OpenStreetMap
So, a friend invites you to a mapping party…
Or, an NGO you really respect asks for help mapping the area they are working in….
Or, you see an article calling for mapping volunteers and sign up…
But, you’ve never mapped before!
What do you do?
It’s easy. Just remember this catchy acronym: HPSSU
Firstly, get your HARDWARE ready. This is a posh way of saying make sure your laptop is working and, if you have one, your mouse is in your bag (a wheelie one is best)
Secondly, create your Open Street Map (OSM) PROFILE (do that here - it takes almost no time at all)
Thirdly, select your preferred SOFTWARE. As a complete beginner, the iD editor is the easiest to use. You don’t need to download anything, it’s all available online. No fuss. However, the java based editor, JOSM, is also an option. You’ll need to download and install it (do that here), but once you have it, it is well worth it. It is very easy to use, makes editing much faster and has much more scope than iD if you continue to develop as a mapper. Having said that, iD is perfectly fine for your fist time!
Lastly, SWATTING UP will help. If you have an hour or two before you come to do a bit of online training, you will find it that much easier at the mapping party. There are loads of resources available for OSM. A few from the LearnOSM project are listed below, but a search on your preferred engine will bring a myriad of interesting results. Go explore!
- LearnOSM guide to usind the iD editor
- LearnOSM guide to getting started with JOSM
- LearnOSM guide to getting started with JOSM
Discussion
Comment from Pieren on 21 August 2014 at 13:14
Good one.
Comment from Vclaw on 22 August 2014 at 13:34
I will add hardware for surveying:
And make sure all of the batteries are charged.
Or if you don’t have these, a paper notebook and pen/pencil can be very useful for making notes as you survey.
Comment from amggnn on 8 November 2021 at 21:48
This post should go viral! We organized a mapathon recently, the feedback we received from several new volunteers is that the account confirmation email took forever to arrive, preventing them to start mapping in time. Maybe there is a quick fix? Hope the feedback is helpful + thanks for the great work!
Comment from mebrau_UT on 9 November 2021 at 06:53
Had the same experience yesterday. The confirmation took as long as my colleague needed time to explain the whole mapping procedure via Tasking Manager - in great detail at that! Some students were only able to make a few changes before the meeting came to an end.
Comment from pedrito1414 on 11 November 2021 at 07:33
Hi @amggnn & @mebrau_UT, I have flagged the issue on the OSM-talk list. I’ll let you know if there’s any feedback… Thanks for the messages :D