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 :)
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.
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
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.
Take the location limit off. Way too annoying for common OSM updates.
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Google Mapssaid to me (which tbf can be outdated) so I get updated!I like it, especially in my city and region where I haven’t heard of major OSM users or editors…
Thank you so much for recommending this!
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Google Mapssaid to me (which tbf can be outdated) so I get updated!I’ve gotten so used to lying or social engineering to maintain my privacy, that it felt weird to be honest about actually contributing to a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
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
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
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!
Does it work without data service or a SIM?
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.
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?
Yes, your OpenStreetMap username. Does not need to be something truly related to you, in fact since most of your edits are likely to be near where you live or work I would strongly recommend they not be something related to you or any usernames you would normally use online.
thank you! alright my paranoia laden privacy shit posters… got to do our part!
Why does StreetComplete have non-free dependancies but OpenStreetMap is completely free/libre? I’m not going to install StreetComplete because of that.
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.
Over time I’ve grown very concerned about non-FOSs simply due to constant datamining. Including for products people buy, they still want customers to install a proprietary app and register the product with serial, name, etc, for extra functionality. So on a phone, I have hard restrictions on what I refuse to install so that no apps have access to anything on phone or how I use it.
it could raise rent prices if you live in an attractive city. college educate people may use the available data to inform the confidence of their relocation decisions. also realestate speculators, but mostly there are better sources.
In that case … you could install StreetComplete without concern.
No, if I wasn’t clear enough already, due to dependancy issues, StreetComplete is not an option.
Taking a quick look at the source code, it seems like they use map libre for displaying the map which is open source. The only thing not open source are the JawgMaps servers, which serve the tiles for the map in the app. This means that there are no closed source libraries running in the app/on your phone, the only thing happening is the app sending HTTP requests to JawgMaps to load tiles.
And that in itself can be enough to assign an ID each time the server reponds to a request and keep track of server generated ID’s to start creating a folder for each ID to have a record of user history on the servers.
Because OSM doesn’t already do that for them? Every edit is saved under your account, as has been said, they don’t need to do any of that
Paranoia that someone doing something that you’re explicitly allowing them to do makes you look silly, you know
yo are you ok?
