While this is not bad, didn’t these companies considered just contributing to OpenStreetMap? Why is starting a new thing better?
It seems they consider themselves complimentary with OpenStreetMap, as stated on their FAQ https://overturemaps.org/resources/faq/#
Overture is a data-centric map project, not a community of individual map editors. Therefore, Overture is intended to be complementary to OSM. We combine OSM with other sources to produce new open map data sets. Overture data will be available for use by the OpenStreetMap community under compatible open data licenses. Overture members are encouraged to contribute to OSM directly.
I don’t know a lot about any of both projects, but it seems fair.
Almost sounds too fair, like there’s a catch. You can never know with these guys.
All companies are forced to play nice when they aren’t at the top. Google has a monopoly on mapping, their only real competitor is TomTom, and really only in the US. All of these companies need mapping data and don’t want to pay google for it, so it makes sense to work together to release this.
It makes sense; OSM is a great source of mapping data, but it misses POIs like businesses and whatnot. If I understand it correctly they all want to chip in to make a huge combined dataset that has the potential to rival Google Maps, especially if they all use it and allow people to contribute as easily as you can do on Google Maps.
Can’t collect data on users without starting their own thing.
Sounds like you don’t actually know much about it. This is a map dataset, they have no way of tracking people once it is independently implemented. They also could have just released a map app using OSM and collected data from that, there was nothing stopping them.
They explained in their FAQ why this is a separate project:
Overture is a data-centric map project, not a community of individual map editors. Therefore, Overture is intended to be complementary to OSM. We combine OSM with other sources to produce new open map data sets. Overture data will be available for use by the OpenStreetMap community under compatible open data licenses. Overture members are encouraged to contribute to OSM directly.
I never claimed to know everything about it, but fair enough, I definitely may have misunderstand that aspect. Thanks for the clarification!
Sorry I used a bit of a rude tone. Just wanted to make sure misconceptions weren’t spread.
Totally understandable. I don’t want to come off like I was well read on this, I was definitely jumping to a conclusion based on the companies involved.
How would data collection work in this case though?
With their own map apps for phones and such, possibly
It wouldn’t. It’s an open set of data that anybody can use. These companies can, and likely will, create their own map tools that will track users, but they just as easily could have done so using OSM.
Either by launching their own apps or by having access to Overture’s usage stats and meta data.
That must be it, all these companies are known to give not a single fuck about privacy.
This does use OpenStreetMap. It adds other public data from other sources.
Out of the four layers Overture Maps provides, th ey use OpenStreetMap for the Transportation and Building layers.
Using it is not contributing to it. Or am I a contributor to the Linux kernel, and even to Windows itself?
For Windows, considering how much data is sent back to Microsoft, using Windows contributes in it’s own way.
Overture says they are providing data. What ever is contributed to OSM is up to the OSMF, not Overture.
No, you misunderstand.
Overture maps does not contribute in any way to OSM by using it. It just takes its data, and provides it at an alternate place. Just as I do not contribute to the development of Windows and Linux by using them.
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Good question. Contributing to OSM seems like the better route. Pun intended.
That wouldn’t be evil. And they probably can’t just take over OSM or one would have already.
Can anyone recommend some good Android map apps that use this? I would love to switch!
OSMAnd+ is the complete solution, and Organic Maps is a young experimental project. I use OSMAnd+ in India and it suffices my needs more than Google Maps did. If you are comfortable with closed source Magic Earth, it could be useful.
Organic Maps is really good but beware that it doesn’t have lane assistance on highways which can prove to be dangerous imo.
…which is precisely why I recommend and use OSMAnd+. I cannot give a shit about 10% more sparkly pretty UI, when OSMAnd+ does the job while looking more or less good enough to me.
Anything for iOS yet?
OsmAnd works on iOS too
Hmm, looking at it, it even supports Android Auto! Neat!
How this can be used to improve OSM/Organic Maps?
If the license is compatible with the one used by OSM contributors can use the data to make their life easier, contributors of the dataset are encouraged to contribute directly to osm if possible.
Licence is compatible, but data they have is of…questionable quality…to say at least. For example, I think building dataset is Odbl and I think it contains ML-detected buildings. These got released years ago (becase they had to release it as OdbL to mix them in their maps). Rarely who imported these buildings in OSM as there are lot pf false positives and what not. So, just because they released something under odbl/cdla doesn’t mean it is good for OSM and that it could be imported (for example speed profiles, if we ever get real gold data). Overture is more of a playground for big tech to play without OSM telling them what is good and what is not
Even if of questionable quality it can be used by mappers to speed up their work, that’s the same principle as rapid or mapillary, they help us speed up the work, or at least I used them this way (but I don’t think everyone else would like to map every building in a city by hand), and if it’s not the best quality we can modify the data and tweak the quality by hand, I don’t import dataset on rapid as they are if they don’t conform.
If I recall correctly, that joint effort was coordinated with the help of the linux foundation… Correct me if I am wrong
You are correct. it’s in the title of the website. https://overturemaps.org/
Anything we can do to have competition in the market is a good thing.
Yes please! Google Maps (the app, not so much the data) gets worse with every update.
Yeah. I love Google Maps and don’t have any plans to stop using it, but it’s always good for consumers to have competition. Monopolies lead to stagnation.
It’s time to apply the law and ask them to remove the datas about my home.
I’m not familiar with overture maps or OSM. What does it all mean? Will they really compete with gmaps? Are either more privacy focused?
OSM is basically Wikipedia in map form. It uses public domain or donated map data and anyone can contribute.
It is very much a competitor to Google Maps.
But OSM is not a simple map but a database of data, what you see on their site is only an implementation of what you can do with the data.
All maps are a collection of databases. Points, geometries and so much more. It’s all a database that gets the. Processed into a map UI.
Yes but other services provides you only the maps that’s not the case on osm.
Not if you’re using them commercially as an API. I have used various Google Maps APIs on a number of projects. It’s all databases.
That API doesn’t let you do everything tho, only a number of operations like embed Google Maps on their websites or apps, perform geocoding operations, get directions, and more.
It doesn’t give you direct access to the database!
Could you not say the same of Wikipedia?
