Hi, I haven't seen this mention before and I thought it might be of some interest here.
Since sometime last year Google no longer used TeleAtlas for their map data in the USA but instead created their own map data. It seems they have now extended their own data to 10 more countries including some in Europe Africa and Oceania [1,2]. However, what makes it interesting from a OSM point of view (apart from knowing what the "competitors" do) is the way they seemingly crowd source their updates and error reports. (The main data is, unlike their also very successful map maker maps, not crowd sourced, but supposedly collected together with the street view data). Just like they have had in the US, however, they now have a nice and simple, easy to spot and convenient "Report a problem" link in these countries in the bottom right hand corner. OpenStreetMap has of cause something similar with OpenStreetBugs (which Google may well have used as inspiration), but unfortunately, as too often, less convenient. Instead of simply clicking on the report a problem link, in OSM you first have to know something like this exists, then figure out that you might learn about such a feature on the wiki, search the wiki for it, go to some random external page, then find your location on the map again without a search box on the OSB page, and then finally you might actually be able to add your error report... Can we perhaps learn something from Google of how to build a nice user friendly crowd sourcing of local knowledge? Also, can we perhaps somehow harness the fact that Google is "educating" people about the possibilities to crowd source maps through map maker and the "report a problem" link? E.g. by creating a press release highlighting some of the additional benefits of OSM over Google (without being unfair to them)? Or will Google eventually beat OSM at its own game? [1] http://searchengineland.com/google-updates-maps-in-10-countries-teleatlas-going-away-55288 [2] http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/11/changing-world-changing-maps.html _______________________________________________ talk mailing list [email protected] http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk
