255
Lets contribute to OpenStreetMaps! (www.openstreetmap.org)
submitted 6 days ago by Kualdir@feddit.nl to c/foss@beehaw.org

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!

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] smeg@feddit.uk 40 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Street Complete is definitely the gateway drug here, very simple and beginner-friendly way to get started

[-] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 10 points 6 days ago

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.

[-] smeg@feddit.uk 6 points 6 days ago

Definitely ticks the "something interesting to do out on a walk" box that pokémon go did

load more comments (5 replies)
[-] Tablaste@linux.community 3 points 5 days ago

My goal last year was to rank in the top 100 of my country.

I'm proud to say I'm nowhere near it. There's others who have taken the challenge, and I'm all for it!

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] chemicalwonka@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 6 days ago

I made 7 contributions last month

[-] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 12 points 6 days ago

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.

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] LadyAutumn@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 6 days ago

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.

[-] Kualdir@feddit.nl 5 points 6 days ago

Enjoy! Same here! You can also contribute on mapy by doing reviews and uploading photos there!

[-] fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 4 points 5 days ago

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

[-] the_abecedarian@piefed.social 7 points 6 days ago

Organic Maps is a good app that also lets you do some editing. I like the interface better than osmand

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] reksas@sopuli.xyz 3 points 5 days ago

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.

[-] doomsdayrs@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 days ago

I suggest using streetcomplete for more basic things, it has an undo button!

load more comments (9 replies)
[-] Fitik@fedia.io 6 points 6 days ago

I like Every Door app, it makes it trivial to contribute and it's pretty nice

[-] freeman@feddit.org 4 points 6 days ago

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!

[-] SweetCitrusBuzz@beehaw.org 5 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

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.

[-] yessikg@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 5 days ago

It's possible with StreetComplete since you can choose when to submit your quests

[-] SweetCitrusBuzz@beehaw.org 3 points 5 days ago

Oh, awesome! We will do it when out and about then.

[-] Kualdir@feddit.nl 4 points 5 days ago

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

[-] SweetCitrusBuzz@beehaw.org 5 points 6 days ago

Is there any way to do this on iDevices?

[-] un_ax@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 5 days ago

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.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[-] ThePfromtheO@social.vivaldi.net 6 points 6 days ago

@Kualdir
Will install StreetComplete and maybe Every Door and will try them

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] JPAKx4@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 6 days ago

I have been loving https://maproulette.org/ for when I'm on my computer!

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] p03locke@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

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.

[-] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 1 points 4 days ago

You can add shops in the "Places" overlay.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Nougat@fedia.io 5 points 6 days ago

Tell me what to get for my stupid iPhone.

[-] Kualdir@feddit.nl 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Every Door works on iPhone

Edit: someone told me https://organicmaps.app/ also has editing functions and it has an iOS app

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] pound_heap@lemm.ee 4 points 6 days ago

Thanks! TIL about EveryDoor.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] flora_explora@beehaw.org 4 points 6 days ago

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!

load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 03 May 2025
255 points (100.0% liked)

Free and Open Source Software

18676 readers
59 users here now

If it's free and open source and it's also software, it can be discussed here. Subcommunity of Technology.


This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS