Mastodawn

madmax Jan 29, 2025

Amᵃᵖanda | map data witch

Not everything free makes *you* the product. Some things are free because people believe in a better world.

#OpenStreetMap is built by a global community, not corporations. No hidden agenda just free, open data for everyone.

Because maps should belong to the people, not to profit. 🌍🔥 #Freedom #OSM

https://mastodon.online/@mnalis/113909524437596664

Matija Nalis (@[email protected])

@[email protected] @[email protected] original advice for poker players went like "When you sit at a poker table, look if you can determine which player is the sucker. If you don't see one, get up, because it is you"... In Internet era, it evolved to "When you get a service on the Internet for free, first look around to find out what product they sell to make money. If you don't see it, get the heck out, because you're the product they're selling" #google #privacy

Mastodon

Denez Van Dyck ⏚Jan 29, 2025

That's a good point. As everyone can contribute to #OSM , you're not the product but one of the producers.

Richard Webb Jan 29, 2025

@amapanda
If only they would improve legibility. Make roads a darker colour. White on white is no good. Already got lost once using OSM because of this. (In Lyon)
The Open Topo Map version Is better in this regard.

Duco Jan 29, 2025

@Fasgadh @amapanda OSM is just the database. They don't really paint maps. That's the software displaying the data from OSM. OSM also has a map on their page, which supports different styles you can switch between. Like highlighting bicycle paths or having yellow streets on dark ground.
So I don't know what software you are using that paints white lines for streets on a white ground, but you should probably contact the developers of that software, not OSM.

Richard Webb Jan 29, 2025

@duco @amapanda

Hence my Open Topo Map comment.
Its a general point about online mapping. Most access points are illegible. A certain big player who cannot get a major oceanic feature right is very much guilty of this.

Duco Jan 29, 2025

@Fasgadh @amapanda different maps are for different porpuses. Open Topo Map is for heights. Others are for driving a car or public transport or bicycles, others for disabled people, etc. Depending on what you want to do, different things are highlighted in maps. Take a look at @organicmaps, OSMand, wheelmap.org or @streetcomplete.
Are you just generally ranting or do you actually want things to get better? In the second case maybe concretely describe the issues you see.

Richard Webb Jan 29, 2025

@duco @amapanda @organicmaps @streetcomplete
Commenting on my experiences using maps is not “ranting”

Richard Webb Jan 29, 2025

@duco @amapanda @organicmaps @streetcomplete

The issue is not seeing roads easily other than the few in yellow. Lack of contrast. However I use OSM as it is better in this regard than certain commercial maps. It’s as if white for roads is some sort of standard.

Duco Jan 29, 2025

@Fasgadh @amapanda
This is 4 times the same part of the city of Hamburg. Three use #OpenStreetMap, one is Google maps. The main issue to read them is for me the level of details. Which one do you use? How would you rank them?

Richard Webb Jan 29, 2025

@duco @amapanda

Bottom right.

My usage however is usually rural

Duco Jan 29, 2025

@Fasgadh @amapanda true, it's looking different in rural areas. The standard rendered of the OSM website has a very low contrast there.

Alan Grant Jan 29, 2025

@duco
As lack of contrast for roads was mentioned, here are roughly the same urban and rural areas as above in OsmAnd, with Road Style set to High Contrast.

@Fasgadh @amapanda

Richard Webb Jan 29, 2025

@alan @duco @amapanda

I like that. What a difference. Probably printable and usable with overlaid data like Geograph does.

Alan Grant Jan 29, 2025

@Fasgadh
OsmAnd has a vast set of customisation options - of course that creates its own challenges tracking down the ones you need.

It's specifically for Android, I don't know about printing.

An example of a OpenStreetMap-based browser map that has moved away from white roads is the Americana style. Maybe not what you want, but another illustration that there is nothing specific about OSM data that forces pale-coloured streets.
@duco @amapanda

Themikina Jan 29, 2025

@amapanda I'd add to this the amazing app/geolocation game that everyone should be aware off - StreetComplete.

It's basically like Pokemon GO and other geolocation games, but instead of catching pokemon you're getting quests to fill missing data into OpenStreetMap, such as opening hours, types of buildings, streetlamps or sidewalks.

It's fun, and it actually has a real world application!
https://streetcomplete.app/?lang=en

StreetComplete

OpenStreetMap surveyor app

Lloyd Jan 29, 2025

@amapanda I'm going to chime in to say that it is free in the libre sense and free to access, but costs a lot to run. If you can't contribute your time, then consider donating to help cover their hardware, hosting, legal and admin costs

https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/How_to_contribute

https://supporting.openstreetmap.org/donate/

How to contribute - OpenStreetMap Wiki

Ilya Zverev Jan 29, 2025

@amapanda OpenStreetMap makes me the product. My non-paid efforts to draw the best map of the world, my dozens of software tools, apps and websites, all available because OSM makes its contributors products. Which is "sold" to corporations throwing away paid alternatives, because we do such a good job just for the sake of free.

Gregory Marler Jan 29, 2025

@amapanda I'm going to argue the statement still holds actually.

All those people happily using #OpenStreetMap for free: means that it's popular & helpful, which produces pride & other fuzzy feelings inside of me (as an OSM contributor). The fuzzy feelings generate motivation for me to continue contributing/improving OSM. Thus the free user is the product that the producer gets. QED.