CommonMap:About

From CommonMap

CommonMap is intended to be a secure custodian of useful digital geographical models. Right now, however, we are in the founding and planning stage.

Suppliers of geographical models are plentiful in the marketplace, and the similarity of CommonMap to the look and feel of OpenStreetMap is no coincidence. We intend to run the same copy of the software used to run OpenStreetMap, where it makes sense.

However, the main point of differentiation to OpenStreetMap is that we will require CommonMap contributors to apply their work without the Share-Alike Creative Commons provision. That is, granting their work under a CC-BY licence, or a similar licence, offering liberal usage without discrimination, no matter if the user is an individual, professional or corporate. (We haven't settled on the exact target licence yet, but we do want to be compatible with contributions that already come prefabricated with a CC-BY licence.)

One of the implications of this stance is that the CommonMap database cannot be seeded with an import from the existing OpenStreetMap dataset. We have to start from scratch. However, original OpenStreetMap contributors will be free to add their work to the CommonMap, on the condition they consent to the CommonMap target licence (probably CC-BY, details to be confirmed).

This shift in licence intent opens up the ability for government and its constituents to form a virtuous circle of information sharing. A problem with OpenStreetMap data is that community contributions are difficult for government to accept, since the contributions comes attached with the Share-Alike condition.

You will also notice that the standard licence in this wiki is a CC-BY licence. Please keep this in mind if you are used to the OpenStreetMap way of things, lest your work be utilised in unintended ways.

We operate this initiative in the hope it is useful to you, but all materials come with NO WARRANTY. That stated, we would hope you just go ahead and correct any errors you see, rather than call your lawyer. Thanks for your attention.

About the Name

The name is critical as it is the first impression somebody gets of the whole initiative.

The use of the terms "Free" and "Open" is problematic, since "Open" is already taken and "Free" (as in the Free Software Foundation) is used as a verb to help justify the concept of Copyleft. Since this initiative is definitely not about propagating copyleft in geodata, we wanted to get away from that potential confusion.

We also wanted to distinguish that this map is definitely for more than just streets. In fact we couldn't see any particular reason why it couldn't apply to any celestial body. Why not name some craters if you're in a position to contribute? Therefore, the use of the term "Street" is also out.

"Map" stays in because everyone knows what one of those is.

So, what's similar in meaning to Open or Free? Well, the name of the target licence is a clue, being one in the Creative Commons family. We're also designing the initiative to be the source of all geographical reference data for the "common man".

The use of the word "Common" also beholds some other ironical amusements:

• The map will probably look rather "common" in its early stages of development.
• When checking for prior uses of "common map", we were surprised to discover the existence of a "Common Map Turtle". Upon discovery of this fact, one recalls the mythology of the world being placed on the back of a turtle. (This myth is explored in the logical puzzle known as "Turtles All The Way Down"). (Sounds like a good idea for a logo; any takers?)