[Aust-NZ] this is interesting - map spamming

[Ross Johnson]

Error, Deliberate or Accidental?

We are all familiar with spam - on the net, by SMS and by phone through that persistent bug called the telemarketeer. It was but a matter of time before these people, operating on the edge of the law, discovered the world of geospatial location based services. How many times have we zeroed in on a local address only to find that behind the address is nothing but a telephone and a person who directs you to another location far away? Is it lawful to put your location in a public park or a P O Box just to capture potential customers who would prefer a local supplier? On the other hand we have situations where lack of sensitivity towards political issues leads otherwise reasonable and conscientious persons to make serious mistakes. We have had Google getting into trouble with several countries on a range of issues from erroneous borders, security lapses and privacy issues. We now see Open Street Maps, a fantastic volunteer effort, stubbing its toes on a border issue with India. Is this a deliberate error or is it the use of a free map which was meant for domestic use in another country? Volunteer efforts which become global have to become sensitive to global issues. The issue is the law, if any, that governs the authenticity and legality of volunteer information - commercial or altruistic - that is made available on the net. 

http://www.geospatialworld.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18406:map-spamming-the-latest-way-to-cheat&catid=67:business-general&Itemid=1


 		 	   		  
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