Do you actually use OSM?

Ofcourse, using www.yournavigation.org is mandatory for me, but I admit to using Google whenever I’m in doubt.

Thanks Lambertus! Are you a developer of yournavigation.org or just a user?

Of course I use OSM, because (at least where I’m using it) other Maps are often faulty or don’t even try to contain the information I need. And if there’s something wrong in OSM (very rarely) I can at least fix it :wink:

. Do you use OSM at osm.org or at some 3rd-party implementation?
. Could you please give some examples that work for OSM but are faulty at google maps?
. Is this lack of info from other maps the main reason why you use OSM? Or do you use it because you want to support free software?

Thanks a lot for your comment rayquaza

Both :smiley:

Since the last major change on www.osm.org I’m not using it. Well, except (currently) for PNs, and if someone links to it and my link modifier is disabled.

I can’t name something in Google Maps since I don’t know anyone seriously using it, but i.e. a commercial car navigation system (afaik using Navteq-Data) is routing through roads where no cars are allowed.

I don’t remember what my original reason to sign up was (iirc the former), but currently it’s both (to be more precise: not just free software, but free anything).

Would you answer a question in return? Why are you asking? Are you sceptic if you should make your first edit or are you doing an opinion poll? :stuck_out_tongue:

oh nono! I hope I wasn’t too intrusive with my enquiries :slight_smile:

I’m a huge supporter of free content, and I believe more resources should be invested to support it financially. For instance, I believe people should have a lot more opportunities of working on free software because they believe in it while at the same time being compensated.
For this reason I’ve being thinking how I could help achieving this goal, and came to the conclusion that there are a lot of opportunities on the web since most of the popular websites are not free. You can also read a couple of other posts I wrote

http://www.reddit.com/r/freesoftware/comments/237wzb/id_love_to_find_a_way_to_support_more_free/
http://forum.openstreetmap.org/viewtopic.php?id=25127

I think a free map is a good fit for a new project. There is OSM, Nominatim, a problem to solve (ie. everybody needs to learn HTML, JavaScript and an API just to create a personalized layer) and apparently a lack of free alternatives (osm.org is basically a front end to its database, and people don’t use it to “look up things”). The map can be profitable, for instance showing sponsored content when searching for restaurants. Revenue will all be reinvested on people working at the project, and part of it can be used to start or support other projects with equal goals.

yournavigation.org seems a very cool project, and I’ll try to PM Lambertus later.

BTW, what major change made you move away from osm.org? And what do you use now?

My use of OSM data is mostly through OsmAnd and that has two reasons: First, I am often away from areas with decent mobile coverage so online based maps and navigation can be problematic. Second, it is much less expensive to leave data turned off on the mobile plan I use so even if there is mobile coverage I don’t usually want to use it. I want to use a map and navigation system on my phone that does not need mobile coverage and OsmAnd provides that.

My biggest issue with OsmAnd, and OSM based routing and navigation in general, is that many roads are not tagged with maxspeed=* values and thus the routing choices and estimated times can be off. Second, when offline you only have OSM data for geocoding and address information can be quite spotty. If traveling to someplace new I’ll use OSM based routing tools AND at least one of the commercial web sites. If there is a significant difference in results, I decide which to follow based on some personal preferences.

The one mentioned in this german thread (links there are in english), mostly the wrong usage of the URL’s Fragment-Part and the Data-Browser, which I find too small and too often unusable (selecting a geometricaly big object with the datalayer enabled might crash the webbrowser, it’s not possible to write comment while reopening a Note, on my smartphone only the first ~two lines are visible, …). Now I’m using a rushly (mostly in one week) self-written interface, which is not (yet?) published. Besides that I’m using OSRM (for Routing and if my interface is unavailable for looking at rendered maps), nominatim.osm.org (until I finally write my own searchbox), OsmAnd and ofcourse JOSM.

For me, OSM’s potential is driving me to map. I live in Alaska where Google lacks a lot of data. I’m hoping that with OSM and Mapbox I could make an app that will help visitors get around. Anyway, if I succeed lots of people will be using OSM. I used it when I got lost on a college campus here, I don’t know the names of the buildings well but I had put them on OSM. So there’s my 2 cents!

I use it compiled for garmin

For me it was exactly the opposite. In South America I have been using routing in osrm for years, and google maps begun routing just a few months ago.

No. It’s no about other maps, it’s about access to free (libre) geographic data that is it very important for people.

Removed

How about http://map.project-osrm.org?

Removed

Oh sorry, I thought OSRM could also find the shortest… but apparently it cannot. Did you try http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/List_of_OSM_based_Services#Routing ?

Removed

I use OSM mostly through Osmand on my smartphone. It’s great for navigating both on foot and by car. Not all POIs are there, but when they are, they are almost always correct, while Google or (disaster) Tripadvisor often aren’t (at least in countries like India and in South America)

Because I’m Etrex 10 user, I have to use OSM maps generally. Eespecially that suburbans of St.-Petersburg, Russia (area of my interests) are “mapped” by OSM community rather better, than even official maps! Just look: who else but enthusiasts will mark ski trails or little-known attractions? As a skin of wikimapia, I often use OSM too, but sometimes I switch to Google maps.

To make life easier for users I have published a set of maps for Etrex 10, but in my business activities, I use Yandex maps as the best data base of trading companies and state offices of St.-Petersburg with phone numbers, weblinks and etc.

I do use OSM data a lot (browser, Garmin, smartphone app), though not exclusively. In my country, google imported a lot of ways that are not existent anymore, and lacks information on barriers, which makes unsuitable for planning a hiking or cycling trip.

I’m using OSM data on phone - Osmand+ and GDAK (geocaching application). The missing data in these apps were the impulse for me to start with OSM editing. But except OSM, I’m also using local http://www.mapy.cz service. And streetview from google. The best is a combination of more resources. Sometimes are data in OSM much better, sometimes is explored area almost blank.

The render on openstreetmap.org is not bad, but I miss active POI’s, hiking mode and satellite view. The problem is, that there are a special projects solving each of my issues, but I’d like to see all in one place (like on mapy.cz).