Free and Open Source Software @beehaw.org

1d ago

Lets contribute to OpenStreetMaps!

www.openstreetmap.org

OpenStreetMap

cross-posted from: https://feddit.nl/post/33407329

We've all already talked about switching away from google/apple maps to something like openstreetmaps, mapy, tomtom amigo, etc. But all of these services use openstreetmaps (UK non-profit) as a source and they still miss a lot of local data even for bigger cities!
If you have some spare time, think about adding a bit of data to the map with your local knowledge. There's a lot of business data missing that is on google maps like websites, phone numbers and opening hours but also stuff like parking lots and whether they're publicly accessible and free or not. Adding these makes the competition of ALL services using OSM as a source better.
I also use the mobile app https://streetcomplete.app/ and https://every-door.app/ to add data while on my walks, these make my walks more engaging and I actually take longer ones + see new places because of it. Streetcomplete also has a focus on important and easy to collect data with their default filters, and you can choose what you want to contribute.
If you really want to get into the thick of it and contribute more than just simple data you can always check out https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/How_to_contribute and see in which of the many ways you can contribute!

62 comments

Whenever we bike ride gravel roads, we always correct the surface.

I noticed one problem with the application; if you make a mistake you cant fix it yourself or cancel, even if you turn off automatic sending. There should be one more step before sending so you can review and edit your work first.
- I suggest using streetcomplete for more basic things, it has an undo button!

I made 7 contributions last month

I'm trying, but it's hard to stay motivated when the information on a lot of local areas I visit are so damn old.
There are entire areas where it looks like it acquired the data 5-10 years ago from some other mapping software (Google, Bing, something else), and hasn't updated since. It didn't have all of my street information for my neighborhood area, so I started there first. I didn't really mind it too much, because, hey, Google didn't have it filled in several years ago, either. I started using Vespucci and drew out some of the houses and streets.
But, as soon as I expand out, there are strip malls with really outdated information. StreetComplete tries to ask me questions about these places that were replaced long ago, and it doesn't have the tools to allow me to carve out sections of the strip mall, since it only thinks there are two shops, but there's now 8-10 shops. So, I go back to Vespucci and try to fill it out, but I only have so much time before I'm going to some other location, and I don't really have the time to draw out even the map details in the place where I'm parked. I feel like I'm the only one that bothers and the entire city is out-of-date. It's overwhelming.
If bots somehow got this information back then, then why can't it pull this data now? Certain sections and entire cities desperately need a refresh.
- Perhaps something to bring up on the forums to see if anybody has input on how to do this! I personally haven't had such a bad case locally yet. But you're having a great impact updating it as most likely people pass up on using OSM based services because of it, and by having it up to date it may encourage those people to switch in the future.

Street Complete is definitely the gateway drug here, very simple and beginner-friendly way to get started
- It's made like a game!
  This app finds missing map data in your vicinity and displays it on a map as quests. Solve each quest by visiting the location on-site and answering a simple question to update the map.
  
  Definitely ticks the "something interesting to do out on a walk" box that pokémon go did
- I found this to ask way too many super random questions about an individual area. Like I answered a couple dozen repetitive questions without ever leaving my neighborhood. Seems like they don't have any sort of prioritization.
  
  If you go into the settings, you can choose to hide some types of quests. Turning off the ones about road surface material, for example, can reduce the repetition a lot.
  
  It's not like it gives you questions in a particular order, it just puts a pin on the map everywhere there's missing information. For instance if your neighbourhood only had house numbers missing then that's all you'll see nearby, other places could be completely different.

Can this be done offline on Android devices and uploaded later? We ask because we currently have no data on our phone and it would be useful to edit when out, and then upload when we get back home.
- I do believe as long as you've opened your app to download the quests first it works, although I have not tried that.
  You could also look at https://organicmaps.app/nl/ if that has offline editing for maps
- It's possible with StreetComplete since you can choose when to submit your quests
  
  Oh, awesome! We will do it when out and about then.

Is there any way to do this on iDevices?
- People have suggested https://organicmaps.app/nl/ to me which should have an editing function (I have not checked out the app yet)
- EveryDoor works well on iOS for simple things like updating or adding shops etc.
  "Go Map!!" is another one, and while I find it's interface a bit harder to work with, it has a "Quests" setting, which lets you configure a filter of missing tags that show up on the map.
  
  Thanks so much! 🙂
  
  +1 for Go Map!!, it’s what I use to map on the go.
  For anything more complex it can’t do such as multipolygon edits or aligning nodes in a line or other polishing I then send the change to JOSM on the computer if necessary.

