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Yes, it's great that it's possible to use OSM for many different purposes. However, all these compromises on the front page are too complicated for end users a
by nroets 12y ago
Yes, it's great that it's possible to use OSM for many different purposes.
However, all these compromises on the front page are too complicated for end users and scare them off.
End users expect services that seamlessly work together. If centralization is needed to achieve that, then yes, OSMF needs centralization.
- ZeroGravitas 12y agoThe front page isn't intended for end users in the sense of "people looking for a map or directions", it's mainly focused on people who intend to map. People find it hard to get out of the "Google Maps" mindset, just as everyone approached Linux as a "Cheap Windows" when in reality it can be so much more. OSM's strategy (and data) aren't perfect, but they're growing the pie rather than fighting for a larger slice and doing pretty well with it. Just like using Linux has become a no-brainer for all sorts of projects from smartphones to supercomputer clusters to educational toys OSM is well on it's way to being the default peer-produced commons for geographical data. Whether that usage happens on one site or a million different commercial, government, non-profit and amateur sites isn't important.
- maxerickson 12y agoI was trying to describe things as they are, not take a side. The interest generated by this change demonstrates your point well enough, OSRM has been available at http://map.project-osrm.org/ http://map.project-osrm.org/ with worldwide coverage for quite a while, and the other projects are also up for quite a while. I even see a bunch of OSM enthusiasts who were apparently oblivious to the availability of the routing services (saying 'wow, it works good' sort of indicates they haven't seen it work before).