Ben Abelshausen on the OSM-Community during the OpenStreetMap break-out session at Open Belgium 2015.

1. OpenStreetMap: It’s
the community,
stupid!
Marc Gemis
Jorieke Vyncke
Ben Abelshausen
Glenn Plas
OpenStreetMap Belgium
23/02/2015

2. Mapping the
entire world!

3. Why would we need
OpenStreetMap in a world where
all (geo)data is open?
One global database?
One global ontology?
Huge ecosystem of tools?

4. It’s the community, stupid!

5. What is this ‘community’ you say?
Crowdsourcing ≠ community

6. What is this ‘community’ you say?
OpenStreetMap uses active
crowdsourcing!

7. Session Overview
•Marc Gemis: The mapper at the core of the project .
•Jorieke Vyncke: Community activities, a mapper is
never alone!
•Ben Abelshausen: External data and the community,
yes, they can be friends!
•Glenn Plas: Data users? Part of the community?

8. Open(Geo)Data and
OpenStreetMap
Ben Abelshausen
23/02/2015
Namur
Warning: This presentation has MAPS!

9. Imports!

10. Why is this an issue?
Let’s just import
everything!!!

11. Community vs.
‘External’ data
Why would we want
to import?

12. A few exceptions:
- Borders
- Bus routes
- Cycle routes
Types of abstract data that does not really
physically exists!

13. A lot of pressure…

14. AND Import…

15. Tiger in the US
• The entire US road network
• At the time almost non-existing OSM-community!

16. TIGER desert
“The term "TIGER desert" has been coined referring to areas where
little or no editing of TIGER imported data has been done for an
extended period of time — or at all since import (period of inactivity
measured in years).”

18. From an OpenStreetMap point
of view external data is usually
inaccurate and wrong about
the world.

19. All these experiences and
views shape the import-
process…

20. A review process!
• Checking license
• Checking consistency
• Estimating quality
• Data conversion to OpenStreetMap
• Update strategy.
=> All these conditions have to be met!
=> All this is peer-reviewed by the community.

21. An import should be: Putting a
community-approved stamp
on the data!
Community
Approved!

22. Crowd-sourced imports!
Use the power of OSM-community to
approve and stamp the data!
Mapper
Approved!

23. Urbis
• Brussels
• Addresses and buildings.
• A community-sourced import but in large chuncks.

25. De Lijn
Two aspects:
- Stops: The position of the stops.
- Routes: Abtract non-physical data.
A great example of why not to blindly trust company/government
collected data.
De Lijn has used some of the corrected locations: A great example of
how OpenStreetMap-community can help improve your own datasets.

28. AGIV CRAB
• A huge dataset of addresses!
• A ‘not-always-accurate’ dataset.
• A dataset collected by localgovernments managed at the flanders
level.
• Is in need of review and community-stamping!
• Is continously changing and being updated.
• BUT: relatively easy to check and verify.
• An address monitoring tool is used to track progress.

29. Thank you!
OpenStreetMap Belgium!
Follow us @osm_be
www.osm.be
Next meetup/mapping party:
http://www.meetup.com/OpenStreetMap-Belgium/
OpenStreetMap Belgium is a working group @ Open
Knowledge Belgium

30. Who are you calling
stupid?
Is it really the
community?

31. Comments?
(this is the active crowdsourcing part of this talk. We rely
on your knowledge and expertise to fill this blank spot in
this session)

32. A monopoly on place?
Should we only rely on companies and governments to map the world? [1]
(this is the active crowdsourcing part of this talk. We rely
on your knowledge and expertise to fill this blank spot in
this session)

33. A monopoly on place?
Who decides what gets shown on the map, who decides where you are and
where you should go, and personal privacy. [1]
(this is the active crowdsourcing part of this talk. We rely
on your knowledge and expertise to fill this blank spot in
this session)

34. Local governments using
private maps?
Who decides what is on google/bing/HERE maps?
(this is the active crowdsourcing part of this talk. We rely
on your knowledge and expertise to fill this blank spot in
this session)

36. A map = power!
Where is it dangerous?
Where does a neighbourhood begin?
Borders and border disputes!
Routing or cycling directions along certain neighbourhoods?
A map simplifies the world, what will we show about reality?!
(this is the active crowdsourcing part of this talk. We rely
on your knowledge and expertise to fill this blank spot in
this session)

37. OpenStreetMap as the
solution?
Yes, BUT!
Does the community represent the population?
(this is the active crowdsourcing part of this talk. We rely
on your knowledge and expertise to fill this blank spot in
this session)

38. Diversity is crucial!
… and more important for OSM than many other problems.
(this is the active crowdsourcing part of this talk. We rely
on your knowledge and expertise to fill this blank spot in
this session)

39. Thank you!
OpenStreetMap Belgium!
Follow us @osm_be
www.osm.be
Next meetup/mapping party:
http://www.meetup.com/OpenStreetMap-Belgium/
OpenStreetMap Belgium is a working group @ Open
Knowledge Belgium