Thank you for sharing these apps! Have been looking for this exact kind of thing ever since I abandoned Google maps. I contributed to Google maps for years. It'll be nice to contribute to something I believe in instead.
- Enjoy! Same here! You can also contribute on mapy by doing reviews and uploading photos there!

OSMAnd~ also has the option to edit.
I did it a few times, it really isn't hard! Just adding or fixing POIs though; I wouldn't know how to add or fix a wrongly placed house/path etc.
- Not possible with OsmAnd, if you want to edit geometry you need a full featured editor. For Android one option is Vespucci.
  
  As I said, I was just editing POIs.
- On the web editor of OSM its pretty easy to fix that should you want to

I like Every Door app, it makes it trivial to contribute and it's pretty nice
- I found that one very cluttered/unintuitive and not at all beginnerfriendly. I resorted to StreetComplete, not quite the same but gives the same feeling while mapping the details from my surroundings. Its soo satisfying!

Organic Maps is a good app that also lets you do some editing. I like the interface better than osmand
- I'm also a fan of organic perfect for hiking and for bikes

If I wanted to add some off-road bike trails to OSM, how would I got about doing that?
- I'd personally use the web editor at https://www.openstreetmap.org/ Make an account, go to the zone you want to edit and press the edit button. Add a line and once the line is added you can add a type to it (you can check the wiki if you don't know which one to use)
  You can enable tracking on streetcomplete that will track your walk/bike/whatever and you can use that as a guide on the web app should it be hard via satellite (do note that this tracking is posted publicly).
- This page has some useful information: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Bicycle
  There's a section there about off-road trails

I have been loving https://maproulette.org/ for when I'm on my computer!
- Imma check that out thanks!

Thanks! TIL about EveryDoor.
- Enjoy and thanks for contributing!

Tell me what to get for my stupid iPhone.
- Every Door works on iPhone
  Edit: someone told me https://organicmaps.app/ also has editing functions and it has an iOS app
- You replace your stupid iPhone with one that allows third-party apps.
  
  Work supplied, but thanks.

Oh nice, I've thought about contributing to osm for a long time but this makes it so much easier to do that!!
I've looked into what I can do in my close vicinity and there are many roads that still miss their width. However, the app suggests to install an app (streetmeasure) to measure the width. This app is however based on Google AR services (that don't work on my degoogled phone. How do you guys deal with that? Do you just ignore those tasks or do you guesstimate the road width by eye?
Oh, and another thing: If you like something to do on your walks, may I suggest also looking into iNaturalist (and the companion app Seek), too. While you are walking around you can find so much stuff out there that you've previously overlooked. When I go through any street now I spot bugs and plants everywhere!
- I personally turned off the road width data as I always have to cross the roads and it both feels awkward and is just not that practical imo. But you can use any other measuring app if any exist to get the width and manually put in.
  I'll check out iNaturalist! Thanks!
  
  Yeah, I'll probably do the same :)
  Have fun with iNat!
- @floraexplora @Kualdir
  I think here's the answer for you (from the translations) :tonylaughing: :mastostuckouttonguewinkingeye:
  
  Sorry, what? I don't understand what you mean :/

@Kualdir
Will install StreetComplete and maybe Every Door and will try them
- Thanks for trying!

Another who loves Street Complete. Makes my evening walks less random. I love the idea of using open street maps, but the one thing keeping me on google is the real time traffic redirecting 🫤 I do use organic maps for hikes, it's great for offline. I just wish there were some better option for traffic.
- Tomtom Amigo also uses traffic data! Although their dataset is ofc smaller than google maps as less people use it. (Still not FOSS, but at least not google)

Can't we just scrape Google maps and add things to OSM? 🤔
- That would be illegal. Also Google puts in fake roads to detect things like this.
  Don't do it.
- A well-mapped area on OpenStreetMap has much more details than Google Maps.
  OSM allows more data point that's not accepted on Google Maps. Like people have been mapping farm and its crops type, flowerbed, road accessible for blind people, or row of trees.
  Not to forget, Google Maps also have a lot of faulty data.
- I think there's limitations to that. I also think ideally we should cut Google out our work chain anyways, and depending on data from there makes that functionally impossible. Stuff on maps changes, if we're scraping from Google maps now we're just gonna have to continue doing that. Instead we should normalize our own community work chains to build our own dataset.
  
  Yep, best to verify the data either in person or at least via their website instead (if they have one)
- I believe this is against their ToS and being caught doing that would mean all that data just gets removed again. But I'm no legal expert
  
  Yes, it is. You should not copy from other maps (satellite imagery is okay as long as the license of the imagery allows it, for example Bing).
- There is an old tradition of mappers deliberately placing very small errors to be able to verify the copying of a map. So no, scraping big chunks is a bad idea. But I sometimes check details on the Gmaps satellite image or streetview.

62 comments