European wardriving forum/website?

Evert · 02-22-2005

As most of you know wardriving has taken of in a big way on the European continent now. People are stumbling all over Europe and there are numerous attempts to log these results to a variety of databases & maps. Most sites showing wardrive results on a map run into problems at one time or another (www.wardrivemap.nl, www.wardrivers.be etc.).
Most if not all are duplicating each others efforts.

I've "decided" to see if there is enough interest in setting up a pan-european wardriving website/portal which could host a map with wadriving results from all across Europe. I can handle the hosting and some of the maintenance.

Before I continue I have two questions:

1) Are there enough people interested? If so post a message here or send me a PM
2) Who wants to "assist" me with this? Most urgent off course are people who can assist me with the database side of this as I am completely crap when it comes to databases..

Looking forward to replies (I hope)...

E.

Dutch · 02-22-2005

Why reinvent the deep saucer ?
Wigle.net covers Europe as well. Use a wigle client and make a mappack for your local area, if you want street level detail, or use the webmap if you want an overview..

Dutch

Evert · 02-22-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch

Why reinvent the deep saucer ?
Wigle.net covers Europe as well. Use a wigle client and make a mappack for your local area, if you want street level detail, or use the webmap if you want an overview..

Dutch

Because, quite frankly, Wigle isn't the most user friendly site around.
A lot of people prefer a clickable map diplayed on a webpage rather than having to download mappacks etc...

I've seen the "success" of online maps that allow zooming combined with a searchable database and I've seen the tizzy people getin when such a site goes offline due to a database meltdown..

E.

Dutch · 02-22-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evert

Because, quite frankly, Wigle isn't the most user friendly site around.
A lot of people prefer a clickable map diplayed on a webpage rather than having to download mappacks etc...

Oh.. You mean like this one ??!?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evert

I've seen the "success" of online maps that allow zooming combined with a searchable database and I've seen the tizzy people getin when such a site goes offline due to a database meltdown..

E.

Wigle has been around since september 2001.. I don't foresee them crashing and burning within the near future...

Dutch

Evert · 02-22-2005

Yes, that's exactly what I mean, that map is crap (pardon the pun).
It lacks detail to begin with, there's no street names, no cities etc.
It's also very US centered, making locating European results difficult.

What I would like to do is use a "proper" map with all the detail that any good map would have. Also it would be searchable by SSID, city, street and postal code. Hell, we might possibly add a whole lot more features if there is a demand.

I do appreciate the efforts & purpose of Wigle and have been busy uploading there for ages. However I also see the need for something a bit more user friendly and less "techy" for a lack of a better word.

E.

Evert · 02-22-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch

Wigle has been around since september 2001.. I don't foresee them crashing and burning within the near future.

I did not suggest that, but Wigle isn't the only one...

E.

Dutch · 02-22-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evert

Yes, that's exactly what I mean, that map is crap (pardon the pun).
It lacks detail to begin with, there's no street names, no cities etc.
It's also very US centered, making locating European results difficult.

What I would like to do is use a "proper" map with all the detail that any good map would have. Also it would be searchable by SSID, city, street and postal code. Hell, we might possibly add a whole lot more features if there is a demand.

I do appreciate the efforts & purpose of Wigle and have been busy uploading there for ages. However I also see the need for something a bit more user friendly and less "techy" for a lack of a better word.

E.

The problem that Wigle and most every other mapping website wanting to cover Europe in detail have, is the lack of freely available mapdata, vector or bitmapwise, containing detail down to streetlevel. The U.S. has got the TIGER data, which is free. Nothing similar exists in most other countries.
So if you plan on licensing forinstance TeleAtlas or other mapproviders data, be prepared to spend big bucks.. Same goes if you want to use Mappoint in a server edition.

Thats the reason I recommend that you use a Wigle client, like Jigle or Digle, make a mappack for your area of interest (a howto guide is posted on this site), and use wigle's webmaps for a broad overview.

If you are prepared to spend the Big Bucks, it would be better if you donated it to Wigle, and let them incorporate the mapdata you decide to license, into Wigle. That way both their webmaps and the autogenerated mappacks could benefit from your benevolence.

But best of luck with your endeavour. I just don't think it's feasible untill such time the EU have data similar to the US TIGER data freely available.. And with the current actions out of Bruxelles, thats about as likely as Hillary Clinton becoming president in 2008...

Dutch

Evert · 02-22-2005

Hate to proof you wrong but have a look here:
http://www.wardrivemap.nl/mappoint/map.aspx

There's not much money being paid to run that site....

