Comments on: Start Geocoding your country – Google opens up MapMaker for Pakistan

By: ujmi

ujmi — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:04:27 +0000

Osama, thanks will be shortly in touch.

By: Osama A.

Osama A. — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:10:09 +0000

Ujmi – Please do send me a post at osama@greenwhite.org and we’ll share it with the rest of us here…

By: Ali

Ali — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:55:18 +0000

On another note, i have mapped almost all of Islamabad with some friends in OSM and that data is open for use to everyone. We are looking for more people to join us in mapping other parts of Pakistan. However, i strongly recommend that you read up on mapping before you start as we have put in a lot of time and effort in this. If you start mapping without understanding mapping conventions, there is a good chance you will ruin someone elseâ€™s hard work.

By: Ali

Ali — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:49:57 +0000

Im not a big fan of Google Map Maker. The idea behind it is that only Google can use your contributions as opposed to OSM where no one really owns the actual data. Google, however, owns all your hard work. This is just a way for them to save the money theyâ€™d otherwise pay to the map data companies.

Check out the OSM press release about Map maker
http://svn.openstreetmap.org/misc/pr_material/releases/osm_release_25062008.pdf

By: ujmi

ujmi — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:12:27 +0000

Here are few quick tips for everyone (if Greenwhite allows I can write in an article on it).

1. Use polygons for the buildings and larger structures.
2. Use points for only smaller structures or objects.
3. Make all business locations fall under “Business” instead of Establishment or something else…
4. And keep in mind though you are helping map Pakistan, you will most of the time will be helped by our Indian brothers and sisters! Sometimes I even wonder why are they hovering over Pakistani cities all the time? (no pun intended)

And about doing a custom solution, why reinvent a wheel?

By: Monocoque

Monocoque — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:36:48 +0000

Good start, no need for custom solutions anymore. We will see great stuff from fellow Pakistanis soon.

Person I knew was going to create customized cartography application, then came Google Maps, then this. Good luck everyone.

By: ob

ob — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:20:43 +0000

kamran, my solution runs ontop of google maps. So you might end up getting the same imagery.

By: ujmi

ujmi — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:43:34 +0000

Ok in today’s allotted to my own self time to waste, I was able to put tons of details to only Islamabad! And it made me even wonder if I am the only guy adding information regarding to Islamabad?

Don’t we have any more geeks around?

By: Kamran

Kamran — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:01:16 +0000

if ob is making one, i hope to see the latest of the images. The kind of images that google is currently having are old one..

By: ujmi

ujmi — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:59:43 +0000

Good! I am jumping right in.