You can easily add POIs with streetcomplete, osmand or directly on osm.org . Just add POIs whenever you search for it and it is missing. It'll take some time depending on your area but if you don't start today, there won't be an alternative for you tomorrow. Ask a friend to do the same. My area has more pois and details and is more up to date and the location is more accurate than google.
this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2024
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Privacy
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Every Door is another good alternative to StreetComplete.
Thank you!
i did not know about that, thanks so much!
Please add them. I know it's a pain in the ass to do. But if you add them and other people add other places, then it becomes better for everyone. So please contribute.
Please add them if they are missing. It's open source, y'know?
Nearly all open source map apps (definitely OsmAnd and Organic Maps) use openstreetmap.org as a data source which is literally a wiki, ie. anyone can edit it. If there is a lot missing in your area on OSM, then please add those things yourself. It is exactly as good as volunteers made it.
Can you add them with Street Complete and or openstreetmap.org?
At least in terms of addresses, I feel like Magic Earth is significantly better than Organic Maps.
Agreed. Not FOSS though :(
Decent privacy policy.
Yes, but as you say, they have a good privacy policy. Also their revenue model backs up their privacy policy, and I find their reasoning as to why they aren't FOSS fair:
Will Magic Earth be Open Source?
No; since it is also used commercially (we have a paid Magic Earth SDK for business partners), we cannot make the code public.
(from the FAQ)
That's just saying "we want to sell access to our code, so we can't make it open source". Basically the definition of proprietary software, no?
Yes? Nobody was claiming they weren't proprietary.
My point was that it's not so much "fair reasoning" as just a statement of that fact.
Yes, but people were claiming they had a good reason not to be FOSS. They could have easily just not mentioned it at all but instead they name a reason that isn't an issue for many others.
That's a weird reasoning, as I can find plenty of FOSS that has paid "business" editions
Why do they need access to your phone, microphone, and contacts?
Proprietary software is not a better privacy choice than free software
The two things are orthogonal
yes but the old school business model of selling access to code without giving someone a full on anal probe in the form of data collection is not bad. it's only because major applicationa became insane spyware that we all had to start screaming about FOSS in the first place.
Magic Earth is doing a great thing. they are giving you a decently private, "Just Werks" maps experience, while still making money to fund their business, which is necessary to make software that is high grade. if that involves proprietary code, then okay fine.
They are giving a great experience to the average user, even someone trying to be private or at least degoogled. I see no issue with Magic Earth.
Magic Earth isn't private as it sends back data. Even if it was, there is no way of doing they won't change something in the future.
I used to use it before Organic maps matured. Now organic maps seems to be the best option. I also use OsmAnd for a while but it is far to unstable and slow plus it takes up a lot of disk space.
But they don't have more data than organic maps since they're using OSM too.
They have live traffic data, which OSM doesn't have.
In terms of search, there are algorithmic ways to get smarter results compared to what is built in OSM per default. So if other users say that the results are better, magicearth might be doing some magic under the hood.
The post specifically mentioned POIs, and as far as I have tested (in France at least), Magic Earth has the same incomplete/missing POI database as organic maps, coming from OSM.
Thanks. Never heard of this before. I'll take it for a spin.
Most responses tell you to add them yourself which is a solution to this problem. But I think the reason why the state of businesses on OSM and Organic Maps (which uses OSM as a source) is so dire is interesting too:
OSM must not use other maps as sources. In fact, they must not use any information that hasn't been licensed in a way that specifically allows OSM to use it. As such, they can't just go to Google Maps and copy all the business information over because Google has not licensed that information in an open way. Information like streets, paths or houses can be gleaned from satellite pictures that have been provided to OSM and can be put in easily so they tend to be up-to-date. But for businesses, someone has to actually go there and confirm the information.
Now why is Google so good at that? Because almost every business owner makes sure to put their business on GMaps themselves and keep that information updated so it doesn't depend on one person going through the area regularly.
It's not as if google's map is without problems. Even when it comes to finding shopping opportunities, depending on what you're looking for (computer shops, locksmiths) it can have a lot of locations on the map that don't exist in reality. And then for something like fast food you can assume it's more prominently showing whichever chain has paid the most.
Maybe it's worth it if you need to be sure of finding the nearest McDonalds, but it isn't the map I'd go for first for most things.
They're all crowdsourced, but the non-Google/Apple crowd is much smaller. This shouldn't be surprising.
Although I'm sure that Google and Apple also have people being compensated for adding places, either actual employees, contractors, or micropayment style. The FOSS ones don't have that.
I've tried magic earth and am using organic maps right now. It's pretty good and I use it. Though, it won't have traffic reports and stuff which kinda sucks. For busing around, I use the website my county bus system has, which has a google map backend thing which shows which bus stops to go to.
Qwant Maps
Yes, but same of other free maps, is only another fork of OSM.
If your concern is privacy, do you have a particular problem with Apple Maps?
Its proprietary and made by apple. That's why I don't use it.
Fair enough.
Do your research from Tor or mullvad browser before going out instead of on the go searches.
Yandex Map, but quality depends on the country. Otherwise, Organic Maps are the only decent option.
Never expected to see Yandex mentioned in a privacy focused forum…
Depends who you need privacy from. I recall Stallman's advice about VPNs - that to avoid having your information turned over you should choose a VPN from a country whose government is no friend of your government. Depending on your threat model, I could see this being the same principle
Maybe its good for Russians or something
If your concern is privacy, do you have a particular problem with Apple Maps?
Yeah, he just said he's got a problem with privacy. So, Apple and Google maps are out.
So, what are the **specific ** privacy problems with Apple Maps?
Oh my god! I've got one!! I'VE GOT ONE!!!!!
Go on ….