Live data from Hacker News

OpenStreepMap 2012 vs. 2022

2012.osmz.ru

101–110 of 201 posts

Re: OpenStreepMap 2012 vs. 2022

#101

OSM needs some form of gamification adding to it. Google Maps app is great, lets you gain points by adding information & photos & reviews etc. They even send you a free bespoke pair of socks or a badge if you're active enough. So fun to add photos and then see how many views they get (I posted one of a chippy in Scotland (for Americans that's Fish & Chip 'Thick French Fries' shop) which got over 1.4 million views - m…

In my experience, OSM data is usually better than Google Maps. The only problem is that Google Maps has the better app.

Re: OpenStreepMap 2012 vs. 2022

#103
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> OSM needs some form of gamification adding to it. Take a look at StreetComplete [1]. It is gamification of updates to OSM. [1] https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.westnordost.streetcomplet...

The last time I submitted a few months worth of my travels at once after doing a hundred or so of these challenges/questions and got a bunch of notifications lambasting me for not updating the moment I did instead of later. Honestly didn't realise you had to manually submit, thought it just happened automatically. Was a really rude intro to the community and reminded me a lot of SO or Wikipedia with its gatekeeping.…

[deleted]

Re: OpenStreepMap 2012 vs. 2022

#104
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Just to clear a possible misconception: OSM is a database, not a rendered map. Everyone is free to render their own maps based on OSM data.) When we map (e.g. when we click on the "Edit" button), we use satellite images from providers like Bing, Maxar, ESRI, who have authorised their imagery to be used as base layer. Many countries also authorize their national orthophotography to be used as base layer.

Openstreetmap.org does not have a satelite baselayer that I can use, so I don't get what you mean.

Yes it does, when you go in edit mode :-)

Re: OpenStreepMap 2012 vs. 2022

#105
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> OSM needs some form of gamification adding to it. Take a look at StreetComplete [1]. It is gamification of updates to OSM. [1] https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.westnordost.streetcomplet...

The last time I submitted a few months worth of my travels at once after doing a hundred or so of these challenges/questions and got a bunch of notifications lambasting me for not updating the moment I did instead of later. Honestly didn't realise you had to manually submit, thought it just happened automatically. Was a really rude intro to the community and reminded me a lot of SO or Wikipedia with its gatekeeping.…

This is terrible. I have no experience with it myself, but if OSM wants community contributions, they need to make sure that people feel welcome to contribute. Lambasting people for getting something wrong is not helpful. Thanking them and advising them how to do it better next time would be much better.

Re: OpenStreepMap 2012 vs. 2022

#107

I prefer OSM to Google Maps when looking at maps. You get better maps with more detail. But, I have to back to GM to find anything with an address. The business database on OSM is poor, and I don't think the system for estimating the location of an address on a street has been particularly good either. They were terrible years ago on GM, so this is part of the evolution. But I can see how OSM will end up better than…

Google is on a warpath of advertising to the detriment of its base products. Nowhere is this more apparent to me than Google Maps, mostly because there isn't a great alternative if I want to find businesses near me.

Everyone who can help OSM should. There's no reason OSM can't be a wikipedia-quality product, to the point where close source, advertising-beholden alternatives can't meaningfully compete. Add businesses in your town today! Add business hours if you can! Fix any errors you see. And try to switch to OSM for everything you can. Every little bit helps.

Re: OpenStreepMap 2012 vs. 2022

#108
post #101

OSM needs some form of gamification adding to it. Google Maps app is great, lets you gain points by adding information & photos & reviews etc. They even send you a free bespoke pair of socks or a badge if you're active enough. So fun to add photos and then see how many views they get (I posted one of a chippy in Scotland (for Americans that's Fish & Chip 'Thick French Fries' shop) which got over 1.4 million views - m…

In my experience, OSM data is usually better than Google Maps. The only problem is that Google Maps has the better app.

[deleted]

Re: OpenStreepMap 2012 vs. 2022

#109
post #46

OSM needs some form of gamification adding to it. Google Maps app is great, lets you gain points by adding information & photos & reviews etc. They even send you a free bespoke pair of socks or a badge if you're active enough. So fun to add photos and then see how many views they get (I posted one of a chippy in Scotland (for Americans that's Fish & Chip 'Thick French Fries' shop) which got over 1.4 million views - m…

This is the main thing I hate about google maps. I refuse to do free work for google in return for 'fun'.

This is definitely one of the trickiest ethical questions for me -- and it applies not only to Maps updates, but also writing Amazon reviews, and so forth.

On the one hand it's free work benefiting the corporation... but on the other hand it's genuinely helping sometimes thousands of other people. I benefit massively from reading Amazon reviews, and it feels good to give back. But it is also a contribution that further entrenches Amazon (or Google Maps), it's not like Wikipedia where contributions can be used by anyone.

What do we do when we can help other users, but doing so also supports corporations for free? Although then again, I've never paid a dime for Google Maps and use it daily, it's literally a major part of my life -- so does getting the product for free also play a role?

Re: OpenStreepMap 2012 vs. 2022

#110
post #41

OSM needs some form of gamification adding to it. Google Maps app is great, lets you gain points by adding information & photos & reviews etc. They even send you a free bespoke pair of socks or a badge if you're active enough. So fun to add photos and then see how many views they get (I posted one of a chippy in Scotland (for Americans that's Fish & Chip 'Thick French Fries' shop) which got over 1.4 million views - m…

> OSM needs some form of gamification adding to it. Take a look at StreetComplete [1]. It is gamification of updates to OSM. [1] https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.westnordost.streetcomplet...

This thing is so much fun! I love wandering around a new area and filling in the details.

One thing I wish it had was the ability to add an entirely new building. I'm currently living in a town that is experiencing massive growth and I'll often see a structure that's still a vacant lot on osm, and I don't think you can add it with StreetComplete.

Post reply on HN