OpenStreetMap is the free and open wiki map of the world made by millions of volunteers whoíre just like you. Contributors use paper, pens, GPS devices, phones and laptops to capture the world around them (like a street name and location) and then upload it to OSM. The map data is then given away for free, all just like wikipedia. This book contains 15 interviews conducted by OSM founder Steve Coast with the people who were there as the project began and grew. Starting in 2004, the interviews trace how a rag tag collection of volunteers was able to produce a map which compares in quality to maps produced by multi-billion dollar corporations. Learn how such an ambitious project got started and then succeeded at mapping the world, for free!

Be your own cartographer.

This handbook provides a comprehensive look at OpenStreetMap (OSM), the web-based editable map of the world that enables people to freely view, edit, and use geographical data in a collaborative way from anywhere on the Earth. Written for novices as well as IT specialists by two experts directly involved with OSM, this guide presents an introduction to the OSM community, the data model, and the software used in the project and offers practical, hands-on advice to contributors and users of OSM geodata. Directions for accessing OSM data and rendering custom maps with Osmarender, Mapnik, and Garmin GPS devices are included, along with a discussion of licensing issues for the maps and techniques for users seeking to run their own OSM servers.

This edited volume presents a collection of lessons learned with, and research conducted on, OpenStreetMap, the goal being to promote the project’s integration. The respective chapters address a) state-of-the-art and cutting-edge approaches to data quality analysis in OpenStreetMap, b) investigations on understanding OpenStreetMap contributors and the nature of their contributions, c) identifying patterns of contributions and contributors, d) applications of OpenStreetMap in different domains, e) mining value-added knowledge and information from OpenStreetMap, f) limitations in the analysis OpenStreetMap data, and g) integrating OpenStreetMap with commercial and non-commercial datasets. The book offers an ideal opportunity to present and disseminate a number of cutting-edge developments and applications in the field of geography, spatial statistics, GIS, social science, and cartography.

Written by an expert in the development of GPS systems with digital maps and navigation, Programming GPS and OpenStreetMap Applications with Java: The RealObject Application Framework provides a concrete paradigm for object-oriented modeling and programming. It presents a thorough introduction to the use of available global positioning data for the development of applications involving digital maps. The author first describes the different formats of GPS data and digital maps and shows how to use recorded GPS traces to replay and display this data on a digital map. Then, he works through in detail the processing steps of obtaining dedicated data from OpenStreetMaps and how to extract a network for a simple navigation application. For each topic covered—GPS data, OpenStreetMaps, and navigation—Java code is developed that can easily be adapted to the readers’ needs and locality. Finally, all components are put together in a sample computer-game application modeled on the well-known board game, Scotland Yard. The computer game is intended to be a basis from which readers can develop and customize their own application for their desired geographical area. The developed application can be "published" on the Internet and made available for interactive multiplayer competition. This book provides a fun and interesting way to learn distributed programming with Java and real-world data. Open-source software is available on a companion website at www.roaf.de

With over one million books sold in her career, Joyce Rupp presents her newest undertaking: a unique collection of daily meditations that draw from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and other sources, offering wisdom and insight about the God who is beyond all names. Bestselling author Joyce Rupp once again proves herself a wise and gentle spiritual midwife, drawing forth 365 names of God from the world’s spiritual treasury. Fragments of Your Ancient Name—whose title comes from a poem by German mystic Rainer Maria Rilke—assembles a remarkable collection of reflections for each day of the year. This unique and profound devotional will heighten awareness of the many names by which God is known around the world. Whether drawing from the Psalms, Sufi saints, Hindu poets, Native American rituals, contemporary writers, or the Christian gospels, Rupp stirs the imagination and the heart to discover a new dimension of God. Each name is explored in a ten-line poetic meditation and is complemented by a simple sentence that serves as a reminder of the name of God throughout the day.

The long-awaited book from best-selling spiritual guide Joyce Rupp, creatively leads readers to explore how the image of the door can guide them in a process of discovering their true self. Joyce Rupp brings new life to the ageless spiritual image of the door, weaving insights from East and West with the wisdom of contemporary spiritual writers, poets, and novelists in a practical format that is just right for contemporary readers. Structured as a daily prayer guide for everyday use over six weeks, each day offers a thematic reflection, a guided meditation, an original prayer, a thoughtful question, and a related scripture quote. A built-in guide for small groups makes this the perfect resource for groups of all kinds as well as individuals.