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StreetComplete: Fixing OpenStreetMap, one tiny quest at a time

streetcomplete.app

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

#201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Street complete does load width - it can be quite useful for example for the fire fighters. They can try to plot some routes based on OSM data, then check if the narrow places are actually there and reach out to the city to address them, so their fire engines can get through.

That's a fair use for the data, but it would be hilarious if StreetComplete asked users to get a trundle wheel and measure the width of roads around embassies or seats of government...

There's a companion app, StreetMeasure, that uses Google's AR measuring capability on compatible phones. Personally, I carry a laser distance measure.

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

#202
post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OSM is actually perfectly sufficient if you just want street and address data. This stuff gets pulled in from official government sources so it's all present and up to date. Where it's lacking is business info since this has to be entered manually and changes much more often than streets or buildings change.

I'd like to point out that it only "gets pulled in" if the data is actually made available by the government, and there are dedicated volunteers who work on getting the data, massaging it into the right format and importing it into OSM, and that is not the case in many countries.

Not to mention the occasional drift between what's on paper and what's actually been built.

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

#203
post #202
post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like to point out that it only "gets pulled in" if the data is actually made available by the government, and there are dedicated volunteers who work on getting the data, massaging it into the right format and importing it into OSM, and that is not the case in many countries.

Not to mention the occasional drift between what's on paper and what's actually been built.

Yeah, that's a whole different kettle of waspnests. :)

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

#204
post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I upload street view pictures to Mapillary, which again can be used to automatically infer info into OSM (like signs etc) But I feel very few OSM mapping apps use street view / have it as a feature. But for me it's the main feature I use Google Maps for. Like checking road conditions or finding nice places to camp when bikepacking. Which is why I also upload my stuff to Google (cars can't access most of these areas),…

Check out panoramax if you don't know about it already. https://panoramax.fr/

Thanks! Did look at it a while back, and currently no instance where I can provide my street views, unfortunately. Hopefully more instances will come soon. And also hope that more mapping apps will use this data, it's a chicken&egg problem I guess.

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

#205
post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is true, that said reporting is not the same (imo) as having a global map of problems and proposals to fix some of them. To me it's a lot more engaging (again, imo) as you see the distance to a goal.

Local authorities might not be happy with civilians painting curbs, fixing potholes, installing road signs. Or I'm not sure what kind of problem we're talking about.

Fair point, I wasn't thinking about making everybody a civil engineer but you can clean some walkway, fix a simple bolt, a bench. that sort of thing.

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

#206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OSM is actually perfectly sufficient if you just want street and address data. This stuff gets pulled in from official government sources so it's all present and up to date. Where it's lacking is business info since this has to be entered manually and changes much more often than streets or buildings change.

The thing lacking even more is a good search engine. Doesn't matter how complete the database is when search keeps missing text appearing verbatim in a label.

This is the problem with using vector search for everything: there is no “verbatim” when the corpus and the search are both converted to a vector, and not necessarily using exactly the same transform.

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

#207

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…

[deleted]

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

#208
post #2

I discovered that recently, it's a very fun way to contribute to OpenStreetMap, and the UI is really well-done, it's totally beginner friendly! I wish there was a way to do more than labeling though, like add simple roads and footpaths

I love the app idea but I don't think it's beginner friendly - for example it starts zoomed out of the globe and there is no button to zoom to the location; also it's unclear what the hatched lines until one zooms in.

There's a button to zoom to the location at the bottom right, the same spot as Google maps (and the same icon too).

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

#209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OSM is actually perfectly sufficient if you just want street and address data. This stuff gets pulled in from official government sources so it's all present and up to date. Where it's lacking is business info since this has to be entered manually and changes much more often than streets or buildings change.

The thing lacking even more is a good search engine. Doesn't matter how complete the database is when search keeps missing text appearing verbatim in a label.

If you are a delivery company or such paying for mapbox you can build your own solution and get better quality than the open source general purpose apps.
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