... never-the-less we should start tagging lamp-posts so we can easily find somewhere to hang those filthy cloudmade running dogs.
;-) > On Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 11:44 AM, 80n <[email protected]> wrote: >> Mark Boslet, the Editor of Techpulse360 has modified the article to "correct >> any misimpression". >> >> The title is now "OpenStreetMap wants to be the Wikipedia of Maps" and the >> body of the article now clearly distinguishes between CloudMade and us. >> >> 80n >> >> On Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 11:14 PM, Frederik Ramm <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> Hi, >>> >>> as an OSM community member, I'm taking offence at the following >>> article: >>> >>> >>> http://techpulse360.com/2009/03/10/startup-cloudmade-wants-to-be-the-wikipedia-of-maps/ >>> >>> The article says that Cloudmade "relies on its OpenStreetMap project", >>> and: >>> >>> “This is going to be the map of the future,” says founder Steve Coast of >>> his company. “We’re the Wikipedia of maps.” >>> >>> This is of course wrong; OpenStreetMap is no Cloudmade's project, and >>> Cloudmade is not the Wikipedia of maps. >>> >>> Further down, the article suggests that Cloudmade money was somehow >>> related to mapping the world: >>> >>> "But it’s also a daunting task. The company raised $3.5 million from >>> Sunstone Capital, but, well, the world is a large place." >>> >>> And: >>> >>> "Coast says the goal is to give away the mapping data for free and >>> charge for services." >>> >>> Of course, there is no mapping data that Cloudmade could give away for >>> free because they don't own any. >>> >>> I know that the press always write what they want (or what they think >>> they understand) and not necessarily what you tell them. Also, to their >>> credit, the Cloudmade web page clearly and correctly states that "We >>> source our map data from OpenStreetMap, the community mapping project >>> which is making a free map of the world". >>> >>> However, this is not the first time that the OpenStreetMap project has >>> been confused with Cloudmade by the press, and I can hardly imagine that >>> whoever wrote that article did so without relying on Cloudmade >>> statements that somehow pointed in that direction. >>> >>> I would appreciate if Cloudmade PR people, especially in the US, would >>> take more care in explaining the situation to the press, or if that is >>> too much to ask, then at least refrain from misrepresenting the situation. >>> >>> If anyone is "the Wikipedia of maps" then it is the OpenStreetMap >>> project which exists independently of Cloudmade. A very tiny portion of >>> OpenStreetMap data is acquired during Cloudmade-sponsored events for >>> which the project is grateful, but that does not give Cloudmade the >>> right to act as if they own the project. >>> >>> I know that in the early days of the web, some access providers touted >>> their dial-in plans as if the web was theirs - "buy our package and get >>> access to all these cool sites". Maybe it is hard for the public to >>> understand, but an effort should be made to say that Cloudmade is an >>> access provider, not a content provider. >>> >>> I'll try to make it a habit to point this out in the comment boxes of >>> the relevant web pages if I see articles like that. >>> >>> Bye >>> Frederik >>> >>> -- >>> Frederik Ramm ## eMail [email protected] ## N49°00'09" E008°23'33" >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> talk mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> talk mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk >> >> > > > > -- > Tel: +44(0) 7814 517 807 > -- Tel: +44(0) 7814 517 807 _______________________________________________ talk mailing list [email protected] http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk
