FOSS4G is the annual recurring global event hosted by OSGeo, the non-profit organization that supports and promotes the collaborative development of free and open source geographic technologies and open geospatial data.

🔸 CFP for Submission of workshop: From May 8 to July 12, 2024.

🔸 Workshop Evaluation: From July 22 to 31, 2024.

🔸 Full FOSS4G 2024 program: September 1, 2024.

More information in https://2024.foss4g.org

I was recently asked how I find and review notes on the OSM US Discord (you should check it out!).

I use the following links to see recent notes. This one is all note actions, last 1k notes: https://resultmaps.neis-one.org/osm-notes-country?c=United%20States

This one is only open notes. It is only opened, commented and reopen actions. You can see the last comment. https://resultmaps.neis-one.org/osm-notes-country-custom?c=United%20States&query=open

I start with the most recent notes and work my way back. The notes can vary wildly. Some are onosm.org ones where a business submitted a request to be listed and all that is needed is to validate it exists, the tags are correct, and it is correctly located (according to reported address), and then you add the business w/ appropriate tags. Some are to identify an error or addition that is beyond the editor being used. Some are clearly spam (Ex: Give CurlingMan13 a beer and a raise!), but you get a feel for it after a while.

Now before I submit that single changeset, I look around the map in that region and search for other notes that I can resolve (some are related, some are easy).

Another good source is NotesReview. You can search for specific text, age, specific users, etc. This one is really good if you want to kill off the oldest notes. https://ent8r.github.io/NotesReview/

its been 4 days i see this lines like exploded roads … when zooming map location , i tried showing amusement park when editing , it also showed exploded road lines hope ( OSM Servers ) Are fine , and its necessary for a company to do monthly backup for all data

take a look at picture:

This celebration of 126th Independence Day as a July 12.

Today I mapped Lavdar i Korçës which according to OSM data has a population of around 1152. The village was not very big, and I was quite motivated today, so I moved to another village close to Lavdar.

Polenë, according to OSM data, has a population of around 752. Did not fully map it, but I think I might have mapped around 80% of the buildings. To my surprise, the streets were mapped pretty well.

I do hope I can continue to map daily for the next 4 days because I will be volunteering at WordCamp Europe in Torino. If I do not manage to map, I will catch up when I get back home.

“#100villagesin100days #day12 “

Overview

This was the mapping with haved the a #Mapping101 via Bagong Pilipinas

Today i mapped two villages from the list, Mokricë-Zleushë and Tenë.

Mokricë-Zleushë is a small village in Përmet. It is a tiny, remote village which also seems quite far away from the other villages around.

Tenë is a small village in Rrëshen. Another tiny, remote village far from the main road.

I would like to check how far from these remote villages are the closest schools, medical centers, hospitals, main streets and the closest city. I know it is possible leveraging OSM data and most probably QGIS or even JOSM (not sure about this). If anyone got some good tutorials and would not mind sharing, i would deeply appreciate it. Unfortunately, i do not have time currently to deep dive into either of those apps.

“#100villagesin100days #day11”

The link for the public version https://sdm.etica.ai/v/0.5/ I made an effort to make it easy and very cheap to host (currently is a client side static vanilla JavaScript+HTML app) and, as a side effect, the privacy of your data is kept.

Since I joined OpenStreetMap in 2022, I’ve done some tools without a graphical interface, and this one I’d love to receive feedback from potential users on such a very niche topic.

Already at early versions of it (I stated a prototype in 2023 mere debug for the real conflation done non interactively before load on OSM editors), I truly attempted to think how to make it as a plugin for JOSM or think how to extend iD instead of keeping it side-by-side with iD or alt-tabbing with JOSM.

The good news: It does have basic support to use one or more files to match by distance and/or by tagging with the one or more target files and then you download the geojson. Okay, addr:street would need language and country level comparison (because misspellings), and also addr:postcode may already have logic to tolerate near matches. If you know vanilla JavaScript to code a function to your country, then it could be more forgiving.

