Speed Camera Database to Turn Professional

davehardy20 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 04, 2005 Posts: 9

The updates should be made available via BitTorrent and then there does not need to be a charge.

One thing that has come to me, PGPSW released a program called POICapture to ease the update of the database, now I am assuming here, that the file that is updated to PGPSW is automatically integrated into the database with no input from anyone, if this is not the case then the software needs to be re-one to allow this to happen, then no charge is necessary.

So I think you need to change the software.
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nej · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 5:11 pm Post subject:

andrewh · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 5:34 pm Post subject:

[quote="BERT_UK]
As I've said before I'm not 100% sure about the decision but I can understand it. The Internet is practically one of the only "places" where you can get free products (I can think of virtually no physical stores etc where you can get anything for free), but people seem to be unrealistic and when they are unable to get their free thing they feel cheated and that a huge injustice has happened.
[/quote]

This is an issue but reality is clear: Most sites that decide to go from a free model to one that charges lose the majority of their visitors. It is quite possible that new ones will come along in time but the business model has to assume that initial income will not be that high.

My concern is that people will go elsewhere to offerings perceived to be more professional and offering added value services such as traffic, accident services, panic buttons and all the other things that could be considered useful in the car. What about music or video downloads to your Ipod? The list is endless. A speed camera database will not cut it.

JonnyW · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 16, 2005 Posts: 39

chas921 · Regular Visitor Joined: Nov 05, 2005 Posts: 98

Since owning the NAVMAN iCN610 and using this FORUM/web portal, I have been satisfied with the free use of the data, and the help and support of other users before me :D I also understand that it costs someone a small amount of cash to keep this portal alive and to use the `Bandwidth` supplied by the ISP Wink

However, thats where the praise stops! I`m totally against any charging for the use of a service, that has been Free to its users since its inception Evil or Very Mad

There are many services on the internet that provide good, valuable and FREE information, and there are sites where `anything` can be downloaded payware or not ? Wink

But I`m certain that every user of this site in the past would back me in saying that this site is positive and informative.

Now I`m sure you will lose a lot of custom here, or people being advised to use ` a n other` site to get the free/pirated version.

After all, with the data that we have at present, its not rocket science to add further co-ordinates to the the existing files. Someone out there could provide similar information, or an installer to save the manual process? I`m very lucky here in the North East of Scotland, only two GATSOs between Aberdeen and Inverness A96, but this is RADAR country, either TALIVANs or unmarked cars, so the RADAR detectors are effective here, providing you know the limitations of those devices. Infact, stay at the advised speed limits, and you wont have any problems at all.

Ok..so there are literally 1000`s getting SATNAVS for Christmas, and when everyone has discovered that POIs can be inserted, there is surely going to be many who will pay to get the additional information to enhance these gadgets?

If there has to be a charge for your services, then set a fixed rate of whatever you like, so that new members will have to join with a paid membership fee, and give credit or honorary membership to all the users, that have so far committed information to this site to make it the wonderfull site it has aspired to already. The new user then has the choice, whereas the present community is forced!!

At most I would only pay for 2 updates a Year, such is my need, or I could buy one of the other manual maps for £1.99 that now display GATSO cameras. I would also be off to the `other sites ` when they become available, as and when the need arises Rolling Eyes

Its a luxury to have the extra POI`s, but just to use the map and the Postalcode option is all thats needed. Just keep your speeds down. You never know, Post Office counters may want their cut???

Like they say, if it works, dont fix it ? As more users get to read the notices, I`m sure there will be more angry customers. And yes, I can afford £2 a download, but why charge us now?
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Mearns · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 5:42 pm Post subject:

Well, I must add my two-pennorth for what it it worth. One of the attractions of this site, and especially the database, was that I felt part of a team and for the last two and a half years there was a kind of warm fuzzy feeling in being able to contribute new camera locations for the benefit of all and, where in the forums I could, to occasionally help those who had less than my miniscule knowledge of using GPS for road navigation. That is no longer so. I am angry that my efforts in recording cameras and freely sending them to Richard, as so many other have done, are to be rewarded by database contributors having to pay for that same freely given information.

With the amount of errors on the PGPSW database there is no way I will pay for the updates. GATSO’s have appeared in updates which are either non-existent or are wildly out in their position. I would pay for a database that is offered by a commercial supplier with information that they have obtained and maintained themselves. It really is pie in the sky to think that PGPSW are going to be able to effectively tour the country to validate camera positions.

As a pensioner there are many calls on my money and this site will not be one that receives any part of it as a database subscription. When I retired I rejoiced that I would no longer be shafted by my employer. I did not expect to be shafted by the organisers of this site as a result of a small straw poll that they took of some attendees at the Basingstoke GPS Meet.

Being away from the centre of things up here in rural Aberdeenshire I was really pleased to see that next PGPSW GPS Meet would be in Edinburgh and had looked forward to attending it. If the charging proposals go ahead then I will no longer feel part of the team and won’t be there. My choice, my feet, and that’s what I’m voting with. Crying or Very sad

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nuvi 2460LT plus Brodit mount

mcwarre · Regular Visitor Joined: Mar 25, 2004 Posts: 157

[flame]Of course we could all stick to the speed limit [/flame]

The PGPSW team have been amazingly quiet on this.

My 2p worth; if you don't want to pay then don't. If you do, there are several competitors on the market so chose wisely.

JonnyW · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 16, 2005 Posts: 39

nej · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:12 pm Post subject:

I don't expect they anticipated this response and expected people to be a bit more reasonable. I suspect they are currently talking to each other deciding what to do.

Maldy · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 26, 2005 Posts: 4

One of the ironies of this is that one of the primary objections to speed cameras is that they're a revenue generating con :-)

tomtomgo · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:35 pm Post subject:

I have a vision of the IT guys at Expansys eagerly fireing up their servers as we speak.
Whats next guys, the BMP's for the start up screens.

CarMad · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 20, 2005 Posts: 3

Well what can I say.

I think this is a farce to say the least. As many have pointed out already this database was created with the help of the users of this site. But now the site is going to sell the data and make money out of it...

Well great, where is our share of the profits or is the site just going to profit out of us then ?

You make money from us clicking the adds and using the links, I'm sure this is more than enough to run the site and turn a small profit.

I'm sure if we all knew that this was going to happen at the start we wouldn't have been anything like as keen to go out of our way to stop, note the locations and send in the data.

When we do this in future where do we send the bill to please as we did this out of the goodness of our hearts to help the site and everyone else that uses the database.

Its almost Christmas and I think the site is somewhat missing with its Christmas cheer to say the least.

Lets hope Tomtom and others drop the prices so we have an alternative to this profiteering, at least they are honest about what they are doing.

carl_w · Lifetime Member Joined: Mar 13, 2004 Posts: 242

ringostarr · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 19, 2005 Posts: 19

Should the database be ........
Votes
FREE 86 % 120
Chargable 5 % 7
I don't care - I'll support it either way 9 % 13

Would you be willing in principle to pay for the saftey camera database from PGPSW?
Votes
YES : If Charging was introduced I WOULD continue to collect and submit data 7 % 5
YES : If Charging was introduced I MAY continue to collect and submit data 6 % 4
YES : If Charging was introduced I WOULD NOT continue to collect and submit data 7 % 5
NO : I would STOP using the database and get information elsewhere 34 % 24
NO : I would use the last version available and live with it as is 46 % 33

Keep voting

Thanks

Poll location
http://www.geocities.com/ringostarr_22
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Mearns · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 7:09 pm Post subject:

Well, at least this controversy has resulted in the following statistic last night

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