ago
  Although recently they started enabling another spy to spy on their users, when they decided to rely on fastly.
  - rualca 6y ago
    You can download the entire OSM data catalogue and host it in your servers. https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Downloading_data https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Downloading_data
    - meibo 6y ago
      I feel like when saying this, you have to mention that it is(or at least was when I was tasked to do so 2 years ago) notoriously crazy to host an OSM tile/nominatim server for a mid-size country, and even more so for the entire world. Requires some dedication and lots and lots of disk space and bandwidth - probably most feasible in a box at home with only you yourself having access and not having to pay monthly for high-traffic storage.
      - ryantgtg 6y ago
        But at least you can host the world wide tileset for $11/mo on linode! It’s not the data, but it’s still valuable and easy.
      - adrianN 6y ago
        Last I heard the situation improved somewhat because of vector tiles.
      - matkoniecz 6y ago
        It is a bit crazy, but at least it is possible. So if someone has special requirements (100% pure software, special rendering, special routing, special data analysis) they can do this. What is both illegal and basically impossible and even more complicated technically to do with Google Maps data.
      - 6y ago
paulryanrogers 6y ago
My guess is the license is the key differentiator.
rakoo 6y ago
It's not just about market share. In both cases there is an intermediary between the (public) service provider and the users, which is the public. In one case the intermediary is a private entity that answers to no one; in the other case the data belongs to all of us. If you go beyond a mercantile view, it's easy which one is the best for the public in the long term.
matkoniecz 6y ago
> Where does OSM provide value here and how can it beat GMaps in mindshare and keep suriving? OSM data is on open license, so you can take it and adapt for your own use. In case of errors you can fix it instead of begging Google t do this. In some places and for some types of data it is much better than Google Maps. Google is sole entity controlling Google Maps and may suddenly do 1400% price hike (they did one already). If you want to do anything with data - with OSM you can, with Google not. ---- BTW, it is not necessary to beat GMaps in mindshare to flourish and grow.
contravariant 6y ago
It's easier to justify spending public money on public data, as opposed to spending money to help some foreign company.

reaperducer 6y ago

"Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts" - literal translation "entity of public law" - and are more or less non-profit businesses funded by the city As a point of interest, the American equivalent of this is called an "Authority." Examples include the Chicago Transit Authority, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.