Comments on: Gordon Brown announces OS maps to be free online

By: Nicholas Verge

Nicholas Verge — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:00:27 +0000

Folks interested in the freeing of UK PSI should read in full the following UK Government Policy doc

http://www.hmg.gov.uk/frontlinefirst.aspx

One big surprise, UK Meteorological Office data and output of its numerical weather prediction models to be freed – whoopee!

By: Stephen Black

Stephen Black — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:02:48 +0000

This actually changes very little. What is being made avaliable is maps online, not raw raster images but simply online access via api for online map applications.

If you want to use background mapping served by your own servers you will still need to buy it and applications line memory map will still need maps to be purchased as unless you have a good gprs or 3g signal they won’t work over the mobile web.

What should be released is the raw map tiles to then use however you want.

By: Computing, GIS and Archaeology in the UK » On freeing data, unwillingly

Computing, GIS and Archaeology in the UK » On freeing data, unwillingly — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:58:38 +0000

[...] it’s not complete or recently updated. Like Peter Batty, I don’t want our data brought in line with that of the US, as it’s currently much [...]

By: Andy Key

Andy Key — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:24:09 +0000

@Gary: That’s OS Streetview(R) which is 1:10,000 but optimised to show streets and roads, complete with colour coding (red for A roads, yellow for B etc.) The standard 1:10,000 map shows much more detail but is less easy to read. It remains to be seen which version will be made available for general use. Both, I hope!

If the OS are wise they will adopt the Openstreetmap approach: make the maps available for bulk download and invite other organisations to take copies and set up their own map servers.

By: Gary F

Gary F — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:46:09 +0000

Yay! A big step in the right direction. I’m very keen to see if they will release boundary (ward/district) data too.

This website uses OS OpenSpace maps: http://www.maptogps.com/index.php?easting=499500&northing=179500
If you zoom in all the way you can see each building. Is this 1:10,000 or 1:5000? Does the new announcement mean anyone can use this level of detail?

I wonder how the OS web servers will cope if loads of people start using their free maps on their site? It will cost them a lot of money to enhance their infrastructure.

By: Lesley

Lesley — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:21:06 +0000

How far we’ve come from 2001 or perhaps it was 2002 when OS wanted to copyright the TOID. Incomprehensible then, incomprehensible now.

By: Anthony Cartmell

Anthony Cartmell — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:56:23 +0000

Just removing the “derived data” rules is a major advance, and will make the use of the Google Maps API for UK locations officially allowed at last!

A very good announcement, I hope it actually happens without OS or the next government putting a stop to it. It seems that governments have a habit of becoming sensible just before they lose power…

By: Nicholas Verge

Nicholas Verge — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:21:06 +0000

What i would also like to know, is does this mean that mapping produced for other parts of the world, mostly Commonwealth countries and UK colonies/dependancies, produced by the DGIA (formerly GSGS), the OS and the Department of Overseas Surveys, will be released, if not classified?

By: MishMash

MishMash — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:35:40 +0000

OS data to be made freely available?…

Potentially big news, even if limited: some Ordnance Survey data (you know, the stuff the tax payer paid for, directly or indirectly) is to be made freely available. The free our data blog has some comments. Importantly: Key points: it……

By: Walkhighlands

Walkhighlands — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:05:17 +0000

Great news on derived data.

I’m sure the OS will try to exclude 1:25 000 though. OpenSpace currently has 1:10 000 and 1:50 000 but not the 1:25 000 in between.

By: Charles Arthur

Charles Arthur — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:51:31 +0000

My understanding – though of course the consultation next month should make this clearer – is that electoral boundary data, postcode area data and maps at 1:10,000 and up (ie less detailed) become available.

And yes, “derived data” goes away. Tim Berners-Lee was very specific about the frustrations that causes.

@JohnNutt – well, I guess you can please some of the people..

By: John Nutt

John Nutt — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:47:00 +0000

Seems like a half hearted attempt to me. What about detailed maps? Google maps already give us all we need at the ‘mid-scale’ – what we really want is the detailed level maps – i.e. the Ordnance Survey MasterMap product!

By: Andy Key

Andy Key — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:06 +0000

@Walkhighlands: Yes, it will mean the collapse of the Memory Map/Anquet/Tracklogs business model. At the moment those companies effectively give their software away for free and make money through mark-ups on the map data. The software packages vary a lot in quality and in the functions they offer. If the map data’s available for nothing ,they’ll have to focus on selling the software instead. On the plus side, that may trigger some of them to improve the quality of that software, to justify charging a decent price for it. I suspect a lot of them will simply drop out of the market though.

By: Andy Key

Andy Key — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:58:16 +0000

Yeah, I’m also a bit worried by the fact you say “it involves ‘mid-scale’ maps from 1:10,000 upwards…” That’s basically the raster mapping (Landranger, Explorer, road atlas etc) which is nice, but what the mash-up people need is some of the raw data sets. Were these mentioned specifically? You’ll have a hell of a job extracting the local authority boundaries from a raster Landranger map.

And does it definitely *definitely* kill off the derived data issue?

By: Nicholas Verge

Nicholas Verge — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:18:03 +0000

Will OS data released include aerial imagery, digital elevation models and obsolete (historical) mapping?