trevskoda
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That is on my list of things to do.
There is a god,thank you.:bow:
That is on my list of things to do.
Yes - that may be feasible in the future with the online POI functionality that's coming. But someone still has to moderate the submissions to ensure they're genuine and suitable. And they still need to be maintained - for instance changes to the information or removal.
Good to hear there may be future feasibility. But I'm guessing if someone suggests a WC location in the UK or France you don't personally drive out and inspect it? Likewise if someone advised of a location in Spain or Italy. I suspect you have a look on google earth and if it looks about right it gets included. If the coordinates are in the middle of the Atlantic it doesn't because it would be neither genuine nor suitable. As for maintenance, changes to information or removal due to changes in suitability, that's updated by members also. Another member posted today that EHU was no longer available at a location in France and you've amended the info. I can understand that if all suggestions and additions had to be keyed in by just yourself and all of Europe was included you'd never be away from your laptop/pc which is why I suggested an "add location button". Then it becomes a matter of trusting members to only add sensible locations. Then you could call it the "Wild, Fun, Friendly and Sharing Motorhome Community"
Pat
well, all that will make sense to you . but those of us still in the dark ages look on in awe, we are not stupid but as we are not as computer literate as you . probably by choice it is like a foreign language that we have not learned.To answer a few POI questions...
There is an online POI database, it is not ready to use yet.
It can be displayed on a map on this website.
It has filters.
It allows members to submit new locations, revisions and inform us of unsuitable locations.
Members can rate locations and leave extended data.
The extended address data is already available from the Android and IOS apps.
The apps actual work of data files produced from this database.
Once complete members will be able to control the POI data that their apps download, so if you don't like lay-bys, then you can disable them.
There is no point having the POI data on a disc, you can download the data anyway as a zip file.
Imagine we produced a book with a map section on one page and data about the POI locations on the next, we could maybe get the data about eight locations on a page. The book would have over 3500 pages and be totally impractical. It would also be out of data after 30 days and need replacing.
Good to hear there may be future feasibility. But I'm guessing if someone suggests a WC location in the UK or France you don't personally drive out and inspect it? Likewise if someone advised of a location in Spain or Italy. I suspect you have a look on google earth and if it looks about right it gets included. If the coordinates are in the middle of the Atlantic it doesn't because it would be neither genuine nor suitable. As for maintenance, changes to information or removal due to changes in suitability, that's updated by members also. Another member posted today that EHU was no longer available at a location in France and you've amended the info. I can understand that if all suggestions and additions had to be keyed in by just yourself and all of Europe was included you'd never be away from your laptop/pc which is why I suggested an "add location button". Then it becomes a matter of trusting members to only add sensible locations. Then you could call it the "Wild, Fun, Friendly and Sharing Motorhome Community"
Pat
well, all that will make sense to you . but those of us still in the dark ages look on in awe, we are not stupid but as we are not as computer literate as you . probably by choice it is like a foreign language that we have not learned.
As Admin has pointed out, all the addition of locations and changes to locations are presently moderated, and will be in the future when online updating is available.
This takes more skill than it may appear - I started the POI database going on 6 years ago so there's 6 years experience in ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the information.
The submission of a POI, be it online or via email or via the app or via the appropriate forum, is a very small part of the workload.
I reiterate what I said earlier that the expansion of the POI coverage would be great. But that will require other forum members volunteering and committing to ongoing input.
Vehicle length is an issue. Since we have had the POI set on the SAT Nav we must confess so some good chuckles as we pass a "point" and think sheesh who recommended that! Some must be driving very compact vehicles as for all of our size (7.3m) we could never use it on that basis alone.
Talking about sat nav we use TomTom and the widest we can set the search zone for is 300m? We may well be missing something but might it be possible to expand it to a mile either side of the road that the vehicle is on?
Many thanks Admin for all your good works as you have saved us thousands in fees.
PW
Just use browse map when you are near to somewhere you want to stop for the night. Then you will see all the WC spots near. Then click on it and choose navigate to.Vehicle length is an issue. Since we have had the POI set on the SAT Nav we must confess so some good chuckles as we pass a "point" and think sheesh who recommended that! Some must be driving very compact vehicles as for all of our size (7.3m) we could never use it on that basis alone.
Talking about sat nav we use TomTom and the widest we can set the search zone for is 300m? We may well be missing something but might it be possible to expand it to a mile either side of the road that the vehicle is on?
Many thanks Admin for all your good works as you have saved us thousands in fees.
PW
How many hours per day/week/month would a volunteer have to commit to? What hardware/software would they need?
pat
It is difficult to quantify the time involved. It's a matter of keeping on top of updates day by day otherwise you get a backlog.
I probably spend an hour a day on UK and France updates. In addition I research new spots, primarily in France because there's so much scope, and that might be another hour.
In terms of hardware you need a PC and access to online mapping resources e.g. Google Maps. I also use digital maps on my PC - Ordnance Survey 1:50000 and 1:25000 for the UK, and IGN 1:100000 and 1:25000 for France. These mapping products provide an easy way to maintain a database of POIs and the means to export the data to create all the various data types for sat nav and Google Earth.
It's quite complex but once understood easy enough to use day to day.
For other countries some research will be needed to work out how to create a suitable database. Microsoft Access is what's used as the 'back end' for the IGN software.