

Stop Google's Exploitation of Open Communities - nym
http://brainoff.com/weblog/2011/04/11/1635

======
wooster
Some brief background…

Google Map Maker is a map crowd-sourcing project which was originally targeted
at countries with poor commercial map coverage. It produces a closed end
product [0].

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a map crowd-sourcing project which produces an end
product with an open data license.

Advantages of Map Maker include that Google can create maps derived from
commercial satellite imagery products, Google has better mapping
infrastructure, and maps are eventually integrated into Google Maps.

Disadvantages of Map Maker include a closed data license, restrictions on use
(for example, no competing with Google), and a more opaque editing process.

Meanwhile, OSM has an open license (albeit a controversial one) and a broad
contributor ecosystem. For example, Yahoo! has been generous in hosting
satellite imagery for use by OSM for crowd-sourced mapping.

The OSM community has also been particularly involved in creating maps in
disaster and humanitarian situations, such as after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

After the Haiti earthquake, there was some controversy over whether to use Map
Maker and OSM among aid groups, NGOs, etc. [1] The restrictions on use of Map
Maker data was a key concern.

[0] <http://www.edparsons.com/2008/06/what-map-maker-is-is-not/>

[1] Background: [http://geosquan.blogspot.com/2010/01/haitian-earthquake-
emph...](http://geosquan.blogspot.com/2010/01/haitian-earthquake-emphasizes-
danger-of.html)

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mrschwabe
Given this and their recent decision keep Honeycomb closed-source (albeit
temporarily), one might draw a conlusion that Google only embraces open source
so they can leverage it for business advantage.

Not saying that's the way it is - but it's important to keep in mind that they
are not always the 'do no evil' company so many blindly accept them to be.

------
klochner
He needs to async load this script:

    
    
       http://friendfeed.com/embed/badge/mikelmaron . . .
    

It took 4s to load, and the page was unreadable until it did.

also, is anyone still using ff?

[edit: 'ff' meant friendfeed, thought it was clear from context]

~~~
jlongster
Firefox 4 is incredible, it's finally on par with Chrome but with all the
great addons. Tons of people still use Firefox.

~~~
ambiguity
I believe 'ff' was referring to FriendFeed not FireFox.

------
tzs
The rant to information ratio was too high--I'm not quite sure what he's
complaining about.

~~~
nym
"They are specifically targetting govts and NGOs, offering to “map their
country for free”, but keeping the results."

The problem is they're directly copying open data communities, and restricting
the resulting data.

Mikel is a very prominent member of OpenStreetMap, which was largely credited
with the mapping of Haiti after the earthquake. It may come off as a rant on
first read, but he's not making exaggerated claims.

~~~
jerf
"The problem is they're directly copying open data communities"

Could you clarify that a bit for me please? It was unclear to me in the
original as well. Is Google copying the data generated by open communities,
then closing it with a restrictive license? Or is it copying the idea of
community-generated maps?

One's an interesting story worth discussing. The other is silly; community-
sourced maps is a fairly obvious idea.

~~~
andos
I believe the problem is more like using their weight as a company to "steal"
resources (volunteers, data from governments and what not) from the open
initiative to generate a product that is closed.

Seen from that point of view and taking into account that Google has a history
of censoring maps, I think it's not _that_ silly an argument.

~~~
warrenwilkinson
OSM doesn't own volunteer time. If the volunteers find Googles platform &
terms more pleasing, then more power to them.

However, if the original article is correct in that Google misleads
volunteers, then I hope his post helps correct that.

~~~
exit
why are you accusing them of claiming they own volunteer time?

if someone has huge visibility, they can leverage it to gain more volunteer
time at the expense of competing on platform & terms.

------
Pahalial
Tangential, but a commenter brings up the empty map in Georgia. A quick search
turns up this would-be explanation from over two years ago:
[http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/where-is-georgia-
on-g...](http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/where-is-georgia-on-google-
maps.html)

I'd be very curious to see an updated reason given - I don't think Google
moves quite slowly enough for "we're just not happy with the quality of the
data quite yet" to hold any water 2.5 years after they first claim so.

~~~
gcb
Georgia? We've always been at war with eurasia.

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fleitz
What are is the OP talking about with regard to corporate stewardship of
public resources? They are providing the resource and asking for help building
it. There is no public resource of mapping data in Africa. (That's why Google
is building it)

If OSM wants to have the data they should start initiatives in Africa to do
this.

As far as 'copying' OSM, isn't OSM 'open source'? If Google is violating their
license that's one thing, but it sounds like they are copying ideas not
protected by law, or within the framework of the licensing agreement.

~~~
nym
<http://mapkibera.org/>

