Calling San Diego mappers

Hi there,

there is a big CSUN conference on March 20th in San Diego. We will be showing our Soundscape app which released in the Apple Store on the 28th of February and uses OSM for data. The app is currently aimed at the Visually Impaired and we want to make sure that when users try the app that they will have a positive experience.

The event takes place at the Manchester Hyatt around the following coordinateas: 32.710401, -117.167166 (https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=san%20diego#map=16/32.7097/-117.1668)

At the moment, there is not an awful lot of data in this area. Especially near the Seaport Village and the Embarcadero Marina Park.

To save us time, I was wondering whether there are any local active mappers in the area that would be able to accurately update OSM in readiness for the event? E.g. where there are new restaurants, shops and other points of interest, we need them to be in OSM.

If we can find no local help, then we will have a crack at it ourselves.

Please let me know if you can help
Thanks
Steven

Interesting. Now I know why you’re here. However, having had a dig around (with Google, bite me) for Soundscape, I saw various co-operating organizations (such as Guide Dogs for the Blind) mentioned but no mention of OSM. Which is a little disappointing. It also seems to me to be somewhat, ummmm, short-sighted. You just put out a call for OSM mappers to help you for the upcoming event. If your blurb about Soundscape mentioned OSM then the visually-impaired might encourage their friends to join the OSM effort. As it is, the visually-impaired know a useful app is available but not why the detail of mapping is of variable quality or what they could do to help improve matters.

You might need to announce your intentions on other fora as well, see the OpenStreetMap US site for some ideas. But there is also Telegram and dedicated Slack Channel for the US.

Seems like there is no Meetup Group yet.

I have moved this thread to the USA subforum.

@Brian de Ford

You wrote:
no mention of OSM. Which is a little disappointing. It also seems to me to be somewhat, ummmm, short-sighted. You just put out a call for OSM mappers to help you for the upcoming event. If your blurb about Soundscape mentioned OSM then the visually-impaired might encourage their friends to join the OSM effort.

You are probably right that OSM is not front and centre on the web site, but we do reference OSM as follows on the Features page.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/product/soundscape/features/

Thanks for pointing this out. OSM is definitely a very important part of the app and this community will hopefully be a big part in making the app a success for the visually impaired and beyond.