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<TITLE>FW: CommonMap in Canada [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>Fyi,<BR>
<BR>
This project will be work watching.<BR>
<BR>
Bruce<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
------ Forwarded Message<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><B>From: </B>Brendan Morley <BR>
<B>Date: </B>Mon, 14 Mar 2011 21:09:36 +1100<BR>
<BR>
<B>Subject: </B>CommonMap in Canada<BR>
<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>Hi all,<BR>
<BR>
I just wanted to let you know that the CommonMap initiative is still<BR>
alive, as am I.<BR>
<BR>
To recap, CommonMap will be a collaboration and repository of<BR>
liberally-licenced geodata (without share-alike) - accessible though an<BR>
OpenStreetMap-style interface. We will accept Creative Commons<BR>
Attribution, CC0 and public domain geodata contributions, depending on<BR>
your jurisdiction. We expect it will find fresh acceptance in the "Gov<BR>
2.0" movement, since it allows governments to redistribute contributions<BR>
from the community. We also are quite happy to accept OpenStreetMap<BR>
contributors who find themselves dissatisfied with its default licence.<BR>
<BR>
We want to focus on a particular country at first, which is Canada. Why?<BR>
<BR>
* It has quite a comprehensive open data catalogue;<BR>
* It appears to have a compatible licence;<BR>
* It also has a rigorous "foreign key" model, which bodes well for<BR>
roundtripping back to government;<BR>
* It's the home of Refractions Research, the custodian of PostGIS<BR>
which is a good friend of mine;<BR>
* Finally, it helps that Sam Vekemans is our enthusiastic man on<BR>
the ground over there.<BR>
<BR>
We want to get as much of Natural Resources Canada's GeoBase and Canvec<BR>
publications into the CommonMap database as we can, and use Canada as a<BR>
showcase country for what CommonMap can uniquely do.<BR>
<BR>
The "proof of concept" API instance is currently at<BR>
<a href="http://api.development.i386.commonmap.org/">http://api.development.i386.commonmap.org/</a><BR>
It is hosting an overlay of:<BR>
<BR>
* Natural Earth Data;<BR>
* Some sample Geobase National Road Network, National Hydro<BR>
Network and Land Cover datasets.<BR>
<BR>
(Hint: look up Victoria, British Columbia[1] for an example of all 3<BR>
datasets together.)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Next comes the challenge of ramping up to a public launch. The core of<BR>
CommonMap is a web-facing API and its "one true" database, a download<BR>
site for XML full copies of that database, and a map tile server with<BR>
its optimised database. To run this at public scale will demand about<BR>
8-10 CPU cores and associated storage, or about US $10,000 per year.<BR>
<BR>
Let's face it, we will require a higher rate of donations to do this. If<BR>
you believe in the idea of CommonMap, a good way to show your<BR>
support is to donate to CommonMap Inc. (CommonMap Inc is the non profit<BR>
body that operates the CommonMap internet resources.)<BR>
<BR>
Potential donors, please head this way:<BR>
<a href="http://www.commonmap.org/page/donate">http://www.commonmap.org/page/donate</a><BR>
<BR>
Even if you can't spare the cash, perhaps you can spare your skills or<BR>
tools, whether they be in geodesy, obtaining or converting geodata<BR>
imports, running up database or tile servers, or developing<BR>
applications? Let us know.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Please feel free to forward this news to whoever you wish.<BR>
<BR>
I welcome all comments: You can make further enquires by return email,<BR>
the commonmap.org website, or "CommonMap" at LinkedIn, Facebook or<BR>
Twitter. Sam Vekemans also has a group blog for CommonMap set up at<BR>
Posterous.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
Brendan<BR>
<BR>
[1]<BR>
<a href="http://api.development.i386.commonmap.org/?lat=48.821&lon=-123.574&zoom=9&layers=B0000FTF">http://api.development.i386.commonmap.org/?lat=48.821&lon=-123.574&zoom=9&layers=B0000FTF</a><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
--<BR>
Brendan Morley<BR>
President, CommonMap Inc.<BR>
<a href="morb_au@commonmap.info">morb_au@commonmap.info</a><BR>
<a href="http://commonmap.org/">http://commonmap.org/</a><BR>
Queensland Incorporated Association 37762<BR>
Also find us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn<BR>
--<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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