Feature Suggestion: Federated Open-Source Mapping and Navigation Platform?
-
(Random Thought That I had.)
Proposal:
Has anyone considered developing a federated, open-source alternative to platforms like:Google Earth,
Magic Earth,
Google Maps,
Waze,
Here WeGo,
Sygic GPS,
OsmAnd,
etc.?
Imagine a decentralized platform where individuals and organizations can host, contribute, and share mapping, weather, navigation, geospatial data, etc. —fully in the spirit of the Fediverse.
Key Features Could Include:
- Decentralized hosting of map tiles, satellite imagery, and user-contributed data
- Federated sharing of points of interest, routes, and real-time traffic
- Privacy-focused navigation and offline capabilities
- Integration with existing open data sources (e.g., OpenStreetMap)
- Extensible with plugins for specialized uses (hiking, cycling, accessibility, etc.)
Why This Matters:
Current navigation and mapping platforms are largely centralized, raising concerns about privacy, data ownership, and censorship. A federated approach would empower communities, ensure data resilience, and foster innovation—much like Mastodon, Lemmy, PeerTube, etc. have done for social media and video.Personal Note:
I’d love to help build something like this, but I currently lack the time, expertise, and energy. Still, I wanted to float the idea and see if others in the Fediverse community are interested or already working on similar projects.Open Questions for the Community:
- What technical hurdles would need to be addressed for federation (e.g., syncing map data, real-time updates)?
- Are there existing projects or protocols that could be extended for this purpose?
