Weekend mapping projects/Form letters

You can use this letter to write/e-mail prospective organisations, either in an area you have already mapped or in an area you would be interested in mapping. A good way of finding companies to target is to google for the keyword directions along with the name of the place you are interested in.

Hi
I am writing on behalf of OpenStreetMap (www.OpenStreetMap.org). We are a non-profit organisation dedicated to making free street maps of the world.

Choose one of the following paragraphs:

• I have noticed that the map of your location on your web-site is a screen shot or copy of a Google Maps|Multimap|Mapquest|Ordnance Survey map and is likely to be infringing their copyright.

• I have noticed that the map on your web-site of your location is not of particularly good quality. The maps produced by OpenStreetMap are generally of a very high standard.

• I have noticed that you have directions to your offices on your web-site, but do not have a map.

Choose one of the following paragraphs:

• We do not currently have a map covering your area, but one of our volunteer surveyors would be able to produce one for you if you were able to cover their travel and accommodation expenses for a weekend and/or make a donation to the OpenStreetMap organisation.

• We already have good quality maps of your area and would be pleased to help show you how to customise and use these on your web-site. Generally, we do not charge for this although we always welcome voluntary donations to the OpenStreetMap organisation.

Our maps are made using a similar process to that of Wikipedia. This means that maps are often produced by people with good local knowledge. They are more detailed, accurate and up-to-date than most on-line maps. The other benefit of our approach is that maps can easily be customised to show specific features such as office locations and recommended routes.

If you are interested in this proposition please contact me for more information.

Sincerely
Your name