Maps and Whereness - Ubiquitous Positioning - page 151

expensive equipment to produce high-quality (expensive) maps. In contrast,
amateur mapmakers use very cheap and less accurate equipment but have the
advantage of using “crowdsourcing.” This is the term used to describe an
approach where motivated amateurs are self-organized to cooperate to achieve a
goal, the result of which is covered usually by a legal framework that allows free
use but not commercialization. By combining the logs for a number of tracks, the
inherent inaccuracies of consumer GPS can be averaged, producing very useful
maps.
The terminology “the wisdom of crowds” has been adopted to describe the
sentiment which supposes that by using a large number of independent people the
average will be useful. There is a counterargument that experts are still needed to
validate and verify information, especially where there may be malicious intent.
Geohacking is in its infancy but may well become a nuisance, but more serious
manipulation of maps for criminal, political, or military ends is also a possibility.
8.7.1 OpenStreetMap (OSM)
OSM [22] is building up an impressive range of free maps created by amateurs.
The organization both hosts the content and provides the software framework
needed to create the maps from track-logs and feature attribution.
8.7.2 Publicly Funded Mapmaking
In the United States, maps from the U.S. Geographical Survey (USGS), which is
an arm of government paid for by general taxation, are given to citizens freely. In
contrast, in many other countries (e.g., the U.K.) government maps are sold
commercially. It will be interesting to see how the different funding models affect
the quality of mapping, particularly for countries such as the United States which
has a vast territorial extent. It may be that open mapping by citizens compliments
the public approach whereas the more commercial operations would be disrupted.
Open mapping is a genuine disruptive technology that could curtail at least some
traditional commercial map operations.
8.7.3 Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community
(INSPIRE)
A different approach to openness is the top-down approach being adopted by the
EU in 2007, to address the fragmented approach to maps across the Community.
Its aim is standardization and interoperability and it may become a very
significant agent for change.