Just after Christmas, when many were not working or not working too hard (I put myself in the latter group), Ed Freyfogle of Nestoria, a real estate search tool, explained in a detailed blog post why and how his organization moved from the Google Maps basemap to one from MapQuest built on OpenStreetMap. I found the post very well written and had nothing to add. So I added it to our Worth a Click section (@directionswac). Here's the entry. That section is where we link to content from other websites that we feel is worth your time.
Other websites tackled the news of the switch (and a second one detailed in the posts comments) differently.
On December 27 CIOL's Christoper Mims summarized the article and concluded. "It's doubtful that Google realized when it decided to start charging companies to use its Maps API that OpenStreetMaps was mature enough for developers to immediately jump ship."
The same day Forbes Chris Barth retold the story with a provocative headline "Google's Penny Pinching Is Costing It Customers" and even included Apple's recent acquistions as potential future competition for Google.
StreetInsider ran its version the same day soucing Forbes.
TechDirt jumped in on the 28th and GIS Lounge on the 29th.
Do you prefer to read the original (especially if it's well-written) or a summary?
by Adena Schutzberg on 01/04 at 05:50 AM |
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