joël

hello fediverse! I'm looking for openstreetmap users (or rather: editors) that would be willing to talk to me for a journalistic article (in the Luxembourgish leftist weekly "woxx") about their experience.

it doesn't matter if you edit #osm #openstreetmap a lot or only casualy, I'd just be interested to hear different voices.

(you can also just reply to this toot and tell me why you started to edit osm/whats your motivation to do it/what problems you see)

boosts more than welcome

Aug 16, 2021 at 7:39amWeb
Show threadjoëlAug 16, 2021

thanks to everybody, I think I have enough :D

meanwhile I absolutly have to click every one of these: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Funny_signs#Gallery_of_funny_signs_and_other_funny_stuff

Funny signs - OpenStreetMap Wiki

Show threadjoëlAug 23, 2021
and here is the article, thanks everybody who retooted and answered. as always, I had far more answers than I could use as quotes. https://www.woxx.lu/openstreetmap-gute-karten-fuer-alle/
OpenStreetMap: Gute Karten für alle

Das Projekt OpenStreetMap ist wohl die detailreichste und aktuellste Karte der Welt. Zusammengestellt wird sie von Freiwilligen – denen manchmal sture Verwaltungen im Weg stehen. „Ah, da ist eine Bäckerei und ein Malereibedarfsladen eingetragen, den gibt es nicht mehr. Kann ich das löschen?“
„Ja, du musst einfach nur auf ‚Edit‘ klicken, die Symbole auswählen, und dann kannst du sie löschen“, erklärt Guillaume Rischard, Mitglied des Verwaltungsrates der OpenStreetMap (OSM) Foundation dem Autor dieser Zeilen.
 Ein wenig fummeln muss der woxx-Journalist schon noch, bevor die beiden Symbole, die für ein nicht mehr existierendes Geschäft in seinem Wohnort standen, von der Karte verschwunden ... mehr lesen / lire plus →

woxx
Show threadDeborah Pickett (inactive)Aug 23, 2021
@jollysea Thanks for sharing! I enjoyed reading it.
Show threadjoëlAug 23, 2021
@futzle thanks!
Show threadMatt CengiaAug 16, 2021
@jollysea I edit OSM in Australia. Sometimes this is because I'm trying to use OsmAnd to get places and find that it can't route there because there's a track not represented on the map, and other times it's so I can add detail to areas that I intend to make into printed maps.
Show threadjoëlAug 16, 2021
@mattcen thanks! What are you using those printed maps for? Hiking/scouting?
Show threadMatt CengiaAug 16, 2021
@jollysea Yes, usually; hiking or camping with my Scouts. Often the OSM data is pretty good but could use a little refinement from local government (openly licensed) map data, so where it makes sense, I contribute the alternations I'd need to make in QGIS back up to OSM for others to use too (also it means I don't have to store the tweaks locally, which makes life easier).
Show threadJokerAug 16, 2021
@jollysea how much I'm editing depends a little bit on my time. During lockdown and homeoffice I had more time to go outside for a walk and find a lot of things to map. In the past I mapped a lot of buildings in cities I know using satellite imagery. If I don't have much time, I use StreetComplete every now and then to improve some features.
Show thread~vala   Aug 16, 2021
@jollysea hi, been adding information to osm on and off for a year now. it is partly because one of my workplaces is in charge of the city's streetlights and i was looking for a way to map out where there was light before i got used to the routes. i have used the phone app streetcomplete while sitting on the bus stops and having time to kill, and most of my additions is through that.
Show thread~vala   Aug 16, 2021
@jollysea as for downsides, there is the learning curve of being observant enough for the environments you know really well. its like trying to unlearn the adult filtering and relearn the childhood curiosity about the world. i havent had any issues with osm yet, but i am also not a power user (there is a lot on the local osm as the government agency dealing with maps is publishing all their map data there)
Show threadilja Aug 16, 2021
cc @bxl_forever

@jollysea
Show threadAmolithAug 16, 2021
@jollysea I'm a very casual OSM contributor in south-eastern US. I started using OSM a few years ago because it's Not Google™ and my mobile navigation app of choice, OsmAnd, doesn't rely on Google Services; I prefer using custom Android ROMs without Google Services so finding good navigation tools is difficult.

Unfortunately, mapping here is generally quite terrible, so when planning to go somewhere, I always have to check and see if it's been added first. If it is, awesome  If it's not, I add it myself.

Keeping in mind that I'm just a casual contributor and not privy to the inner-workings of the larger OSM community, that's really the biggest problem I see. I've heard the situation is different in Europe but my area of the US has practically no street addresses and relatively few named locations so we have to either add the establishment ahead of time ourselves or use geo-coordinates, which is usually less-than-ideal.

That said, I love how open OSM is. If there's a missing location, it takes about 5 minutes to put a quick-and-dirty contribution together and maybe 20-30 if you want to be really thorough. If some information is incorrect, you can just correct it! No need to submit feedback and wait multiple days for someone at Google to get back to you about it.

It's a wonderful project with a lot of awesome tooling. It just needs some more contributors 
Show threadGreyshley Aug 16, 2021
@amolith @jollysea so, umm, question: my gps or whatever appears to not work? Any idea what that's about?
Show threadAmolithAug 16, 2021
@dhfir @jollysea i assume you mean you're on a ROM without google services and trying to use OsmAnd?
Show threadGreyshley Aug 16, 2021
@amolith @jollysea no I'm on the rom this thingy came with and shit's broken for unknown reasons.
Show threadGreyshley Aug 16, 2021
@amolith @jollysea huh it appears to have un-broken itself since I last tried it? *confusion*
Show threadDesmoricAug 16, 2021
@jollysea Hello, I contribute to #osm #openstreetmap to help the knowledge of the world : describe the reality of my town, define the landscape, precise materials, etc.
I think I can use a part of my life to contribute to the "commons" (things that are "used" by everybody). It makes me happy if my work can help 😃.
Show threadOlivia AppletonAug 16, 2021

@jollysea Not sure if I'm relevant, since I'm on the wrong side of the pond, but I mostly contribute because I love the idea of open source/data, and I don't have the skill to contribute to many other projects.

The best part about OpenStreetMap is how easy it is to make useful contributions. While you do occasionally go down wiki rabbit-holes (ex: what is the tag for this feature?), the vast majority of what needs adding is simple, easy, and easily noticeable on the map. It's very rewarding

Show threadWorld Basement ClassicAug 16, 2021

@jollysea I started using OSM because of Google privacy concerns, and because it supported offline maps.

I make occasional edits to keep it up to date and correct errors as I find them. I haven't been involved in any organised mapping parties etc. but I live in a big city which is already well-mapped.

Show threadapetrescAug 17, 2021
@jollysea I've recently gotten into it! Mostly been mapping local areas in my town (in Ontario, Canada)