[Touch Diamond, MDA Compact IV General] low.flying.pigs:
Hello willpom,

Thank you for your message. In brief response to your enquiry, and to cover some wider issues of relevance that for the avoidance of doubt do not relate to you personally:

Firstly, the file used by GCC to access OSM tile servers is outdated as previously detailed. It can be anticipated a forthcoming beta release will integrate an updated file to address and resolve this.

Secondly, unbeknownst to yourself, you appear to ask the wrong question having made a flawed assumption. This is not your fault. A better, but still flawed, question would be 'why do I not have what I think someone else does'.

Basically, assessment to determine suitability and technical potential of a number of apparent methods has been under way for quite some time, and indications are promising with regards to significantly expanding the capabilities of GCC in areas related to mapping, in a number of different ways, for the benefit of the GCC project and users in general. Some aspects are further progressed than others, but non are advanced yet. Some very limited proof of concepts in some very limited aspects have been worked on, of which attentive observers may have caught glimpse of what may be achievable in a useful and usable form at some point, but reached an incorrect assumption based thereon. This work shows in that particular aspect, as with others, further complementary mapping capability within GCC would be needed in addition to those already present. Arguably, these if implemented would in some circumstances be more useful than those that presently exist, which would not be adversely affected.

Consideration has to be given to many different matters, not least integration and the amount of development work involved, and how to bring this functionality to the widest range of devices and users. It can be stated any changes would not adversely affect any existing functionality or user.

That however has never prevented baseless objection before. In fact areas related to mapping have previously resulted in complaint about relevant discussion taking place in the discussion forum that exists for the sole purpose of discussion, coupled with an expressed disinterest in eye candy fancy stuff. An individual with such a mentality must be enraged by the prevalence of discussion in any forum with more activity than that if it were totally dead, and slick, modern, visually appealing software that is the standard today, the consuming public demanding and expecting no less. There is no requirement to read discussion forums, there is no requirement to use any eye candy fancy stuff. The existing functionality was retained. If even that was over the top, GCC works fine with the display off, catering for any extreme case of graphical intolerance induced displeasure.

The proposals thus far in relation to mapping, are some that are immediately useful with existing functionality, and some would be required as initial steps in any event, whilst working towards a larger objective. Examples being scrolling map (known as draw map whilst shifting), continuous scrolling, zoom limits and continuous zoom as previously detailed, all of which met with resistance to implementation. To date, one has been implemented, one implemented in part, and two not at all. Most recently towards the larger objective, means of selecting different maps from the map screen was proposed. These are standard features in other applications.

Unfortunately, development can be a process of gradualism, though not necessarily for any actual technical reasons that cannot be overcome. User objection without cogent reasoning is a major issue and unfortunate obstacle holding back not just that to which objected, but all that would be built from and upon it, and forms a reason why GCC does not have a thriving community of technically skilled individuals, some professional, actively participating. It is not because such people are not currently, or were not until relatively recently, amongst the user base.

These issues have been exhaustively documented previously on forum. The cumulative lasting incalculable damage of such user conduct to the project vastly out ways any comparatively minimal trivial benefit of any more positive and productive contribution such a user may make, which pales in to insignificance in comparison.

An unfortunate resultant consequence the GCC project suffers to this day and is unlikely to recover from, is that enthusiastic beta testers, innovators, developers and contributors in general who would otherwise have given their time, effort, knowledge, skills and experience, asking for and expecting nothing in return, are discouraged and dissuaded to the detriment of the GCC project and users in general, unfortunately some unlikely to actively contribute again, and certainly not directly, others having already moved on away from GCC. Whilst many good natured people will work on thankless tasks, they will not do so in return for what can be perceived as disrespect and abuse.

It is not unusual for a simple proposal to be made merely to test reaction, before considering investing further in a project. An example of this was Exit button enhancement. This simplisitic functionality that is standard feature in other GPS Cycle Computer devices, that would affect no one that did not select the option to use it, was opposed without cogent reason. It was later implemented in part, device shutdown remaining unimplemented. By then the talented individual that originated the proposal had decided to invest no further time, having decided in advance not to submit in person having seen what can be interpreted as abuse and disrespect afforded to others. That individual might return, but not unless they perceive a positive attitudinal change, and the simplistic well thought out proposal is implemented in full, in the belief there is no point otherwise.

The majority of GCC users will never know the full extent to which a minority of misguided 'users' and 'contributors' have affected them, either in functionality they will not have for some considerable length of time, or will possibly never have. In the main to date this was due to a single 'user' and 'contributor'.

An example being privately, GCC was running full screen before mid 2012 after this was initially proposed early 2012, and the response unsatisfactory. This long before GCC acquired full screen functionality 29 December 2013 in 4.12beta1. Most users do not run beta versions, and therefore still do not have full screen, and will not until some point in 2014 when 4.12 Final is released, a significant delay for all users and for non beta users, it will be around two years delay, perhaps longer, all resultant from the conduct of a single individual.

That same individual subsequently frequently requested full screen functionality. Those who knew a working solution and were using it, even working towards making it more user friendly and less technically cumbersome for wider usage, ultimately declined to share to the detriment of the GCC project due to the conduct of that individual. As source code was not available at the time, full screen was achieved using a method by which almost any application that does not natively support full screen can nonetheless be made to display in that manner. It is used almost commonplace in other situations. It was not however an integrated user friendly solution but it worked when used appropriately. Full screen could easily have been integrated far sooner than it was for the benefit of all were it not for that individual.

That same individual, having offended the kind female that was assisting, is the reason GCC does not have as standard better voice directions.

That same individual, instead of actually assisting a new group of users with dedicated modern devices, running Windows CE5, an OS that is still current and still in development, and even receives Microsoft updates, instead discouraged usage of such devices, commenting about if the users really needed to use such an old system.

Apart from being profoundly ignorant in innumerable ways, it can also be perceived as abuse and disrespect. Fortunately for these users and the future of the GCC project, and running on dedicated devices undoubtedly is a major part of it's future, assuming GCC has a future in active development, GCC is not only now entirely Windows CE5 compatible with correct display positioning and context menu, it does this without any dependencies removing another barrier to usage. This was achieved by knowledgeable, insightful, committed individuals, the type of people any development project needs. Needless to say, the other type contributed nothing positive whatsoever.

These are just a few examples. There are others.

If the motivation of the user conduct and baseless objections without cogent reason was to frustrate and delay development and harm the project overall, as that has been the result, those involved can congratulate themselves whilst the rest despair of this lamentable situation. When the relatively simplest aspects meet with baseless resistance, it does not bode well for anything remotely complex.

As to when GCC will benefit from expanded capabilities in areas related to mapping, it depends on when what has already been often long proposed is implemented. If that can be done within forthcoming betas this could move on apace and in the near future I would envisage being able to initially outline some, if not all, of these expanded capabilities which realistically are going to be longer term objectives that will not necessarily be achieved in a short space of time and will require some committed development effort. That said it could have been accomplished by now without the unnecessary and unhelpful situation detailed in brief above. If there is any continuation of the negative conduct, it may never be achieved, and ultimately, active development of GCC will inevitably cease. Perhaps only then will such individuals be satisfied.

Feedback however from all users that take the time to positively contribute is welcomed, and is a motivation to continue.

Further information to be added.

low.flying.pigs