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StreetComplete: Fixing OpenStreetMap, one tiny quest at a time

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Re: StreetComplete: Fixing OpenStreetMap, one tiny quest at a time

#111
I've been mapping out shops, their contacts, cuisines (for restaurants), opening hours etc in my area. It's a lot of work and much of the information will actually simply not be available to me without a shop owner. So I'm trying to get some of them to update their own shop information. But I'm really struggling to find good arguments. Small shop owners often have quite stressful days already and taking even five minutes to update some information only makes sense if I can present them with a case that this will help their business.

Does anybody here know of ways that OSM data is used and products that people actually use to find businesses? I have heard rumors that Apple pulls data from OSM every now and again in areas where their own datasets are sparse. But do we have anything more meaningful or more concrete that would work in an area like France where data is not necessarily sparse in Apple's maps? (I'm saying this looking at Google Maps here in southern France where half of the shops that it displays just don't exist anymore for years...)

Re: StreetComplete: Fixing OpenStreetMap, one tiny quest at a time

#112
post #99

I was once on a trip in Åndalsness, one of the most scenic places in Norway. Fjords, mountains, you know it. On the walk to our cabin, a little outside of town, I was checking something on OSM, might have been just learning to use it and read it (it has some learning curve when switching from G-maps). To my surprise, I saw a shortcut/walking path exiting from the road we were walking on. Already used such paths twice…

One of these viewpoints maybe ? https://cartes.app/?cat=point-de-vue#13.66/62.56098/7.70188

Found it! It's on the southern exit from the Mjelva village. Viewpoint is not marked. It felt like a quite a private place, so I don't really want to post more details.

Someone dedicated can still easily find it.

Re: StreetComplete: Fixing OpenStreetMap, one tiny quest at a time

#113
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Usually if I need to add a footpath I use the "Create new track recording" feature to trace out the path with GPS, then come back to it later on desktop. Adding paths is pretty awkward to do on mobile, especially since there's no satellite overlay.

StreetComplete doesn't have satellite overlays, but both Vespucci and EveryDoor support viewing satellite overlay tiles!

Though if you like StreetComplete and want aerial/satellite, there's SCEE, a fork of StreetComplete. I tried both Vespucci and EveryDoor, but neither is nearly as easy to use in my opinion.

https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/SCEE

Re: StreetComplete: Fixing OpenStreetMap, one tiny quest at a time

#114

I've been mapping out shops, their contacts, cuisines (for restaurants), opening hours etc in my area. It's a lot of work and much of the information will actually simply not be available to me without a shop owner. So I'm trying to get some of them to update their own shop information. But I'm really struggling to find good arguments. Small shop owners often have quite stressful days already and taking even five min…

> So I'm trying to get some of them to update their own shop information. But I'm really struggling to find good arguments.

I did that for my business (a bakery). Spent ages on it, put in all the details I could think of. At the end of the process there seemed to be a requirement to send it you review so I did that. This was several months ago (probably six months), and it's never showed up.

I'm busy, and I have a thousand more useful things to do for my business. I'm very unlikely to try again.

On the other hand, if the process had been easier I'd probably have then gone on to adding other businesses in the area.

The actual business is listed, but with a slightly wrong name. But I can put that exact slightly wrong name into the search on openstreetmap.org right now and there's zero results.

Then I can manually zoom to the location (which is correct), see my business, tap on it... And nothing. It doesn't open. So given all of this, why would I bother with openstreetmaps as a business owner?

Re: StreetComplete: Fixing OpenStreetMap, one tiny quest at a time

#115
post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of these viewpoints maybe ? https://cartes.app/?cat=point-de-vue#13.66/62.56098/7.70188

Found it! It's on the southern exit from the Mjelva village. Viewpoint is not marked. It felt like a quite a private place, so I don't really want to post more details. Someone dedicated can still easily find it.

You're right. Last holidays, I went to beautiful place in Spain. A way covered in Ferns was marked as an OSM path. I guess it was, but did not get cut this year or the later. So we tried and failed 30 m after.

It's important to keep some mysteries despite precise maps.

That's why I'm at the same time fascinated by 3D "splats", but also worried to be spoiled.

They're great for places we already know (inspect your roof's shape for instance), but they spoil discovery.

Re: StreetComplete: Fixing OpenStreetMap, one tiny quest at a time

#116

What's the best apps as a Google maps replacement that uses open street maps?

Comaps is great. Works offline. https://cartes.app from France Murena maps have just been released: https://community.e.foundation/t/murena-maps-is-here-in-beta...

Re: StreetComplete: Fixing OpenStreetMap, one tiny quest at a time

#118
https://shufflenblues.com/location/

OSM is fantastic. I wanted a free, unencumbered map that matches the site's theme for ride sharing, billeting, and the venue location. The solution wasn't trivial, but at least it was possible. Couldn't imagine doing that with Google Maps.

Re: StreetComplete: Fixing OpenStreetMap, one tiny quest at a time

#119

I've been mapping out shops, their contacts, cuisines (for restaurants), opening hours etc in my area. It's a lot of work and much of the information will actually simply not be available to me without a shop owner. So I'm trying to get some of them to update their own shop information. But I'm really struggling to find good arguments. Small shop owners often have quite stressful days already and taking even five min…

> So I'm trying to get some of them to update their own shop information. But I'm really struggling to find good arguments. I did that for my business (a bakery). Spent ages on it, put in all the details I could think of. At the end of the process there seemed to be a requirement to send it you review so I did that. This was several months ago (probably six months), and it's never showed up. I'm busy, and I have a th…

Seems like a trend with your business, though:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36566783

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44364090

Banned from Google Maps, banned from Instagram...

Re: StreetComplete: Fixing OpenStreetMap, one tiny quest at a time

#120
post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So I'm trying to get some of them to update their own shop information. But I'm really struggling to find good arguments. I did that for my business (a bakery). Spent ages on it, put in all the details I could think of. At the end of the process there seemed to be a requirement to send it you review so I did that. This was several months ago (probably six months), and it's never showed up. I'm busy, and I have a th…

Seems like a trend with your business, though: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36566783 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44364090 Banned from Google Maps, banned from Instagram...

Yep, both of those things actually happened, what's your point? I'd love to say we were just unlucky but unfortunately I think it's par for the course when running a small business these days. At least when I was researching how to fix these I found a lot of other people with similar problems and a while industry of YouTubers and bloggers claiming to show you how to fix it.

We got back on Google maps after a few weeks and haven't had any problems since. We never got back on Instagram and had to make a new account, although to be honest we've barely used it since our business pretty much all comes from Google maps.

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