Marek,
As made abundantly clear in the FAQ http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/FAQ#What_images_and_maps_may_I_use_to_make_maps_from.3F , please don’t suggest to people that they use Google Maps in order to contribute to OSM.
Do you see such suggestion in my post? If you believe, comparing of maps is something prohibited, please inform authors. We have a lot of such tools including e.g. geofabrik tools, made by Frederik, which is member the OSM Foundation Board.
Yes, I do.
When suggesting “map comparison” sites, especially to new users, please always make clear what sources can be used for contributions.
It is obvious that we never use Google for mapping. We have in Nepal very involved mappers and they know that very well. I use personally from time to time map comparing tools and I´m not alone who is doing that.
To compare is different with “use for mapping”. I´m a little bit disappointed about your words.
Edit: Maybe I should explan what can be done with map comparing:
Some mapper from the polish community used that to see the new elements in Google Maps after they made edits in Poland.
We made there a long term mapping action in and around the city Wielun.
The organisator, captain of firewor department got permission to draw a new bus station (http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=19/51.22296/18.57740) using the maps of local architects.
He draw the elements before the new bus station was finally built. Three days later the same station was to see in Google Maps. Everything was exactly identical, we used the map comparing for that. The area of the bus station was a brownfield, there was nothing. It was obvious: somebody has copied the OSM content.
We wrote about that in the polish forum: some hours later this content in Google was deleted…
We had similar situations in other city (Lublin). The same reaction from Google…
With other words: we compare not for learning nor for mapping from other maps.