Geomediatization and the Messy Futuring of Geodata Commons

Abstract

The concept of geomediatization has proven to be productive for describing current processes of geodatafication and geospatial technologies. With its focus on their future, this thematic issue calls for research into geomediatization beyond a narrow geomediatization realism. In my commentary, I take up this call and present some reflections from my research on recent corporate involvement in OpenStreetMap and the messy politics of digital commons. I argue that OpenStreetMap can tell us something about geomedia futures that challenges geomediatization realism but is also a sort of geomediatization pragmatism. This is not disruptive futurism but a project of digital commons that is constantly negotiating power, access, and enclosure.

Keywords

• digital commons
• digital geography
• geomedia
• openstreetmap