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It seems to me that if they really wanted to disrupt the Malibu beach scene and provide more access for the public to the beaches, that they would just release

It seems to me that if they really wanted to disrupt the Malibu beach scene and provide more access for the public to the beaches, that they would just release the data as an annotated geojson file, rather than raise 30k(!) to create an app that will no longer be updated in a year. Props to them for doing a civil service, but it seems to me that it is also very-much motivated by money.

mirkules 13y ago
I don't see anything inherently wrong in building a business around a civil service. Your exclamation mark indicates that 30K is too much for an app like this, but I disagree because someone has to do the research to find each beach access point, identify false ones, organize the data into a database and build a app/web service around it. For an average Silicon Valley salary, $30K is a quarter of a year's worth of salary. My guess is that more than three months of work was put into this.
- tmarthal 13y ago
  I also have no problem with people building businesses around a civil service. However, this is a kickstarter campaign which seems to be trying to raise money for work that has already been done. I put the exclamation point there because it is my outsider perspective that the data has already been researched and compiled by the California Coastal Commission. An iPhone application has even already been submitted to Apple and approved (that's my understanding, their kickstarter page has changed over the last few weeks). They are raising the money so that they can "release the iPhone app for free", instead of charging for it. That is the reason for my exclamation point -- to believe that the app would compile 30k worth of purchases may be disingenuous.
mjn 13y ago
I think it might actually have more impact this way: it's not only information that's lacking, but public awareness of the law on beach access, deliberately muddied by some false information and low-level intimidation from homeowners. By both collecting the information and making an app with some fundraising publicity, they can try to target both angles. That said, I would like to see this information make its way into OpenStreetMap, if it isn't already. In addition to just mapping out the paths, OSM has tags for access rights.
ynniv 13y ago
One user (https://www.google.com/mapmaker?gw=66&uid=215784313754106091274 https://www.google.com/mapmaker?gw=66&uid=215784313754106091...) added many of them to Google Maps in early May: http://goo.gl/maps/YO1O7 http://goo.gl/maps/YO1O7
- mattyod 13y ago
  Most of those entrances seem to be open. This one even appears to have a welcome sign. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=public+beach+access+point&hl=en&ll=34.030157,-118.707642&spn=0.000915,0.001371&sll=34.025205,-118.651314&sspn=0.097171,0.171661&t=h&radius=5.9&hq=public+beach+access+point&z=20&layer=c&cbll=34.030131,-118.707527&panoid=4tyl2bVd1UKYAghOA-W-lg&cbp=12,233.61,,2,13.13 https://maps.google.com/maps?q=public+beach+access+point&hl=...

mirkules 13y ago

I don't see anything inherently wrong in building a business around a civil service. Your exclamation mark indicates that 30K is too much for an app like this, but I disagree because someone has to do the research to find each beach access point, identify false ones, organize the data into a database and build a app/web service around it. For an average Silicon Valley salary, $30K is a quarter of a year's worth of salary. My guess is that more than three months of work was put into this.

tmarthal 13y ago
I also have no problem with people building businesses around a civil service. However, this is a kickstarter campaign which seems to be trying to raise money for work that has already been done. I put the exclamation point there because it is my outsider perspective that the data has already been researched and compiled by the California Coastal Commission. An iPhone application has even already been submitted to Apple and approved (that's my understanding, their kickstarter page has changed over the last few weeks). They are raising the money so that they can "release the iPhone app for free", instead of charging for it. That is the reason for my exclamation point -- to believe that the app would compile 30k worth of purchases may be disingenuous.

mjn 13y ago

I think it might actually have more impact this way: it's not only information that's lacking, but public awareness of the law on beach access, deliberately muddied by some false information and low-level intimidation from homeowners. By both collecting the information and making an app with some fundraising publicity, they can try to target both angles. That said, I would like to see this information make its way into OpenStreetMap, if it isn't already. In addition to just mapping out the paths, OSM has tags for access rights.

ynniv 13y ago

One user (https://www.google.com/mapmaker?gw=66&uid=215784313754106091274 https://www.google.com/mapmaker?gw=66&uid=215784313754106091...) added many of them to Google Maps in early May: http://goo.gl/maps/YO1O7 http://goo.gl/maps/YO1O7

mattyod 13y ago
Most of those entrances seem to be open. This one even appears to have a welcome sign. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=public+beach+access+point&hl=en&ll=34.030157,-118.707642&spn=0.000915,0.001371&sll=34.025205,-118.651314&sspn=0.097171,0.171661&t=h&radius=5.9&hq=public+beach+access+point&z=20&layer=c&cbll=34.030131,-118.707527&panoid=4tyl2bVd1UKYAghOA-W-lg&cbp=12,233.61,,2,13.13 https://maps.google.com/maps?q=public+beach+access+point&hl=...