The bad news: for points of interest, the so-called “edgematch links”, “rubber shedding links” or whatever the term to be use to export file “these 0-N items in dataset A matches these 0-N items in dataset B” necessarily need human-in-the-loop and it happens in unpredictable ways. And links which aren’t obvious 1-to-1 (while there’s room for suggestion) require need human input. It started as the “typical leaflet” plus a text-only, but we might need a way to visualize N:M links (unless any you have an UI suggestion to plot such links already over pins in a map!).

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I first heard about the OMGuru Fellowship in November 2023 at the FOSS4G conference in Bangkok. Intrigued by the opportunity, I applied and was thrilled to be selected for the mapping fellowship. What followed was an incredible journey of learning, growth, and impactful experiences.

During the fellowship, I was introduced to various powerful tools such as JOSM, RapID, Mapillary, and the EverDoor app. Each of these tools enhanced my mapping skills and broadened my understanding of the technological landscape in the field of geographic information systems.

A significant highlight of the fellowship was participating in a climate change competition. This ongoing challenge provided me with hands-on experience using MapSwipe and MapRoulette and allowed me to lead a team, further honing my leadership and collaborative skills.

Over the past five months, the fellowship has not been without its challenges. Natural disasters such as an earthquake in Papua New Guinea and floods in Afghanistan required urgent mapping efforts for response activities. The OMGuru Fellowship equipped me with the tools and knowledge to contribute meaningfully to these efforts, opening doors to real-world applications of my mapping skills in crises.

The OMGuru Fellowship has been a transformative experience, providing me with invaluable skills and the opportunity to make a tangible impact. I am grateful for the support and guidance from OpenStreetMap and APHub, and I look forward to continuing my journey in the world of open-source mapping.

OMGuru

Introduction

Hello, fellow mappers! I’m excited to share my experiences as a part of the Open Mapping Guru Fellowship program for 2024. This journey has been an amazing mix of learning, challenges, and making a real impact in the world of open mapping.

From OSM Beginner to Validation Fellow

My OpenStreetMap (OSM) journey began in October 2021 during a training organized by the Geomatics Engineering Students’ Association of Nepal (GESAN). I was immediately drawn to the collaborative nature of OSM and its ability to create free, up-to-date maps for everyone. I wanted to do more than just make edits. That’s when I found out about the OM Guru Fellowship, which has tracks for Mapping, Training, and Validation. The Validation track really interested me, and I was lucky to be selected for it. Knowing that my work helps create reliable maps for disaster response, humanitarian efforts, and other important uses gives me a strong sense of purpose. It feels good to know that behind every useful map, there are contributors working hard to make sure it’s right.

Fellowship Experience:

Being a part of OM Guru Fellowship was more than just learning new skills; it was a transformative experience. The fellowship made me think critically about data quality and gave me more knowledge of powerful validation tools. From OSMCha and Osmose for thorough quality checks to MapRoulette for fun task completion, I learned to find and fix errors precisely. Each task was a new challenge, keeping me engaged and helping me improve as a validator.

My Learnings:

The biggest lesson I learned from the fellowship is the power of collaboration in open mapping. Every validation task, every discussion and every challenge shows the collective effort that goes into creating high-quality maps. It’s humbling to be part of this global network of passionate individuals, all working towards the same goal – a more accurate and accessible map for everyone.

My Achievement

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Kastriot is a village located in Peshkopi, and it has a population of around 6000, according to 2011 population statistics.

Three years ago, I was tasked to send volunteers for a door-to-door campaign in support of a local independent candidate from the miners for the parliamentary elections. Almost every village in the region was visited, but I wish I had the knowledge of OSM I have today. It would have been so much help. I spent so much time on the maps back then that these villages feel like home, even though I have not visited most of them yet. I am glad, I am finally mapping this villages now.

“#100villagesin100days Day10”

Maybe most of us have experienced unpleasant situations with maps, like getting lost on the road due to navigation issues caused by incorrect or outdated maps. This problem is particularly troubling in unfamiliar areas or during long journeys. Poor geospatial data quality often leads to these inaccuracies, resulting in significant inconveniences and even potential dangers. This highlights the crucial role geospatial data plays in our daily lives; when it is inaccurate, it can lead to serious issues.

