Help improve OpenStreetMap with StreetComplete : foss@beehaw.org

Help improve OpenStreetMap with StreetComplete (streetcomplete.app)

submitted 2 years ago* by witchdoctor@lemmy.basedcount.com to c/foss@beehaw.org

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"This app finds missing map data in your vicinity and displays it on a map as quests. Solve each quest by visiting the location on-site and answering a simple question to update the map."

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[–] vaseltarp@lemmy.basedcount.com 30 points 2 years ago (14 children)

I immediately downloaded it because there are a lot of gaps in the map data where I live. Unfortunately it asks what is written on the street sign but there are no street signs here in Juba, South Sudan. I could tell them how everyone calls the street but I can't tell them what is written on the street signs...

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[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 18 points 2 years ago (2 children)

There are options to leave notes, or does not exist. at least for the ones I have entered

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[–] Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 2 years ago (1 child)

I imagine you already know, but be sure that you're saying that the street sign doesn't exist, and not the street itself 👍

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[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 years ago

Will keep an eye on that :)

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[–] jeena@jemmy.jeena.net 13 points 2 years ago (10 children)

Oh you live in South Sudan and are on Lemmy? I think you're the first person from Africa I encounter here. I guess you're a imigrant? Or are you born there?

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[–] jarfil@beehaw.org 7 points 2 years ago* (3 children)

Just to put things into perspective:

Bottom line, can't automatically assume that someone from South Sudan, isn't richer, better educated, more experienced, or whatever in this day and age (¹). I bet you can find a bunch of "mid class" people with an interest in FOSS in the capital.

PS: once upon a time, I ended up in an FPS game with a kid from the middle east, who after some casual conversation, and some Googling, turned out to likely be the second son of the prince's nephew... and it wasn't a scam, just a kid who wanted to play a game.

(¹: this was the goal of all who contributed to the popularization of Internet access, and it's nice to see it working)

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[–] jeena@jemmy.jeena.net 11 points 2 years ago (1 child)

My point has nothing to do with money or education, but that Lemmy is practically only used in North America and Europe (with Japan being the exception of the rule). Here in South Korea nobody other than a few immigrants use it. So I wanted to know if this is the same case in African countries or if they are themselves born there and still somehow found Lemmy and started using it.

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[–] jarfil@beehaw.org 1 point 2 years ago

Ah... nevermind then, I read it as possibly meaning something else.

I've noticed that Lemmy instances seem to be largely populated by "Reddit refugees", which was a mostly English-speaking demographic in the first place. Even in Europe, the (I think) only Spanish instance, has closed earlier this year... but Lemmy itself is a EU-backed project, so there's hope for some larger adoption, maybe.

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[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 1 point 2 years ago

I feel like every kid I passed in the middle east was glued to a phone playing pubg.

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[–] vaseltarp@lemmy.basedcount.com 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Indeed I only work here for a time.

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[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

Why did you assume they're an immigrant?

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[–] jeena@jemmy.jeena.net 6 points 2 years ago

I explicitly asked if they are one or the other. But my guess that they are an immigrant comes from the sentence before where I say that they are the first person on Lemmy I saw coming from an African country. I see the same here in Korea, if you look at !korea@lemmy.funami.tech which seems to be the most subscribed Korean community on lemmy, only the server Admin seems to be Korean, everyone else seems to be a immigrant like me, because Lemmy is very focused on North America and Europe.

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[–] rah@feddit.uk 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I guess you're a imigrant?

Uhhh... wut?

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[–] jeena@jemmy.jeena.net 4 points 2 years ago (1 child)

What is so weird about that? I am a immigrant in Korea and one of the very few who access Lemmy from Korea. I also haven't seen anyone from South Sudan on Lemmy before that person so I wondered how it became known there, and I don't think the assumption that a immigrant who already has contact with people from north america and Europe would know about Lemmy in South Sudan in comparison to local people -like here in Korea - is so outlandish.

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[–] rah@feddit.uk 1 point 2 years ago

I don't think the assumption that a immigrant who already has contact with people from north america and Europe would know about Lemmy in South Sudan in comparison to local people -like here in Korea - is so outlandish.

O_o

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[–] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 10 points 2 years ago (2 children)

The info you enter is directly added to OpenStreetMap in your name

I try to minimize "my name" being out there.

