OS OpenData™ Consultation Government Response

OS OpenData™ Consultation Government Response

BREAKING NEWS

Ordnance Survey launches free downloadable maps

Move marks radical departure from previous OS financial model under which every piece of map data had to be paid for

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/apr/01/ordnance-survey-maps-download-free

What's Free?

• OS Street View http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/streetview/
  
• 1:50 000 Gazetteer http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/50kgazetteer/ [note: 1km resolution so dots ontop of each other]
  
• 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster - http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/250kraster/
  
• OS Locator http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/oslocator/
  
• Boundary-Line http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/boundaryline/
  
• Code-Point Open* - http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/codepoint/
  
• Meridian 2 - http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/meridian2/ [ROADS! and classified]
  
• Strategi http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/strategi/ [Meridian2 better]
  
• MiniScale http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/miniscale/
  
• OS VectorMap District* (available 1 May 2010)
• Land-Form PANORAMA http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/landformpanorama/ [an old DTM needs cleaning up but can be useful if polygonised]

*still needs to be defined.
source:
http://ernestmarples.com/blog/2010/03/government-response-to-ordnance-survey-consultation-published/

Release of data for free
In response to this support, government will release a range of Ordnance Survey data:
on 1 April 2010, known as OS OpenData™.
The datasets to be released are those set out in the original consultation document as the Free package, with the following changes:

• replacement of 1:25 000 and 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster products with OS VectorMap District

• addition of OS Locator™ and Land-Form PANORAMA to the product list

• replacement of Code-Point by Code-Point Open, which provides accurate locations for 1.7 million postcodes in England, Scotland and Wales.
@mapperz

Straight to the PDF
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/corporate/pdf/1528263.pdf

Live links tomorrow!
Happy Mapping... and downloading from

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/opendata/ (1st April 2010)

OpenStreetMap Going READ-ONLY* [upgrade]

OpenStreetMap Going READ-ONLY* [upgrade]
*for 2 days

This is now active...
http://www.openstreetmap.org/offline

"The OpenStreetMap database is currently in read-only mode while essential database maintenance work is carried out. "

Note: GPX Upload will also be unavailable.


Why can't I edit OpenStreetMap from tomorrow 10am British Summer Time?


Due to major upgrading OpenStreetMap will say 'no' to editing.


This is due to a Major Upgrade of Hardware/API Software and many other components too much to list out.

OpenStreetMap API 0.6 is scheduled to go live on 17-19th April, 2009.

"Expect server downtime during that period. The current API will go into Read Only mode at 10:00am BST (9:00 UTC) Friday 17th April. You might need to upgrade your editor to use the new API after the work is complete. There may also be some hiccups in the following days."

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Protocol_Version_0.6/Information

Why so much downtime?

"Switching off" OSM for up to four days isn't something we take lightly, but we don't have much choice. We're moving the data from one database server to our shiny new one. Also there's a lot of processing to create changesets, fix utf8 bugs, deal with inconsistencies and stuff.

We will keep the API up and running in read-only mode for most of the weekend, and the website displaying maps, however we will need at least a short period of total downtime.

If you are a JOSM user, you will be able to download but not upload over much of the weekend, however you would be well advised to upload any mapping work before the weekend, and dont start any extensive editing work until you're up and running with API0.6 next week. Compatibility glitches are a possibility otherwise.

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Protocol_Version_0.6/Information#Why_so_much_downtime.3F

Mapperz hopes the upgrading goes smoothly and painlessly as possible. Good luck with the upgrade OSM team.
Afterwards you will find OpenStreetMap at a faster pace for an even more enjoyable mapping experience.

Super Heatwave in April? [BBC Weather Map]

Super Heatwave in April? [BBC Weather Map]




According to BBC Weather there is a SuperHeatwave [36+ degrees] in the North of England at 12 noon today.

When data feeds go wrong?



The Met Office [Offical UK source] has a more normal prediction

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_temp.html


Surprisingly it looks like and error on the BBC Weather side as they use Met Office data.