Independent gets it wrong on maps

I've posted before about it being time to open up the OS Map resource which successive governments have missed. So was pretty surprised to see the David McCarthy in The Independent Internet maps 'demolish British history' making the mistake of thinking that it's the fault of the people who have to create their own maps.

The article was in the edition I bought friday, actually it's probably one of the worst I have read this year (sorry McCarthy). With not even a mention of the key point that OS refuse to license their material under reasonable terms. I'd love OS to provide their data so we can have public footpaths on Google maps.

It's just such a waste of the fabulous OS map resource at present. The OS have obviously some skilled staff at least, as they have their own internet map (so it is available on the "internet" McCarthy!) but have constrained it to such a tiny image, and you can't take a copy unless you screengrab it as they have blocked the right mouse button... pity the team who were forced to put those restrictions in. It will obviously open up eventually, but why ruin the sector for the next 10 years unnecessarily OS?

McCarthy even miss titles BCS the "British CartographicAL Society"

There is a reason not even government councils use OS maps. Anal licensing and poor integration possibilities mean the OS is again failing to make its mark online.

To prove the point, I checked the OS map online map browser and see all the flaws a site shoudl not have:

* It displays OS maps in a clunky small popup.
* It displays errors in yet another clunky small popup
* It doesn't offer alternatives if I miss spell "TEWKEXSBURY"
* I can't print the map
* I can't link to the map
* I can't email the link to anyone
* The UI is poor, I can't drag the view
* The zoom is poor, I can't use my scroll wheel
* The popups are full of adverts for Garmin, Philips, AZ, cicerone, Isys
Outrdoors, Jarrod, Memory map, and printed maps. They've got there
target the wrong way around, most people use internet maps these
days, when they are just trying to use the internet to sell offline maps.

The problem with OS maps is that its run by the government, and bureaucrats see no reason to change it from it's paper based existence unfortunately.. suck in the 1980s mindset, shame.