Filed under: Maps
Two and a half years ago I started the Libre Map Project. My goal was to make maps and GIS data freely available on one centralized web site. During that time I contaced the USGS in hopes that they would coolaborate by sharing data with me. That approach was basically met with silence. Next, I decided to submit multiple Freedom of Information Act requests trying to get Public Domain maps without having to pay thousands of dollars. Those were denied as well.
I’m now announcing a ransom. Instead of spending years trying to get the USGS to hand over the data, I have purchased every 1:24,000 scale DRG topographic maps from a USGS business partner. The Internet Archive has also agreed to host these maps so anyone can download them for free. But wait! Before I hand the data over to the Internet Archive, I am looking to the Internet community to help me recoup my costs.
Meet the $1600 ransom by donating or buying maps on DVD, and these maps will be liberated forever.
Read More on the Map Ransom page…
3 Comments so far
Leave a comment
Nice work! Thanks for making free what ought to be free. And praise God for fast and willing donors.
Will your libremaps web site continue to function?
I have a suggestion for it. I see how to get a listing of e.g. all maps in Texas, as an HTML page. How about offering the same data in XML so I don’t need to screen-scrape? If you said how to do that I missed it.
Lars
Comment by Lars 08.30.06 @ 6:21 pmCongrats on your success w/ this effort. A great approach to free this valuable data. Any idea when the maps will be available on the Internet Archive?
Comment by Darren 09.07.06 @ 11:45 amLeave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Hey Mr Boing Boing, you’re the coolest.
Comment by Pam 08.28.06 @ 4:47 pmChecks in the mail.
Pam