Login
You're viewing the adforward.org public feed.
  • Dilman Diladilmandila@mograph.social
    Nov 5, 2026, 8:32 AM

    Now I'm curious how #openstreetmap gets its data. Yesterday I was on a bus in an area 12hrs from our capital city, and an accident created a miles-long jam. So the bus driver got a local to show him a back route. The guide got lost. So I open OsmAnd, and was surprised to see even footpaths just wide enough for bicycles were mapped! Accurately! With no network in the area, google maps failed but OSM helped us find the highway again. I can believe city streets on the map, but village footpaths?

    A screenshot of OsmAnd, showing rural roads in the West Nile region of Uganda. The dotted lines were very small roads just wide enough for bicycles and motorcycles.
    💬 6🔄 0⭐ 2

Replies

  • 💬 1🔄 0⭐ 0
  • Dilman Diladilmandila@mograph.social
    Nov 5, 2026, 8:50 AM

    @SK53 This now makes a lot of sense! For a moment I feared they had their own fleet of satellites...:-))

    💬 1🔄 0⭐ 0
  • SK53SK53@en.osm.town
    Nov 5, 2026, 9:06 AM

    @dilmandila satellite imagery is also a common way of adding detail in rural Africa. Around 10 years ago most Lesotho was mapped that way BUT with a lot of local input. Most satellite imagery is made available to #OpenStreetMap by other big providers, such as Bing and ESRI.

    Feet on the ground are needed for names and quite a lot of amenities.

    💬 0🔄 0⭐ 0
  • LunaticStrayDoglsdog@piaille.fr
    Nov 5, 2026, 8:41 AM

    @dilmandila How openstreetmap gets its data -> volunteers (maybe you ! definitely me) from all over the world collaboratively map whatever they want. Some people really like mapping footpaths ! As for the "how" the mapping is done for footpaths, it is either through the use of satellite imagery or on the ground information, as one prefers
    Here's a beginner guide if you are interested :)
    wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Be

    💬 0🔄 0⭐ 0
  • Algúqualcu@mastodont.cat
    Nov 5, 2026, 8:55 AM

    @dilmandila People who live in an area usually map that area. So it's local knowledge. They know better than anyone where are the footpaths and so on.

    If you want to contribute to improve the map, I suggest you to go openstreetmap.org, login and you will see the interface to add anything you want to add to the map.

    💬 0🔄 0⭐ 3
  • Daltuxdaltux@snac.daltux.net
    Nov 5, 2026, 10:39 AM
    No secrets: on #OpenStreetMap, you can check metadata on any path, point, relation, with history and authors. Probably, someone registered them based on background satellite imagery, their own GNSS tracking or local knowledge. Everybody can help, it's fun, it's for the public good, and you do not work for some Big Tech (they can use the data just like anybody else but it's not only theirs). 🥰
    💬 0🔄 1⭐ 0
  • See+MapSeeandMap@en.osm.town
    Nov 5, 2026, 10:46 AM

    @dilmandila

    You can map the roads and paths from the comfort of your sofa using satellite imagery. But the infrastructure is just as important – for example, markets, shops, doctors’ surgeries, schools and so on.
    However, you can only do that if you’re actually there. That’s where you could help. It’s very easy using the apps from Mapcomplete.org and Streetcomplete. It would significantly improve the maps. Why not give it a try?

    💬 1🔄 1⭐ 0
  • Dilman Diladilmandila@mograph.social
    Nov 5, 2026, 12:08 PM

    @SeeandMap I sure will. I looked it up and see that my street is not there, as it is a new residential area. Will sure explore ways of chipping in 😊

    💬 0🔄 0⭐ 0
  • The Sleight Doctor 🃏🍉ApostateEnglishman@mastodon.world
    Nov 5, 2026, 12:09 PM

    @dilmandila I use Organic Maps, which uses map data from OpenStreetMap. It's especially useful if you're traveling somewhere with no signal, or want to stay off the surveillance radar by turning off mobile data.

    Never had a single issue with it - although I've seen folks saying it performs badly in some more remote areas.

    💬 1🔄 0⭐ 0
  • Dilman Diladilmandila@mograph.social
    Nov 5, 2026, 12:11 PM

    @ApostateEnglishman I use OsmAnd, and they only downside is you can only download 6 maps, but since it is a map of the whole country, it isn't a very big turn off. I have used it mostly in cities but yesterday it surprised me in a very remote area that had poor phone network coverage.

    💬 2🔄 0⭐ 0
  • The Sleight Doctor 🃏🍉ApostateEnglishman@mastodon.world
    Nov 5, 2026, 12:21 PM

    @dilmandila It surprised me how few data-points maps need! I usually don't have much free memory on this phone, yet have never had an issue downloading maps. I assume that rendering them with satellite imagery would take up way more space, but I typically turned this feature off in Google Maps, anyway, as it makes navigation confusing if you're in a city or densely populous residential area.

    Anyway, given how evil Google has become, I'd settle for a lot worse than the options we're discussing.🤷🏻‍♂️

    💬 0🔄 0⭐ 0
  • George Bgbargoud@masto.nyc
    Nov 5, 2026, 12:30 PM

    @dilmandila @ApostateEnglishman

    I have CoMaps on my phone which is also offline first but as far as I can tell has no limit on the number of maps you can download.

    It does not seem to give detailed directions for transit though (I don't even see which station to get on and off the train at) so if one of the others does I would be interested in switching to it.

    💬 1🔄 0⭐ 0
  • Dilman Diladilmandila@mograph.social
    Nov 5, 2026, 1:04 PM

    @gbargoud @ApostateEnglishman The first time I used OsmAnd in Accra, in 2023, it showed me all the unofficial stops for the informal taxis/public transport, which if you've been to Africa you'll know is chaotic, with no schedules, pure anarchy. But I could tap on OsmAnd and it would tell me where to wait for one, and sure enough a bus or taxi or some other public transport would stop in the vicinity. Very helpful.

    💬 1🔄 0⭐ 0
  • 💬 0🔄 0⭐ 0