OpenStreetMap

Fake University has Fake OSM maps?

Posted by nyampire on 14 June 2018 in English.

Japanese famous (prank and imaginary *note) university “Shinsyu University of International” announces they have switched their access map to OpenStreetMap. It shows their campus in interactive map.

It was reported via twitter, and I have checked if it causes vandalism or something worse.

But curiously, there are no such a campus data on osm.org.

As checked html source of the page, I found they built their own map instance. From their html,

OSM本家に負荷をかけないよう、またまぜか国際信州学院大学が表示されない(おそらく知名度不足)ので12以上でズームしていてキャンパスの近くなら自前の地図で表示

In order to avoid harm to OSM website, and due to OSM does not show “Shinsyu University of International” in their map (Probably we are not so famous), so render our map if zoom level upper 12 and near the campus.

Nice joke, I’m tricked :)

*note: SUI claims they are REAL university.

Discussion

Comment from Warin61 on 14 June 2018 at 07:06

Did Donald Trump go there?

Comment from Piskvor on 14 June 2018 at 11:24

It does say “© OSM contributors / modified by SUI”, but I would not have noticed and would have fallen for it, too :D

Comment from GOwin on 15 June 2018 at 02:36

Nice find! We need all the laughs we can get. ;)

Comment from l3BAM on 15 June 2018 at 05:32

They say anyway in French language at the top of the page: “Les choses sur cette page sont fictives” (The things on this page are fictive). So yes they warn the readers. It’s fun.

Comment from k_zoar on 20 June 2018 at 01:15

The student from SUI explains in detail how to make that map in their blog. https://scc.kokushin-u.jp/2018/06/15/add-object-to-osm-locally-for-univ/ (This articles are in Japanese)

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