Geospatial data quality depends greatly on who creates it, especially on platforms like OpenStreetMap (OSM), the world’s largest open mapping platform. OSM’s data comes from many different contributors with different levels of geographic knowledge. This diversity can enrich the data but also lead to heterogeneity. For instance, in the picture below, you can see the differences in digitizing done by various contributors. Some highways are more detailed, indicated by the higher number of nodes in the highway line.

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Hello OSM community,

I’m excited to share my experiences as a participant, validator in the OM Guru Fellowship, 2024. This program has been an incredible journey of learning, growth, and community engagement.

My Journey

Before joining this fellowship program, my experience with OSM was primarily limited to downloading OSM data and using it in GIS software. While I knew that I could edit and contribute to OSM, I lacked the practical knowledge on how to effectively edit and contribute data.

From the moment I joined the OM Guru Fellowship, I knew I was embarking on a unique adventure. The fellowship provided a structured platform for me to enhance my mapping, validating skills, collaborate with fellows and contribute to meaningful projects on HOT Tasking Manager. One of the highlights was working on HOT Tasking Manager Projects, where I learned the HOT Tasking Manager plays a crucial role in leveraging the collective efforts of a global community of volunteers to improve mapping data where it is most needed. It supports humanitarian organizations and local communities in making informed decisions based on accurate and up-to-date geographic information.

Learnings

Throughout the fellowship, I gained a wealth of knowledge. I improved my technical skills in using various OSM tools, learned not only effective mapping techniques but also creating & contributing at HOT Tasking Manager Projects. The mentorship and trainings/ workshops were particularly beneficial, offering insights into best practices and innovative approaches to mapping. I also learned the importance of community collaboration and how collective efforts can lead to significant outcomes.

Impact

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Hello, my name is Julmira de Almeida. I'm one of the Open Mapping Guru Fellows in 2024. First of all, I am deeply grateful to Open Mapping Hub Asia-Pacific for offering me this brilliant opportunity to participate in the Open Mapping Guru Fellowship. This is my first time participating in an international fellowship activity while pursuing my studies at the University. As a young woman who is highly passionate about mapping activities, participating in this fellowship is extremely significant. I have many opportunities to learn and further explore the various open-source platforms we can use in mapping activities.

This figure illustrates the process of capturing street-level imagery using Mapillary.

How I Get involved with Open-Mapping

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Introduction

The Open Mapping Hub - Asia-Pacific (AP Hub) aims to create a sustainable OpenStreetMap (OSM) ecosystem, engaging governments, humanitarian and development agencies, underrepresented sectors, businesses, and citizens in the open mapping movement. In early 2023, AP Hub started the Open Mapping Guru Project to create a network of skilled OSM contributors who help build communities by sharing skills and creating training materials. By the end of 2023, this project expanded into a Fellowship Program from January 2024 to May 2024. This five-month Fellowship aimed to develop the skills, knowledge, and capacity of Gurus through intensive guidance and training, focusing on making impactful contributions to the open mapping movement in the region. The program had three tracks: Training Fellowship, Mapping Fellowship, and Validation Fellowship, each focusing on different aspects of open mapping. I have been an active mapper since 2020, continuously contributing to various projects. As an Open Mapping Guru, I chose and also got selected under the Validation Fellowship to sharpen my validation skills and deepen my knowledge of data quality.

Experiences

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Calling all campus influencers!

Are you a dynamic, and enthusiastic student looking to make a mark at your campus? Are you passionate about frontier technologies, open mapping, and community development? If yes, join us as a campus ambassador and be the face of our exciting upcoming events! we invite you to be part of this incredible journey!

We are excited to announce that the next State of the Map Asia and State of the Map Bangladesh will be held in the beautiful sandy seashore of Cox’s Bazar, and we’re looking for enthusiastic Campus Ambassadors to help make the event a grand success!

As a Campus Ambassador, you will play a crucial role in spreading awareness and engaging with your university community to promote these significant events. This is your chance to develop valuable skills, connect with like-minded individuals, and contribute to impactful projects that make a real difference.

What you’ll do?

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My Open Mapping Fellowship Journey

Introduction

My mapping journey began during the 2020 lockdown period. With extra time on my hands, I delved into mapping projects. Little did I know that this initial curiosity would lead to a fellowship and a profound impact on the mapping community. Over the past five months, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Open Mapping fellowship. As a passionate geomatics engineering student, this experience has been both enlightening and impactful. In this diary, I’ll share my journey, the lessons I’ve learned, and the impact I’ve made.

