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 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
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Google Mapssaid to me (which tbf can be outdated) so I get updated!I like it, especially in my city and region where I haven't heard of major OSM users or editors..
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Google Mapssaid to me (which tbf can be outdated) so I get updated!I've gotten so used to lying or social engineering to maintain my privacy, that it felt weird to be honest about actually contributing to a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
Why does StreetComplete have non-free dependancies but OpenStreetMap is completely free/libre? I'm not going to install StreetComplete because of that.
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.
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 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.
