-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: British OS launches free data site: UK newspaper article
Date: Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:52:26 -0400
From: Russell Guy <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship
<[log in to unmask]>
References: <[log in to unmask]>
Thinking of "financially viable for revision" - apparently there is
at least one OS 50k or 25k sheet where the entire sheet area is owned
by the same person, so the OS is in essence revising the sheet for a
single person, something they didn't want to do. Wonder how many, if
any, 24k topos are like that in the US?
At 04:46 PM 4/7/2010, you wrote:
>-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: Re: British OS launches free data site: UK newspaper article
>Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 20:41:26 +0000 (GMT)
>From: A CARLUCCI <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Air Photo GIS Forum - Map LibrarianshipMaps <[log in to unmask]>
>
>
>
>Apologies for the delay in writing due to the long (in the UK) Easter
>weekend.
>
>I confirm that the Francis Herbert pun is inevitable.
>
>As to the free OS data, for those non-UK maps-L readers that may be
>interested, this development may well have been influenced by the "Free
>Our Data" campaign championed by the Guardian newspaper, on the
>principle that because taxpayers have already paid for the compilation
>of the OS's mapping data, then it should be available (relatively)
>freely, a concept no doubt familiar to colleagues in the US and Canada.
>When the OS became a "trading fund" in the mid-90s, it was meant to be
>self-sustaining financially. OS cartographers morphed into salespeople,
>prices went up and licences became very restrictive. Recently, at least
>two organizations have begun creating large scale UK digital data in
>competition with OS, and some of this has taken hold, with at least one
>local government in Greater London deciding to buy non-OS digital data.
>OS has often tried to make the case that mapping of areas which do not
>command sufficient sales are not financially viable for revision, but
>then how will the emergency vehicles know where to go?
>
>An interesting development for digital data users in the UK.....
>
>Regards
>April
>
>April Carlucci
>The Intinerant Map Catalog(u)er
>
>--- On *Fri, 2/4/10, Angie Cope /<[log in to unmask]>/* wrote:
>
>
> From: Angie Cope <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: British OS launches free data site: UK newspaper article
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Friday, 2 April, 2010, 20:17
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: RE: British OS launches free data site: UK newspaper
> article
> Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2010 20:02:25 +0100
> From: Francis Herbert <[log in to unmask]
>
><[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>>
> To: 'Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship'
> <[log in to unmask]
> <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>>
>
>
>
>
> Russell:
>
> And, should anyone be interested in at least one British 'quality'
> newspaper's reaction, you can refer to either the hard copy of 'The
> Independent' (London) for today, 2 April 2010, article 'No. 1 in the
> charts since 1717' (full page 15, with 2 col. images); or to the online
> version (with only 1 image - omitting the hard copy's folded and rather
> worn OS map heading the page):-
>
> www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/os-maps-no1-in-the-charts-sin
> ce-1747-1934059.htm
>
> One may be 'pressed' [an inevitable Francis Herbert pun (as April
> Carlucci will confirm)] to locate a copy of what the journalist,
> Jonathan Brown, cites as Dr Richard Oliver's publication 'A Short
> History of the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain'. Perhaps he intended to
> cite 'Ordnance Survey maps : a concise guide for historians', 2nd ed.,
> rev. & expanded (London : The Charles Close Society [for the Study of
> Ordnance Survey Maps], 2005), ISBN 1-870598-24-5|?
>
> Francis (Herbert)
> Past Member (when Curator of Maps, RGS-IBG, London), International Map
> Trade Association
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]
> <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>]
> On Behalf Of Angie Cope
> Sent: 01 April 2010 15:41
> To: [log in to unmask]
> <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: British OS launches free data site
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: British OS launches free data site
> Date: Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:48:41 -0400
> From: Russell Guy <[log in to unmask]
> <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>
>
> The British Ordnance Survey has released the gov't report on the future
> direction of the OS, including what data will be released free of charge
> for private, public, and commercial use. The report is available at
> http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/corporate/pdf/1528263.pdf . It
> is interesting in that the British gov't is now setting up a "commercial
> contract" with OS for funding at least some of the costs of the OS,
> whereas the OS was fully self-supporting up to now.
>
> The OS also launched today its new "OS OpenData" website at
> www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/opendata
> <http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/opendata> where the public can download
> the various free data sets, including medium scale vector data, etc.
> According to the OS, the new site is very overloaded today and users may
> get a request for user i.d. and password. This requirement is a glitch
> due to the overland and OS is working to fix it.
>
> It will be interesting to see what paper maps get discontinued due to
> funding considerations. The OS has already announced the end of its
> very popular 1:250,000 Travelmaster road map series as well as its
> single-sheet Routemaster road map.
>
> Cheers
> Russell Guy [log in to unmask]
> <[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>
> Omnimap.com http://www.omnimap.com
> <http://www.omnimap.com/>
> <http://www.omnimap.com/>P.O. Box 2096
> Tel.: 800-742-2677 (USA only)
> 1004 South Mebane St. Tel.: 336-227-8300
> (International)
> Burlington, NC 27216-2096 USA Fax: 336-227-3748
> Past President (1996) and Member, International Map Trade Association
**************************************************************************************
Russell Guy [log in to unmask]
Omnimap.com http://www.omnimap.com
P.O. Box 2096 Tel.: 800-742-2677 (USA only)
1004 South Mebane St. Tel.: 336-227-8300
(International)
Burlington, NC 27216-2096 USA Fax: 336-227-3748
Past President (1996) and Member, International Map Trade Association
**************************************************************************************
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