OpenStreetMap
Second post - undergraduate geography dissertation
Posted by CarolineH on 29 September 2008 in English.My last post generated a good response from OSMers explaining why they got involved with mapping and joined in the OSM project. Thanks again to all those who responded.
I have decided to post some more questions along a similar line of enquiry, and am inviting anyone to respond and share their thoughts:
1) Do you view user-generated mapping, and taking part in OSM, as a hobby or a lifestyle choice?
2)Why do people attend Mapping parties?
If you would like to share your opinions with me and contribute to my study of the OSM community please either post a comment here, e-mail me via the site or at caroline.hangartner@student.manchester.ac.uk
Any response is appreciated and I will acknowledge all people who contribute in my dissertation, unless you specifically wish not to be acknowledged; please let me know if this is the case. I will not attribute names/ usernames to specific comments or quotes used within the body of my dissertation without first seeking your permission (most probably via e-mail).
Caroline
Discussion
Comment from LivingWithDragons on 29 September 2008 at 16:57
1) It's a hobby that took over my life, as all good hobbies should. With maintaining my blog/sub-project can feel like a chore at times to go mapping frequently. Right now I'm in my new house waiting for the 2nd year of uni to start, life is calm so mapping is a great reason/motivation to get out of the house and do something.
2) To meet other mappers. To stop me from being a socially-rejected geek maybe. To discuss my mapping experiences with others (I can't manage to blog about it all, I need another listening outlet). And as a valid non-alcoholic way to go for a pint at the end of the day.
A more humourous answer to 2)
My friends (the ones who think I do nothing but mapping) think I'll meet a nice mapping girl to marry. I guess going to Mapping Parties would be the way to meet her. Otherwise mapping can be lonely* as if you have more than one person it's better to divide up and keep geographically separated.
*Not to say I don't like the peaceful time to think.
Comment from ivansanchez on 29 September 2008 at 17:10
1) In my case, it started as a hobby, but quickly turned into copyleft activism. You could say that my motivations for spending time in OSM are philosophical, as I do believe that maps should be free as in freedom (and will fight for that!).
Anyway I think that, as the map becomes complete, less and less people will see OSM as a hobby, and more and more will see OSM as a cost-effective solution for fresh geodata. The tools and technique for spreading OSM to non-geeks are not ready (yet), but I do believe that in a few years OSM *will* displace navteg/teleatlas data. This will lead to more people using OSM because it's just cooler/cheaper/better, not because it's fun.
2) Beer!!
IMHO, the first reason to attend mapping parties (or SotM) is to socialize. Second reason is to improve or learn new mapping techniques, or discuss technical aspects face-to-face.
A mapping party may be a good technique to kick-start the map of some place, but there is (from my point of view) no sense of hurry: the map will be done, eventually.
Cheers, Iván
Comment from Richard on 29 September 2008 at 17:18
1. I tend to be fairly 'full on' about hobbies and this is another example of that, in a way. It's also something I take part in as a (semi-pro) cartographer, but unfortunately the amount of use I, or anyone else, can make of OSM in this way is limited until we get the licence sorted out.
2. For me, it's mostly for the social side. Mapping parties are generally about housing estates, and sometimes I'll take part/organise one because I'd like to see the place in question mapped - but by and large, if I'm going to spend a day mapping, I'd rather go out on a rural cycle ride on an uncharted bit of the National Cycle Network than go up and down countless residential cul-de-sacs.