OpenStreetMap Adds Easier Reporting of Map Problems

An anonymous reader writes "OpenStreetMap recently topped one million registered users. Now they are trying to make the barrier to entry for contributing to the project even lower. A new 'notes' feature, announced on the project's blog, allows anonymous users to submit bug reports which will alert mappers in the area to incorrect or incomplete map information. The feature also allows for commenting on notes, potentially enabling two-way communication between a mapper and a bug reporter if more information is needed."

Comments

OSM is fine -- I have yet to find the

[Mister Liberty]

first ... ... SPLASH!! bubble...bubble... ...

Trap Streets

[IonOtter]

I wonder how many "errors" in maps, map software and apps are "trap streets"?

A trap street is a fictitious entry in the form of a misrepresented street on a map, often outside the area the map nominally covers, for the purpose of "trapping" potential copyright violators of the map who, if caught, would be unable to explain the inclusion of the "trap street" on their map as innocent.

Re:Trap Streets

[Chuq]

There is some information on these as they relate to OpenStreetMap on the OSM Wiki - http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Copyright_Easter_Eggs

iOS Maps?!

[R3d M3rcury]

FTA:

OpenStreetMap’s data is used by some of the biggest mapping names on the web, including Foursquare, Craigslist, Wikipedia, Mapquest, and Apple’s iOS Maps app.

I'm not sure they want to be so proud of the last one...

Re:iOS Maps?!

[Anonymous Coward]

Note that Apple does *not* use OSM in the US or even most of the world. They seem to be using OSM to fill the gaps in their primary data provider in countries like Pakistan and Africa.

Re:A lot of mistakes in all map services in my are

[caseih]

Yeah I've put in a few corrections for roads in my area on openstreetmap. And they've not been overruled by anyone so far!

Re:Waze is a great client to update OSM

[darkHanzz]

Waze seems nice, the big difference with OSM is that the OSM maps are fully and freely available. With waze, the actual map-data is company owned. I'd rather put effort in improving an open dataset than a company owned one.

OpenStreetBugs

[Anonymous Coward]

As the fine article notes, this feature has been in openstreetbugs for a long time, and has been actively used to fix issues in my area.

As for 1 million registered users, yeah right. Only if you include "users" who have never contributed anything, users who used to contribute but don't any more, and users who were blocked from contributing by the licence change. Their own stats suggest there's around 8000 contributors in any given month, so saying they've got 1 million "registered users" means nothing.

Of course, there are lots of "users" of the map who don't need to register, but those numbers are more difficult to get at.

Re:Waze is a great client to update OSM

[Pecisk]

Sorry, but no, Waze is completely proprietary, they tried to use OSM, but they understood that anyone with half a brain will be capable to capitalize on their improvements on OSM when creating competitor for their service and retreated. So please stop spread misinformation.

Re:Waze is a great client to update OSM

[richlv]

as others have noted, but to make it perfectly clear...

waze is not using osm data.
waze is not contributing to osm data.
if you contribute to waze, it goes in a closed, proprietary database that you are not allowed to use (or even obtain).

with osm, you get all the resulting dataset for free to be used for any purpose.