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OpenStreetMap Adds Easier Reporting of Map Problems

Posted by Soulskill on from the my-house-is-not-in-a-lake dept.

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."

5 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. Trap Streets by IonOtter · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

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    1. Re:Trap Streets by Chuq · · Score: 3, Informative

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

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      - Chuq
  2. iOS Maps?! by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 3, Funny

    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...

  3. Re:Waze is a great client to update OSM by darkHanzz · · Score: 3, Informative

    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.

  4. Re:Waze is a great client to update OSM by richlv · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.

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    Rich