On Wed, Sep 24, 2003, Herouth Maoz wrote about "[OT] Re: linux compatible online maps site?": > > The strange thing is that the online site should be cheaper for them to > > operate. Selling physical books has huge overheads - the raw materials, >.. > You're not in the GIS business, are you? First of all, the basic GIS system that
Actually, I sort of am in the GIS business... Don't ask ;) > allows them to do all this stuff probably cost them a hefty bundle which also > needs to be amortized over the years. > > Second is the cost of the updated material. All those maps need to be digitized > (it's not just scanning, you have to vectorize data and attach street addresses > to it. It's a real drag). That digitization is either done internally (which If we continue with the Mapa example (and I really wanted it to be an example of a general problem I see - not a complaint only about them!), all these costs already existed in the book version. In fact Mapa always took pride in their books being the printing of computerized data that is more easily and cheaply corrected (I didn't invent this - this was their advertising angle back in 1998 when I got the Gold Atlas which I still use). Of course, the online users still need to pay their share in supporting the continued development of the geographical database - but why so much more than users of the printed book? Of course it's they right - but I still think it makes no sense, and why I still use their printed book and not the online site. All they needed to do when they opened the online version is to do some format conversions, build a server farm, create some customer-tracking mechanism (passwords, credit cards, whatever) and create some scripts to display those maps online. Perhaps they also needed to buy (or redevelop for the N+1th time) an algorithm for planning routes between two places. It's certainly not a week of work and doesn't come for free, but it also doesn't sound to me the most difficult or expensive part of creating the map book. Of course I'm just guessing this - I have no idea how Mapa actually operate... -- Nadav Har'El | Wednesday, Sep 24 2003, 27 Elul 5763 [EMAIL PROTECTED] |----------------------------------------- Phone: +972-53-790466, ICQ 13349191 |A smart man always covers his ass. A wise http://nadav.harel.org.il |man just keeps his pants on. ================================================================= To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word "unsubscribe" in the message body, e.g., run the command echo unsubscribe | mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
