EV Charger Maps

[eledille]

I've run a couple open-source projects before (and wrote the code). I could be convinced to do it again, but would need a lot of help from the community regarding standards, interfaces, design, etc. I'm also HORRIBLE with UI's, so any help there would be helpful. What are some of the thoughts here around "open source" and what that means? e.g. the source code should be open and people could contribute? How woudl the database be populated and maintained? Where would the site live? What services would I interface with to make things easier (e.g. Google Maps and things of that nature)?

The main thing is that the code is open source, then anyone can modify it to fill their needs and submit feature requests, patches and bugfixes. Two or more EV organizations might also join forces and hire someone to implement a needed feature and all will benefit from it.

Please choose Git for version control and PostgreSQL for the DB

[Kevin Sharpe]

We now have enough feedback to warrant the development of the open charge map database. We have created a project on sourceforge;

http://openchargemap.sourceforge.net

The first task is to agree a common set of records which will allow the existing applications and websites to use the database. Feel free to get involved in the project if this interests you...

[mt2]

Make it MySQL and PHP and I'm in!

[SByer]

+1 on git.

As for open source, there's open source, and there's open source.

My recommendations, for both code and charger point entry: Start with a small number of committers (code and spot additions as separate lists, people can get onto both). Anybody can propose a patch / add a spot, but it takes a committer to actually apply it. Committers can nominate someone who has submitted a patch for nominal commit status (at which point they can commit, but any messes they make are the responsibility of the person who nominated them). After a few successful, positive patches or spot additions, they can then be nominated for permanent commit status, which needs to be seconded by at least two other full time committers.

This really helps keep the quality of changes high, but also still scales as the project grows.

(I work on a couple of little open source projects that work this way - Chromium and Chromium OS, and have contributed to other open source projects with similar but different gating mechanisms - that don't quite work as well in one way or other).

Heck, I'd try and do this in my 20% time, but I'm not familiar enough with the server side of things and my team is trying to ship something soon, so I don't think I'd get anywhere in the time scale I think you guys are thinking about.

[eledille]

SByer: I wasn't recommending to grant write access to the repo to the world

PostgreSQL has good support for spatial data, check out PostGIS. Demo here.

[vfx]

SByer: I wasn't recommending to grant write access to the repo to the world

PostgreSQL has good support for spatial data, check out PostGIS. Demo here.

I still say, Go to Google!

[cinergi]

I still say, Go to Google!

Can you elaborate? I'm not sure what you're referring to here ...

[TEG]

I still say, Go to Google!

He did!

[doug]

I still say, Go to Google!

I agree, though. If Google Maps can handle bike routes and public transportation in major cities (the later of which I find REALLY helpful with GPS on my phone when traveling). They should also add EV charging locations. Would be good PR and the simplest thing for most users. Would also be nice to still have the database publically available, so people could use their own program as well.

[Kevin Sharpe]

I agree, though. If Google Maps can handle bike routes and public transportation in major cities (the later of which I find REALLY helpful with GPS on my phone when traveling). They should also add EV charging locations. Would be good PR and the simplest thing for most users. Would also be nice to still have the database publically available, so people could use their own program as well.

I think the foundation to all of this is an open database of charge sites and capabilities. Once that's available then companies like Google can see the addition of EV charging locations as a public service. I think this database should offer worldwide coverage and support Multilanguage capabilities... beyond that it's just a list of locations and facilities that people can use to build great apps and websites.

I've approached the majority of the existing websites and so far nobody is prepared to open up their database. I find this intriguing given that the data is often supplied and maintained by the EV Community.

The reality is that the current websites are already struggling to remain up-to-date and this can only get more demanding as the sheer number of sites grows. I believe that only a serious community effort or commercial company will succeed going forward.