Monthly Archives: August 2010

Thanks and Huge Apology to the OpenStreetMap Community | By the Waze

Two hours ago Steve Coast from OSM contacted us to let us know one of the OSM community members found what he thought was OSM data in our Chile database without attribution. Steve’s crew and Waze’s started investigating IMMEDIATELY across 3 continents and we had answers in 30 minutes.

What we found was a huge disappointment.; we indeed had OSM data which was not from a common base source and was clearly copied.

We have fantastic partners around the world who we partner with for local data. Unfortunately, our LATAM partner Location World had acquired data from an unreliable source who seems to have infringed on OSM, and Location World is now pursuing legal options against them.  While we sort this out, we have pulled all of the Chile data from Waze.  The data has been deleted from the database and should be gone from the Cartouche (our web editing interface) already.  It will take 24-48 hours for the deletion to propagate through the system and down to the clients (sorry Chilean Wazers).

To be on the safe side, we are pulling all the data from this source, in other countries as well: Peru, Uruguay and parts of Argentina, and it should be removed shortly.

The data will be back up again soon, after we have confirmed NO OTHER infringements are there. We are also embarking on a process to more closely review partner data around the world. It’s sad that this happens. We are huge fans of OSM and hope to collaborate with OSM through the new license transition.

So thanks to the OSM members; Ivan Sanchez in Spain and Julio Costa in Chile who identified the problem and we commit to deal with any other suspicion just as fast.  Thanks for Steve for knowing we would never do this willfully and letting us know this has happened in the past.

To map providers around the world, infringement is not only a crime but there is a large community out there monitoring your actions who will work together to find you.

And mostly to the OSM community, we are truly sorry.  We work with our partners to protect their data rights and will now be more vigilant on evaluating their sources.  We value your help and commit to protect your data rights as vigilantly as we protect our partner’s data, removing any infringement on your rights.

Noam Bardin
CEO Waze

This is a really fast & neat example of how a firm can respond to a unintended problem, and work with a community to get it fixed. +1 to waze on this!

Image of the Week: OpenStreetMap in Venezuela

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Participantes en la reunión de openstreetmap el Jueves 12 de agosto de
2010 en el CIDA, Mérida – Venezuela

Participants at the OpenStreetMap meeting in Mérida, Venezuela on 12
August 2010.

This is a Featured image, which means that it has been identified as
one of the best examples of OpenStreetMap mapping, or that it provides
a useful illustration of the OpenStreetMap project.

If you know another image of similar quality, you can nominate it on
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Featured_image_proposals

Photo by OSM contributor Hernan Ramirez
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/User:HernanRamirez

Project of the Week: Turn Restrictions

One of the most frustrating things about navigating a vehicle through
urban areas are turn restrictions. You want to go right but the sign
says you must go left. Some of the frustration is caused by the
additional driving time and increased number if turns required, but
that frustration is compounded if you didn’t know that the turn
restriction existed in the first place.

With well mapped turn restrictions, you can plan a better route right
from the start, rather than adapting later. The project of the week
is to check and update turn restrictions in your area.

Find out more about checking, adding and fixing turn restrictions,
including tutorials on the OpenStreetMap wiki page for this Project of
the Week.

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Project_of_the_week/2010/Aug_29

This is your Project of the Week. Make suggestions. Inspire other mappers.
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Project_of_the_week/Proposals

No Right Turn photo by TheTruthAbout http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetruthabout/
licensed cc-by-sa http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en_CA

JOSM Tutorials?

Over a year ago I did a handful of JOSM tutorials
( http://wiki.openstreetmap.org /wiki/JOSM ), for example this one on
making a simple edit for the first time using JOSM:
http://russnelson.com/osm/josm-first-edit-ever.swf , or this one on
merging two ways into one:
http://russnelson.com/osm/JOSM-merging-ways.mp4 . JOSM has changed
since then, and I should probably re-do those tutorials. What
tutorials do you think we need to have for JOSM? Are you having
trouble using JOSM? Ask questions in the comments below, and I’ll see
if I can record a video that answers your question.

Image of the Week: Hamburger Sommerdom

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Hamburg has a large carnival three times a year for each 4 weeks. User
mbuege maps all the attractions and fast food stands.

This is a Featured image, which means that it has been identified as
one of the best examples of OpenStreetMap mapping, or that it provides
a useful illustration of the OpenStreetMap project.

If you know another image of similar quality, you can nominate it on
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Featured_image_proposals

Yahoo! Geo-properties at risk?

A recent entry on the Yahoo! Developer Network Blog mentions some
sweeping changes for Yahoo! developers. In part, and relating to geo:

Maps, Geo, and Local

Location-based services are an essential element in web app
development. We will be evaluating all our Geo, Maps, and Local
APIs–updating or shutting down some of them, and working with our
strategic partner, Nokia, on others. We will work with our developer
community to ensure a smooth transition in all instances and we will
share more details about these decisions in September.

Read the full posting at Yahoo! Developer Network Blog.

http://developer.yahoo.net/blog/archives/2010/08/api_updates_and_changes.html

Hat tip: wnoronha

Project of the Week: Add a Trail to OpenStreetMap

Your multi-use trail might provide a path for school children with
less vehicle traffic. It might provide a measured distance for
runners to exercise. It might provide educational access to a
protected environmental area or a place to go with the family for some
fresh air and a picnic.

Your multi-use path adds character to your neighbourhood and to the
map. One of the most fundamental contributions that you can make to
OpenStreetMap is to add a new trail, path or road. The Project of the
Week is to add a Trail to OpenStreetMap.

Find details on how to participate in this Project of the Week see the wiki
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Project_of_the_week/2010/Aug_22

Newer OpenStreetMap contributors can find a tutorial on how to add a
trail to OpenStreetMap, along with other tutorials, here
http://weait.com/content/add-trail-openstreetmap

This is your Project of the Week. Make suggestions. Inspire other mappers.
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Project_of_the_week/Proposals

Other Projects of the Week / Humanitarian Mapping
Humanitarian emergencies continue. If you can provide some additional
remote mapping time please consider helping.
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/2010_07_Pakistan_Floods
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Project_of_the_week/2010/Aug_15

Trail photo by Mostaque Chowdhury is licensed CC-By.

Happy Anniversary OpenStreetMap

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OpenStreetMap turns six today, so Happy Anniversary and / or Happy
Birthday. Celebrations around the world range from quiet reflection
of individual mappers to raucous demonstrations of mass cartography.
Also, there are sweets.

Congratulations, OpenStreetMap, and here is to many more!