E.

scdako · 02-22-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evert

Hate to proof you wrong but have a look here:
http://www.wardrivemap.nl/mappoint/map.aspx

There's not much money being paid to run that site....

E.

"I to prove you wrong" but that is just a map of the Netherlands. Dutch said that there is not free maps available for most countries; the Netherlands may have free detailed map. Unless you provide evidence with more countries I am still convinced of what Dutch says.

Evert · 02-23-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by scdako

"I to prove you wrong" but that is just a map of the Netherlands. Dutch said that there is not free maps available for most countries; the Netherlands may have free detailed map. Unless you provide evidence with more countries I am still convinced of what Dutch says.

Instead of just blindly looking at it you should have actually tried and clicked on it (it doesn't bite)...
The startpage shows a map of the Netherlands because it is a Dutch website but you can actually scroll and zoom into any part of Europe...

The old saying about leading a horse to water obviously applies.....

E.

PPC1 · 02-23-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch

thats about as likely as Hillary Clinton becoming president in 2008...

Be careful what you wish for there.... oouucchh

RedSector · 02-23-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evert

Hate to proof you wrong but have a look here:
http://www.wardrivemap.nl/mappoint/map.aspx

There's not much money being paid to run that site....

E.

Its powered by MapPoint, guy.

Like Dutch said,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch

Same goes if you want to use Mappoint in a server edition.

So I am sure someone shelled out a pretty penny for MapPoint server.

Dutch · 02-23-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evert

Hate to proof you wrong but have a look here:
http://www.wardrivemap.nl/mappoint/map.aspx

There's not much money being paid to run that site....

E.

Oh ?? Since when has Microsoft Mappoint Webservice been free ? Contrary to popular belief, Microsoft isn't an altruistic company, even if MS Office and Windows in its various incarnations are among the top percentile of non-paid for programs....

Wardrive.nl is using Microsoft Mappoint Webservice which you can see from the 2005 copyright notice on each map, and on the page source. Thats a paid for service, available in either platform usage or per transaction usage.

So again, no free data available... You need to get the pigskin out from the backpocket, and dole out the cash if you want to do something similar.

Dutch

Dutch · 02-23-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by PPC1

Be careful what you wish for there.... oouucchh

LOL, well actually I don't care if she becomes president.. I'm in Denmark

Dutch

PPC1 · 02-23-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch

LOL, well actually I don't care if she becomes president.. I'm in Denmark

Dutch

Continuing the OT here, I´m in Sweden. Halmstad on the westcoast to be more precise. And according to Wigle.net I´m not the only wardriver here.

02-22-2005	#1 (permalink)
Evert Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 26	European wardriving forum/website? As most of you know wardriving has taken of in a big way on the European continent now. People are stumbling all over Europe and there are numerous attempts to log these results to a variety of databases & maps. Most sites showing wardrive results on a map run into problems at one time or another (www.wardrivemap.nl, www.wardrivers.be etc.). Most if not all are duplicating each others efforts. I've "decided" to see if there is enough interest in setting up a pan-european wardriving website/portal which could host a map with wadriving results from all across Europe. I can handle the hosting and some of the maintenance. Before I continue I have two questions: 1) Are there enough people interested? If so post a message here or send me a PM 2) Who wants to "assist" me with this? Most urgent off course are people who can assist me with the database side of this as I am completely crap when it comes to databases.. Looking forward to replies (I hope)... E.

02-22-2005	#2 (permalink)
Dutch Humourless EuroMod. Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: City of Mermaids, Denmark Posts: 6,813	Why reinvent the deep saucer ? Wigle.net covers Europe as well. Use a wigle client and make a mappack for your local area, if you want street level detail, or use the webmap if you want an overview.. Dutch __________________ All your answers are belong to Google. SEARCH DAMMIT! Warning. Warning. Low C8H10N4O2 level detected. Operator halted....

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02-22-2005	#5 (permalink)
Evert Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 26	Yes, that's exactly what I mean, that map is crap (pardon the pun). It lacks detail to begin with, there's no street names, no cities etc. It's also very US centered, making locating European results difficult. What I would like to do is use a "proper" map with all the detail that any good map would have. Also it would be searchable by SSID, city, street and postal code. Hell, we might possibly add a whole lot more features if there is a demand. I do appreciate the efforts & purpose of Wigle and have been busy uploading there for ages. However I also see the need for something a bit more user friendly and less "techy" for a lack of a better word. E.

02-22-2005	#8 (permalink)
Evert Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 26	Hate to proof you wrong but have a look here: http://www.wardrivemap.nl/mappoint/map.aspx There's not much money being paid to run that site.... E.