user generated maps - why anyone uses them

Christopher J. Parker

Value is NOT Price!

http://chris-researchblog.blogspot.com/http://chris-researchblog.blogspot.com/

Value = Gains - Gives "There is no universal

definition of value, but a tailored construction of actual usability specifications to fit the needs of each individual situation" [1]

Value is the Net Benefits

Background


WE Have a Problem For over 50 years [2] there

has been a call for more specialist maps

Since Paul Rademacher created the first mashup in 2005 [3] home developers have been creating all kinds of maps

Academically, all of this is a mystery outside computer sciences


YOU Have a Problem Why would people use

OpenStreetMap? Who are your users? What do they want? Are their concerns being

met?


Why should we research value? Value DOES NOT =

QualityFit for purpose [4] &

conforming to requirements [5]

Research to date has been conducted in ‘Computer Sciences’ and GIS


Research Study 1 - Overview Centred around “Volunteered

Geographic Information” (VGI) How should we think about ‘Value’ in

VGI? What are the user base relationships? What are the important ‘benefits’ and

‘sacrifices’ with VGI based Maps? What is the background for map user-

groups?


Initial Results


Methods Interview Google Maps &

OpenStreetMap users, developers, and contributors

Break down interviews into 118 nodes

Looked for common themes and trends the in data


User Relationships

CORPORATE MAP

PROGRAMS

What does VGI mean to me?

VGI MAP PROJECT

DEVELOPERSDATA OWNERS

What is the best licence

Flame Wars

CONTRIBUTORS

What do I want to do?

Is everyone pulling together?

INFLUENCE

OPINIONS

OPINION

MAILING LISTS

‘Rich Picture’ by Parker (2009), base on the concept by Monk and Howard (1998)

How can I make money from this?

VGI BUSINESS MASHUPS

TRADITIONAL CARTOGRAPHY GOVERNMENT

Who takes the Blame?

COMMUNITY

Don’t intrude on us

Can I trust this data?

USERS

Will I have to pay for this?

‘Traditional’ Mashups

This doesn’t have everything

VGI/ Corporate Maps Mashups

MAPS

MAPS

MAPS

INFLUENCE

DATADATA

DATA

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Our maps should be different

What can I do with this?

Tradition

PREFERENCE

[6][6]


Benefits and Sacrifices

Volunteered Geographic Information

MAPS

Functional Knowledge

Social Enhancement

BackgroundEmotional

Legal

Moral


Benefits and Sacrifices (Cont.)

Volunteered Geographic Information

MAPS

Functional Knowledge

Social Enhancement

Map is better than

competition

Inaccuracies OK

Enables work activities

Enables social activities

Increases community

contacts

Cant trust 100%

Incomplete data set


Benefits Background

Continual Improvement Anyone can contribute

Legal Maps are free*

Functional Better than Competition Extra bits not on

traditional maps Personalisation is great Good data! International Maps More up to date

Knowledge Explore local

environment Social Enhancement

Enjoyable community Enables social activities Increases social reach

Emotional Being emotionally

connected to project Hope for the future

Moral Benefiting others Fitting ideology


Sacrifices Background

Ordinance Survey is the gold standard

Legal Functional

Can’t trust 100%Incomplete data setInconsistent tags

Knowledge Social Enhancement

Takes up time

EmotionalConcerned about

data vandalism

Moral


Initial Conclusions People are not making full

use of VGI dataNot aware of itNot understanding benefits

Performance and Functional (doing things) appear allot

Social interaction is very important

More research on user benefit is needed


Future ResearchStudy

1 What is the general value of Volunteered Geographic Information?

2 How do the extra details (fast food, pubs, toilets, bike racks) make a difference to the use of the map?

3 How is user understanding of information different from one user to the next?

4 Objective Vs Subjective volunteered information.


Summary The extra details are

crucial. Completeness is a myth,

but you can give the users what they desire

Social Interaction drives volunteer activity


YOU Have a Problem Why would people use

OpenStreetMap? Who are your users? What do they want? Are their concerns being

met?


Thank YouAnd now, your questions!


References [1] WHITESIDE, J., BENNETT, J. and HOLTZBLATT, K., 1988. Usability Engineering: Our

experience and evolution. In: M. HELANDER, ed, Handbook of Human-computer Interaction. orth-Holland, Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Ltd, pp. 791-817.

[2] CRONE, G.R., 1968. Contemporary Cartography. In: W.G. EAST, ed, Maps and their Makers. Fourth edn. London, UK: Hutchinson & Co LTD, pp. 166-171.

[3] WIKIPEDIA, , January 26th, 2009-last update, mashup (web application hybrid) [Homepage of Wikipedia (En)], [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(web_application_hybrid) [January 27th, 2009].

[4] JURAN, J.M., 1964. Managerial breakthrough: a new concept of the manager's job. McGraw-Hill Companies.

[5] CROSBY, P.B., 1979. Quality is free. McGraw-Hill New York. [6] MONK, A. and HOWARD, S., 1998. The Rich Picture: A Tool for Reasoning About Work Context.

Interactions, 5(2), pp. 21-30.

user generated maps - why anyone uses them

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