I think that it is time to rediscuss this now that people have had time to think, in a topic where it was made to discuss OS Map rather than just to just talk about whether it should be allowed at Staredit.net.

OS Map. Both the bane and blessing to the StarCraft Community. In my opinion, OS Map is more of a blessing, but let's discuss.

Now, I'm going to make a table, and when someone posts a pro, I'll add it, when they post a Con, I'll add it.

Pros-----------------------------------Cons

OSMap is useful because you can learn more advanced triggers that way, but it also lets you steal other maps...
I'd say I'm neutral, since it can be used for good and bad purposes.

The only problem with that is that while obviously it can be used for good and bad things, so can almost everything, electricity for instance, it can be used for all sorts of great things, but should we not use it just because it can kill people?

Yeah, but stealing maps is a much more common use for a program with unprotection capabilities.

I'm betting that OS Map has stolen waaaaay less maps than it has opened, because only a couple of fags use it to steal, all the other fags don't even know about it.

Soooo, this is supposed to be.... politics? I'm not going to say anything about OSMap unless this thread starts getting pumped with things that need to be rebuttled. Most everything has been said already, and I know I've stated my opinion on this whole matter more than once.

Somebody lock this topic, OSMAP is a highly volitile subject, but mainly because those who don't follow in its foot-steps, feel they have valid points, but dont actually.

Well, if we discuss OS Map's pros and cons, it's not really just a bunch of flaming, now is it? So it depends on how we go about discussing it.

But everyone can't suddenly gain the ability to kill someone with electricity instantly and anonymously.

I'm more than willing to moderate the conversation should anyone get overly... emotional.

Can't you just use Trigger Viewer for the whole 'learning from other maps' concept? And there's always how I learned how to make maps and more complex trigger systems, messing with it until I get it right.

Alright I'll state my views:

Pros:
-Noobies can learn some cool triggers
-Noobies learn location uses / unit pre-placement uses / other essential map setups
-Players can fix a map so it doesn't have bugs
-People can get sounds out of protected maps

Cons:
-People claim other people's maps
-People alter the map(for good or bad) and consequently there are 30+ different versions floating around b-net(everyone hates scrolling through their sunken d 2006 maps lol)
-People protect maps because they want their trigger-findings to be unique to their map and their revolutionary idea gets turned into a plague

----
Ok so as a whole, I am generally against osmap or at least I think it should somehow have it's powers be limited. I a think that a trigger viewer version of the program that only allows you to see the triggers would be just as effective as the original motives as the program, and keep the secrecy of peoples maps. Now that I have that rant out of my system, let me say this, I do have osmap installed on my computer and I have used it.(only to view naughty maps that I don't want to play 30 minutes to see lol totally kidding) I used it twice, once on scribe bound because I couldn't beat the first level a long time ago and I wanted to see the rest of the map, and second to open legacy's of haeven to get some sounds for another map I was making. So that said, I think it is a love/hate relationship for me because I was very grateful that I didn't have to try to search for hours for those sounds. Anyways I think i've gone on long enough Hope this topic stays spam free and gets a good list going and maybe influences sens decision on it's stand of OSmap.

There is nothing to say that hasn't been said a million times, and nobody is about to change their opinions.

IMO this discussion is almost as dumb as talking about whether creationism should be taught in school or not. OSMAP really doesn't do anything other than just make maps reopenable in any map editor or in some cases, fix your maps if you run into things like string errors or something. If you want to modify a map (particularly one that's quite complex), well good luck cuz if the map was protected in the first place all the maps have their strings deleted, making it almost impossible to read triggers unless you go through each and every location and string in the map (and if you are willing to go this far, then you might as well be making ur own map). Worried that someone might steal your map? I have yet to see a single instance on battle.net where this has occurred. "Oh but this infringes upon my rights! My morals!" What morals? What rights? Boohoo, this aint politics, this aint the patriot act, this is starcraft.

Pros:
It allows abandoned maps to be updated and repaired, in the event the map is broken by a patch.
It is useful to repair unintentional corruption.(this alone outweighs all the cons I can come up with, especially because the damage from the cons is already done)


Cons:
It allows the rigging of protected maps(this has happened to me)
It allows people to take credit for a map they did not make(this has happened to me too, not that I would want my name attached to the piece of shit they turned the map into)

How can we talk about osmap without beating a dead horse? Hey I know! I'll try talking about an actual activity that actually put's osmap to good use... for the community.


Ok so start a new mapping contest(probably on Maplantis ) where either we edit an unarguably OS map. It has to have a few flaws and lots of room for improvements and variations. We all turn in what we've done, and gawk over how different the versions are of the same original map. It would be alot easier to pick a winner.
Another way to go about it is for everyone to scowr their folder/databases for a map that's just begging for an edit. We submit the original along with the new version, and judge what they did to go from A to B. The best map wouldn't nessecarily win this, but the one with the most improvement.
I'd like to judge it, but I'm smart enough to know what most of the community thinks about me. I want this to succeed.


So what's more important? Arguing over whether or not osmap's existence is a sin, or using it in a way that might actually change someone's mind about it. An action like this would speak louder than any words.

This wasn't my idea, I expanded on something Yoshi/Tau said that had my mind reeling with possibilties. If only he followed through. I'm guessing he didn't because for some reason Lazer wanted to start another unpopular contest(espionage) immediately after his first. Maybe Yoshi didn't want to be a dick and take away any chance of a popular contest from Lazer_DOOD(suck it).
http://www.maplantis.org/index.php?topic=1237;skip=8

Rofl I look at this topic and half the posts are reported.Anyways Trigger Viewer can only get you so far like when a location has to be certain size or,a trigger like the pvp hallicate system.Anyways This is what I see as pros and cons.
Pros: You can learn fully about any map and how it works.
With premission you can fix another persons map.

Cons:Your map could be stolen with it but,not likey.
Only 2 protecters can beat it and not alot of people know about em.
Your map can be rigged :l

Netraul:Its a good way to show how Open source mapping can be handy.

Also to DTBK I changed my thoughts of OSMAP so don't be so certain .

See, now this is the thing. Most of the people who are against OSMap have never even had a map of their's affected by it at all. (or never even made a half-decent map in the first place) And as I know, you aren't a strictly against OSMap person. If the people who are actually negatively affected by it can live with it, then why can't everyone else.


Damn Straight.

OS MAP is out there, whether we like it or not. People are going to find it, whether it's from here or somewhere else. I say we should collaborate and work with the people behind OS MAP to make it a fair and useful tool instead of something criminal and malicious, which it is right now.

Most uneducated post of the topic award goes to you.


Probably the smartest thing I've ever heard you say. I'm sure we could get someone to run this and make it productive at some point. (at maplantis) Doing it here is a whole different and probably impossible story.

Haha even moose got reported lol! I doubt any moderation will occur though because moose is the only one that sees the reports lol!!!