5mo ago

StreetComplete: A fun way to contribute to OpenStreetMap

StreetComplete makes contributing to OpenStreetMap easy and fun by turning contributions into "quests" on a map for you to complete. No personal information is required, just create an OpenStreetMap account, and start contributing directly in your area!

I tried this out myself, and it is truly fantastic! I had never heard of it, and I'm sure many of you haven't either, so spread the word!

Tip: When entering buildings to ask questions (opening hours, etc.) be ready to explain what OpenStreetMap is :)

22 comments

Love me some street complete! It's a great way for me to get out of the house and do stuff even when places are closed, since I'm not awake during the day

I started to use it, IT'S AMAZING! HOLY.. Something to do while walking is to observe and ask around, which I want to do, without having no reason to do y'know.
When I get asked why, I just say I'm just confirming what ~~Google Maps~~ said to me (which tbf can be outdated) so I get updated!
I like it, especially in my city and region where I haven't heard of major OSM users or editors..
- IT'S AMAZING! HOLY..
  My exact reaction to trying it! I wish I had known about this so much sooner.
  When I get asked why, I just say I'm just confirming what ~~Google Maps~~ said to me (which tbf can be outdated) so I get updated!
  I've gotten so used to lying or social engineering to maintain my privacy, that it felt weird to be honest about actually contributing to a map and telling people what it is.
  Thank you so much for recommending this!
  You're welcome! But thank the StreetComplete team for making such a wonderful way to contribute to OSM

For iOS, Go Map!! (source) has a similar quests system. I don't know how well they hold up to StreetComplete though, I've never used the latter.
Also, obligatory https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/How_to_contribute!

I need to get back into OSM. Pokemon Go was the reason I initially started contributing. The game uses (used?) OSM map data, and certain Pokemons will spawn near certain biomes (water, woods, etc).
My little cousin played the hell out of PG around 2017-2018, and they mostly played it around the big park in our town. At the time, the park appeared on OSM (and by extension PG) as a featureless green polygon with a few roads and footpaths. In reality it has a bunch of woods, streams, a pond, playground, public pool etc. So I did a quick readup on how to add stuff to OSM and I gave the park a digital makeover. I even walked around the footpaths with my phone and marked them out with the GPS so that they would appear in the map more accurately.
Unfortunately it was quite a while before Pokemon Go updated its OSM database, and my cousin lost interest in the game by then. But I kept at contributing for quite a few years, adding random stuff in spurts and stopping for a month or two

- Yes! You can download nearby quests for your location, and complete them fully offline. Afterwards, you can connect to the internet to upload your edits to OSM at your earliest convenience.
  
  Wow I didn't know this! I'll have to try this the next time I'm out.

It was cool for a while but my area is mostly done, even with expanded quests it was basically "what is the road surface here" and "what kind of power pole is this" exclusively
I also very much hate the incredibly limited areas you're allowed to download, a 2x2 city block area size limit made me babe to download like 8 map sections desperately for the rural area I live in, and that's JUST for the housing part. If I want to include the nearby lake and part it'll be like 3pl0 more
- Ooh definitely send this feedback to them. I am gonna forget to.

The info you enter is then directly added to the OpenStreetMap in your name, without the need to use another editor.
Wut mean?
- You sign in with your OSM account, and then when you add information via street complete your account submits the changes without needing to use the more advanced osm web interface
  
  "your name" is the account you made to make submissions?

I would like to recommend SCEE if you've been using StreetComplete for a while. It offers some advanced features like editing tags, but more importantly some needed QOL improvements like the overlay quick-selector, and GPX notes.

Used it quite well that I think the local area has mostly dried up on quests. Contributing more either requires being a passenger, or being in another area.
But I also like the feature of it recommending other apps that can be used as well, giving more ways to contribute or use the maps.

- The only thing which F-Droid reports is that it uses jawg.io for visualising the map tiles and that is considered non-free is because it is... commercial?
  This is the quote from the Streetcomplete github:
  Since mid 2020, JawgMaps provides their vector map tiles service to StreetComplete for free, i.e. the background map displayed in the app.
  Personally I don't care that much about FOSS/non-FOSS but IMO a reason like that is least of my concerns when looking at open source. If they're providing a free (as in money) service to an open source app then that's perfectly fine.

I am on vacation and love to map the undocumented hiking trails. It's so much fun. Pokemon go my ass... This is the real shit.

22 comments