OpenGeoData

This is a tiny scan from an A-Z map of central Bristol:

Only if you go and wander around Canynge Square in Bristol you see some nice houses where that Close should be:

Lye Close isn’t in the index either. Weird, huh? Well, not really. It’s an easter egg, a surprise street inserted so that if you attempt to copy the map then then the copyright holder can prove you copied it. Otherwise, why would you have the nonsense street in your map if you didn’t get it from them?

Fake street features are fairly hard to find, and we really have no idea how many there are. Fake streets, purpose mis-spellings and phantom churches are all thought to exist. It’s why OpenStreetMap asks you not to refence maps when entering data, and it’s one reason why we need our own free and accurate geodata.

With thanks to Laurence and Jo for scans and pictures.

After the successful pledge where people signed Jo’s minifesto and gave 10 pounds to support open geodata we have another pledge for you: “I will enter the location (coordinates from my GPS) and postcode of every place I visit (house, pub, shop..) to freethepostcode.org for a week but only if 10 other people will too.” Sign up here!

There is a good lineup at the WSFII in London on the Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd of October. I’ll be speaking there, at least.

Tom has written a whizzy new applet that I’ve put up to replace the horrid old one.