Ask the audience Map Software

Okay as you know by now LZIR has exceeded our expectations in interest and we have approx 200 registered volunteers.

Behind the scenes we have had some issues with Google reliably loading radius code, a decision was made that especially on mobile devices that gave a distance- radius was obsolete.

As you may be aware we currently use a small peice of HTML code to create a table with diagnostics/recovery/tools etc.

Now Google are pushing conversion to map engine lite which allows map layers, but where as currently I can create a peice of code to do almost anything- if we transfer existing map to "Map Engine Lite" WE LOSE ABILITY TO CODE TABLES and are limited to 4 layers.(pages in a map folder if you like)

One option is to ask Google to allow us a grant as we make no money from this activity

https://www.google.com/intl/en/earth/outreach/grants/software/index.html

This has two problems

• LZ isn't registered as non profit as far as I am aware
• Not eligible as not non profit

Google has a history of forced transfer after period of suggesting transferring to new system.


I would much rather be prepared- your thoughts to how we could fill

https://services.google.com/fb/forms/earthproapplicationuk/

Would it not fall at the 1st hurdle?

To be eligible for the Grants program, organizations must:
1. Hold current and valid charity status;

Is LZ a registered charity?

Freddy 007 said:

Would it not fall at the 1st hurdle?

To be eligible for the Grants program, organizations must:
1. Hold current and valid charity status;

Is a registered charity?

Click to expand...

Could call google and explain the situation, the major pain is the removal of html coding and only 4 layers.

While map will continue, it is a pain to lose basic features.

It may be possible to export to another provider of maps as well.

It appears that google are taking My Places Maps to paid for premium and dumbing down free offering.

Why not just become a charity. If the income is less than £5,000 it doesn't even need registering. You can get a number from the tax people.

I looked at the criteria for public benefit and amateur sport is one of them.

suew said:

Why not just become a charity. If the income is less than £5,000 it doesn't even need registering. You can get a number from the tax people.

I looked at the criteria for public benefit and amateur sport is one of them.

Click to expand...

Could be an idea, accy and roy have firmedge for LZ as a business-could enquire.

Bing maps will accept LZIR data- again we lose html function

LZ could register as a Community Interest Group, all you would need is an Hon.Chairman, Hon.Secretary and Hon.Treasurer, a constitution and a bank account.

I could probably knock up a constitution should you wish to follow that route.

As a CIG you get 90% of the benefits of a Registered Charity ... Just a thought!

Oldseadog said:

LZ could register as a Community Interest Group, all you would need is an Hon.Chairman, Hon.Secretary and Hon.Treasurer, a constitution and a bank account.

I could probably knock up a constitution should you wish to follow that route.

As a CIG you get 90% of the benefits of a Registered Charity ... Just a thought!

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sounds like a lot of effort, would an account with a £1 be enough and statements as records?

Yes.

PM me an email address as I've knocked one up in anticipation, which should give you an idea of what's required.

A slightly oblique solution, but is it worth considering native apps for mobiles? I've done a couple of iOS mapping apps before and would happily do a LZIR one. At a push I could have a crack at an android app, but having never worked with Android before it might take me a bit longer. I'm a Java dev by trade, but a few of the guys at work have done android stuff, so I should be able to get some help.

fanatic said:

sounds like a lot of effort, would an account with a £1 be enough and statements as records?

Click to expand...

Mail sent.

have u looked at os rather than google?? now their mapping is on open source you may be able to utilise, unfortunately everything I do is based around ESRI packages so cant help...

cheers steve

Map Suite - Winforms Lite Edition 0.95 Download by Spatially Aware - Map Suite Winforms Lite Edition is a powerful set of user controls enabling you to build compelling mapping applications.

have a look at this Fan, it might do a bit ...

Cheers,

Another way is website map solution, I'm keen to stick with google maps, but their goal posts change.

If a community organisation gets us a google map grant-that would be great.

One of the successes with the map is all map editors have found the google maps editing straight forward.