Skip to main content


If us users don't contribute to #foss software - using it, reporting bugs, providing feedback, donating whatever amount, choosing it over a closed source & more - at the end, it will be big corps & monopolies running our digital lives.

Last week, I used @organicmaps and @openstreetmap for my navigation. Added over 7 new spots (hotels, parks, POI's & more), making these maps & the app, a little more useful for us all. Also, quite happy to see that most places I visited where already there!

in reply to What's a fun name?

Thanks! You inspired me to add four benches and two bicycle stands on my way home through the center of Würzburg! 😊

I did realize that you can’t add trees to a street in #OrganicMaps? I think that’s a very relevant in times of heat.

in reply to Lukas Weidinger

#OrganicMaps is primarily about viewing and navigating maps. While you can use it to add things, I believe those things are mainly shops, businesses, etc. (and even then it's quite limited).

For #micromapping (adding trees, rocks, fire hydrants, benches, etc.) @everydoor is a really good option.

#EveryDoor #OSM #OpenStreetMap #mapping

in reply to Norm

There's also a bench theme for @MapComplete . Here's a screenshot of parts of the user interface.

MapComplete is a (progressive) web app that's very helpful for new contributors, especially for adding details they already know but not familiar with tags to use.

My favorite feature is the ability to associate photos for a specific feature.

@lukasweidinger @hellenicsun @organicmaps @openstreetmap @everydoor

in reply to Lukas Weidinger

@lukasweidinger @MapAmore @normplum as far as @everydoor goes, should I be concerned that it connects to Microsoft's Bing Maps VirtualEarth API? Don't mean to sound paranoid here over FOSS VS Big Corps. I just want to make sure my effort goes to the community and not - yet again - to another private company to which I will offer free labour.

@MapComplete @organicmaps @openstreetmap

in reply to What's a fun name?

@lukasweidinger @MapAmore @normplum Hi! I'm the @MapComplete dev, and yes, you are touching upon a very interesting topic. There has always been tensions between (big) corps and volunteers in #OpenStreetMap , which makes it a really interesting topic.

First of all, the data you contribute goes into the OSM-database, which _everyone_ is allowed to reuse, including for commercial use. And yes, Bing Maps partially uses OSM!

in reply to Pietervdvn :mapcomplete:

@lukasweidinger @MapAmore @normplum

However, our license (osm.org/copyright) clearly states that anyone using the data must:

1. Give attribution
2. Keep the data (including improvements) open.

Rule 2 shifts the incentives, and makes that, for many companies, it is easier to directly update OSM then to grab a copy and start updating this. And this often happens: wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Or…

So, yes, by editing OSM, you are helping everyone, and not just big corpos. However...

in reply to Pietervdvn :mapcomplete:

Having those external satelite imagery, is a _privacy_ concern, as bing can see which tiles you downloaded and thus what areas are interesting to you. However, the data isn't _that_ interesting to do personal profiling.

And about your original concern about helping big corpos? Microsoft also has Bing Maps, which I tested and did think of as problematic, exactly for community reasons: see my blog post openstreetmap.org/user/Pieter%… for all details

in reply to Pietervdvn :mapcomplete:

@pietervdvn thank you for your valuable input. I've read both of your blog posts and both have provided useful information on the matter. Since you last updated the first post over 10 months ago, has anything changed for the better?
in reply to What's a fun name?

well, I spoke with the team on SOTM - they were a friendly bunch and were actually happy withbmy blog posts - they thought it was respectfully written and said it effectively moved things within management.

I should do anoyher followup though, but in any case, the Bing Map Editor doesn't have a lot of usage.

in reply to stavpup

@stavpup

At the moment, @MapComplete uses #Imgur, and associates this photo via image tags. You may already know that @osm database doesn't store photos directly.

@hellenicsun @lukasweidinger @normplum

in reply to stavpup

@stavpup @MapAmore A lot of people have been complaining about this (together with the unclear menu structure), a new menu system is underway. Should be live on the development version in half an hour: dev.mapcomplete.org