2020-07-04 –, Track 1
When people come to OpenStreetMap for the first time, their expectations are sometimes at odds with what the OpenStreetMap community is doing. If you have been puzzled by an OSMer telling you that OpenStreetMap is not a map, that openstreetmap.org is not aiming to compete with Google Maps, or by their stubborn refusal to remove a private trail from the map, then this talk is for you. It will explain the basic tenets of the OpenStreetMap community and how they apply in practice.
This talk will explain some of the often-heard but little-documented basic concepts in OSM, like
- we are not a map (but a database)
- the map does not matter (the community does)
- openstreetmap.org is not aimed at the public (but at mappers)
- we map what's on the ground (not what the government or the landowner wants)
Building on that, the talk will also outline why the OSM community is often skeptical about filling an empty map with data imports, about AI contributions, or about automatic edits, and why OpenStreetMap is not a business directory.
The plan is to explain the basic ideas and give examples of their effects for data users or for everyday mapping practice. Where the concepts are controversial or subject to discussion, these controversies will be mentioned but not followed in depth. This talk will focus on "traditional" values in OpenStreetMap because they are omnipresent. After hearing these explanations, newcomers will have a better chance of understanding where people come from when they say things like "we are not a map", and will be better prepared to form their own opinion.
Common misconceptions about OpenStreetMap
I am a long-time contributor to OSM in Germany and elsewhere. I have worked on a lot of different OSM software. I’m also a regular OSM conference visitor, having participated in all but one of our “State of the Map” conferences and lots of other events. I co-founded Geofabrik, a small OSM consultancy in Karslruhe.