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[–] WeirdAlex03@lemmy.zip 22 points 2 years ago (1 child)

It's just your OpenStreetMap username, doesn't have to a real name. You can set "your name" to be some anonymous gibberish if you'd like

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[–] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 8 points 2 years ago

Well that makes more sense. I saw that quote and just noped out. I'll see if anything is questioned in my area.

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[–] vk6flab@lemmy.radio 10 points 2 years ago (10 children)

Looks interesting. Has anyone used this?

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[–] Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 2 years ago (2 children)

It's good, but it depends on the map having the details in the first place. e.g. near me, the roads are mapped, and a lot of the town centre, but there's a huge amount missing.

Street Complete can't ask about a building if it hasn't been added to OpenStreetMap in the first place.

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[–] witchdoctor@lemmy.basedcount.com [S] 6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

You can use the app to add places and other "things" like street lamps, trash bins and surveillance cameras btw

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[–] Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 years ago

Well, I feel a bit daft!

I thought the filter was to only complete quests for certain objects. I had no idea that you could add items too. That's going to make things easier for me :)

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[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 years ago

I use it once in a while when I'm taking a walk, it's made purposely to fill stuff easily on the go.

For more detailed/complex edits, I go with Every Door.

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[–] jeinzi@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 2 years ago

I've used it quite extensivly, big fan. It asks for further details on objects that have already been mapped, which also reveals things that don't exist anymore. It turns mapping into a really fun game with currently 163 different quests. The app also regularly asks you to verify opening hours or confirm the existence of certain objects. That being said, I almost always use it in conjunction with a real map editor, to add new stuff I find or to make more complex edits.

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[–] witchdoctor@lemmy.basedcount.com [S] 5 points 2 years ago

I've used it

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[–] meteorswarm@beehaw.org 5 points 2 years ago

I love that I can easily correct and annotate bike lanes

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[–] Fisch@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 2 years ago

I use it a lot when I'm on the go because it's just very quick and easy. I also contribute to OSM normally using my PC or Laptop.

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[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 years ago

Seems like a good way to crowd source finer detail

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[–] dracs@programming.dev 2 points 2 years ago

I've used it quite a bit recently. It makes it really easy to submit data in small amounts. I usually have it open while walking my dog and enter in basic things as I go. I've completed about 1500 quests so far with it.

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[–] ososalsosal@aussie.zone 10 points 2 years ago

Smashed that install button.

[–] guyrocket@kbin.social 5 points 2 years ago (1 child)

I'm a bit confused about those anti features. Can anyone explain?

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[–] jarfil@beehaw.org 13 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

TL;DR: Likely not a problem, but YMMV.

From:

https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroiddata/-/blob/master/metadata/de.westnordost.streetcomplete.yml

AntiFeatures:
  NonFreeNet:
    en-US:

Tethered to commercial Jawg.io for map tiles,
FOSS OpenStreetMap.org and
Westnordost.de to get get quests, upload data, etc

Jawg.io and OpenStreetMap.org could geolocate you based on the map tiles you request, and Westnordost.de will definitely geolocate you and trace your progress over time.

There is no easy way to remove these dependencies, or to point them at alternative services.

This may or may not be a concern for you, and you may want to read the related privacy policies and applicable legislation to arrive at a fully informed opinion.

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[–] florge@feddit.uk 5 points 2 years ago

I've been using SCEE which gives you more options https://f-droid.org/packages/de.westnordost.streetcomplete.expert/

[–] fr0g@feddit.de 4 points 2 years ago

StreetComplete and its expert editions are definitely my favourite way to contribute to OpenStreetMaps on mobile. There's also Vespucci which allows you to do more complex stuff like add paths and shape, but the UI isn't super great imo. Organic Maps which I use for navigation actually allows you to edit and contribute quite a bit.

[–] freedomPusher@sopuli.xyz 1 point 2 years ago

StreetComplete shows me no map, just quests on a blank canvas. OSMand shows my offline maps just fine, but apparently StreetComplete has no way to reach the offline maps. I suppose that’s down to Android security -- each app has it’s own storage space secure from other apps.

In principle, we should be able to put the maps on shared SD card space and both apps should access it. But StreetComplete gives no way in the settings of specifying the map location. And apparently it fails to fetch an extra copy of the maps as well in my case.