[Qgis-developer] Adding default OSM backround maps

[Tom Chadwin]

Hi Tim


Tim Sutton-6 wrote
> One thing that I would suggest is that we do not use the default tile
> renders for OSM - it would be much nicer to provide something 'consumer'
> orientated rather than the OSM renders which are great for visualizing a
> broad range of OSM feature types but not IMHO very nice looking
> cartography. Reaching out to the folks at http://giscience.uni-hd.de
> <http://giscience.uni-hd.de/> to see if we can use their tile
> renders might provide a nicer out of the box experience for our users. Of
> course we would still acknowledge OSM as the source of the data and
> giscience as source of the renders. Here is an example of their render:
> 
> http://korona.geog.uni-heidelberg.de
> <http://korona.geog.uni-heidelberg.de/>

While I agree with the principal that OSM's default stylesheet is not
suitable as a basemap, there are several issues your proposal raises:

1. Using OSM's tileservers is more likely to be resilient and unchanging
than another provider

2. OSM itself has authority and kudos, which could be good to associate
ourselves with

3. The style is more familiar, and is more likely to meet users'
expectations

4. Using another provider of course means starting new negotiations

5. Using OSM themselves carries the lowest risk (in my opinion) of a
licensing change like the MapQuest one which quite recently affected many,
many published webmaps

In other words, I think we need OSM first and foremost, and can then look to
ask other providers whose styles are likely to prove more useful
cartographically.

</tuppence>

Tom



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