Learning the Ropes

The fellowship began with an orientation, where I learned about the principles of open mapping, the importance of community-driven data collection, and the power of collaborative efforts. I familiarized myself with tools like Mapillary and EveryDoor, which allowed me to contribute to mapping tasks efficiently.

Mapping and Validation

I dove into mapping tasks, meticulously tracing roads, buildings, and other features on OpenStreetMap (OSM). Validation became my daily routine. I reviewed and corrected contributions made by fellow mappers. It was fascinating to see how our collective efforts improved the accuracy of OSM data.

Experiences and Learnings

##Community Engagement One of the highlights was engaging with the mapping community. I participated in virtual meetups, exchanged ideas, and collaborated with mappers worldwide. Their insights and encouragement fueled my passion for open mapping.

Technical Skills and Impacts Made

I honed my skills in QGIS, mastering spatial analysis, cartography, and data visualization. The ability to create meaningful maps from raw data was empowering. My contributions directly impacted OSM. New roads, points of interest, and accurate boundaries now exist thanks to our collective efforts. Knowing that my edits are part of a global resource motivates me to continue mapping.

Empowering Local Communities

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Welcome to the tenth OpenStreetMap NextGen development diary.

This week the project becomes open for new contributors. Guides are ready, base code is stable, and more is on its way. Let’s get started 😎.

🔖 You can read my other development diaries here:
osm.org/user/NorthCrab/diary/

⭐ This project is open-source and publicly available:
https://github.com/Zaczero/openstreetmap-ng

🛈 This initiative is not affiliated with the OpenStreetMap Foundation.

Developers Discord

If you are a potential contributor, we have launched a Discord server for NextGen developers. There, we will provide you with quick, personalized support and guidance. We will also use it as the primary internal communication channel for the project.

Getting started can be difficult, but we are here to help.

Is This for Me?

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Last week, I attended the Digital Humanities Conference at University College Cork in Ireland for two days. I had been asked to give a talk about mapping ogham stones on OpenStreetMap as part of a panel which spoke about ogham stones and open and linked data. The other three speakers (Nora White, Megan Kasten and Florian Thiery) are all working at universities, as were most of the other speakers, so I felt a bit like an imposter.

However, it was a good chance to speak about OpenStreetMap to people who can spread the word amongst students.

AFAIK, the talks were not recorded, but I recorded my audio on the phone and made it into a YouTube-Video some days later which you can watch here: https://youtu.be/n6CM7Cq1iFM

It was also a good opportunity to meet other mappers (such as above mentioned Florian as well as Shawn Day who teaches at UCC), both of whom I had never met offline.

We mapped all the ogham stones at UCC and did photogrammetry of all of them which will be available on SketchFab (and other platforms?) soon. Maybe Florian can comment below with links to “his” stones and the slides from the other panellists.

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MY FELLOWSHIP JOURNEY

Introduction

“Hello Mappers, I’m Bendita Vilar Moreira Leite from Timor-Leste. I’m excited to share a glimpse into my fellowship journey through this diary post, where I’ll recount my training experience, reflect on my learning, and explore the impact of learn.

As a young Timorese individual, my journey in digital mapping began on February 3rd 2023. It marked my initial foray into mapping for open-source data, although initially, I struggled to grasp its intricacies. However, my passion for mapping truly ignited through my involvement with the G-SIG association. It was there that I found the inspiration and encouragement to delve deeper into this field.

My participation in OMGuru Fellowship

My participation in the OMGuru fellowship in January 2024 was a remarkable opportunity that I seized eagerly. Despite having some prior knowledge of mapping through platforms like OSM OpenStreetMap and Tasking Manager, I realized that I still had much to learn to become a proficient mapping. However, the fellowship provided an excellent platform for growth. Through engaging capacity-building sessions conducted via Google Meet, our trainers shared valuable insights and lessons related to open-source platforms. Additionally, they created a dedicated G-Classroom where we could access course materials and assignments. These resources proved invaluable in enhancing our skills and knowledge in the field of mapping.

An amazing experience that I found through OMGuru fellowship journey

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