Ive been updating bus routes;
its a fun task, but takes a real long time;
slow progress in the wiki: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Braga

This morning, when I woke up, I felt that something was different. The sky looked darker, the temperature felt colder, and the faint sound of drizzling rain outside carried a gloomy tone.

1st January 2026

Happy New Year!


I went for a walk, today, to geo locate some benches.

12-01-2026 signed up.

এই ডায়েরি এন্ট্রিতে বাগমারা উপজেলার কাতিলা এলাকায় অবস্থিত নাগা বাজারের নিকটে অবস্থানরত নিছু কাতিলা গোবিন্দ মন্দিরের তথ্য সংযোজন করা হয়েছে। স্থানীয় হিন্দু সম্প্রদায়ের জন্য এটি একটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ পূজাস্থল। ম্যাপে এই মন্দিরের অবস্থান চিহ্নিত করার মাধ্যমে নাগা বাজার ও আশপাশের এলাকা সম্পর্কিত ভৌগোলিক তথ্য আরও নির্ভুল হয়েছে এবং স্থানীয় সম্প্রদায়ের সাংস্কৃতিক ও ধর্মীয় দিকের প্রতিনিধিত্ব নিশ্চিত হয়।

এই ডায়েরি এন্ট্রিতে বাগমারা উপজেলার কাতিলা এলাকায় অবস্থিত নাগা বাজারের পশ্চিম পাশে মণ্ডল হাউসের অবস্থান ম্যাপে যুক্ত করার তথ্য তুলে ধরা হয়েছে। স্থানীয় বাসিন্দাদের বসতবাড়ি হিসেবে পরিচিত এই বাড়িটি নাগা বাজারের নিকটবর্তী হওয়ায় এলাকার ভৌগোলিক তথ্য আরও নির্ভুল ও হালনাগাদ হয়েছে। এই সংযোজনের মাধ্যমে নাগা বাজার সংলগ্ন আবাসিক এলাকার ম্যাপিং উন্নত হবে এবং ভবিষ্যতে স্থানীয় সেবা ও নেভিগেশনে সহায়ক ভূমিকা রাখবে।

I wanted to know how well I was performing as an armchair mapper, internally I was concerned that I was creating more issues than I was helping so I learned about a website that answers the question How did I contribute?.

রাজশাহীর বাগমারা উপজেলার কাতিলা এলাকায় নাগা বাজারের নিকটে অবস্থিত একটি হিন্দু মন্দির OpenStreetMap-এ যুক্ত করা হয়েছে। মন্দিরটি স্থানীয় হিন্দু সম্প্রদায়ের একটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ উপাসনালয় এবং নাগা বাজারসহ আশপাশের এলাকার মানুষ নিয়মিত এখানে পূজা–অর্চনা করে। এই সংযোজনের মাধ্যমে এলাকার ধর্মীয় স্থানের তথ্য আরও নির্ভুল ও দৃশ্যমান হলো।

I dont know, can you? is a joke of mediocre quality that is supposed to point out the difference between being able to do something and being allowed to do something.

First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the ESA Hub organization for selecting me for this fellowship. It was an honor to be chosen, and I am thankful for the opportunity to learn and contribute.

My experience in the 2025 Validator Fellowship for Eastern and Southern Africa began on November 3rd, 2025, and concluded on January 7th, 2026, with all sessions held remotely.

OpenStreetMap is a map of the world, created by people like you and free to use under an open license.

Over 7000 buildings in Delaware County in two months

​I moved to Caracaraí, Roraima, for work (the banking life) in the first half of 2025. It is a quiet town.

​By the end of the year, bothered by seeing that the city’s map on OpenStreetMap consisted merely of outdated streets, the City Hall, and the hospital, I decided to join OSM on December 29th.

​It is an Amazonian town of 20,000 inhabitants. The result of this first week is over 300 changesets trying to pull the city out of the void.

​All public amenities (that I can recall), such as schools, health centers, banks, etc., are mapped. And so far, half of the city’s buildings are already drawn (long live the Building Tool plugin!).

​Honestly, I don’t know who will care about detailed mapping here in the middle of nowhere, but I wanted to do it anyway.

I find that the width of OSM ways is a useful property for determining how good a pedestrian route is. However, it is often missing from OSM.

“From here, how do we get to Ragunan Zoo?”

When I first started the ESA Validation Fellowship, I’ll admit I felt like a bit of an outsider. Even though I loved mapping, I often struggled with imposter syndrome, wondering if my skills actually measured up to the “expert” level. Looking back now, the growth I’ve experienced is incredible. I remember how intimidating JOSM used to feel with all its complex buttons and menus, but through this fellowship, it has become like a second language to me. I’ve moved past the basics and now feel completely at home using advanced tools to clean up and verify data. I learned new shortcuts and got to publicly map as others watched, proving to myself that I belong in this space.

Working alongside such talented people helped me realize that I really am an advanced mapper and a capable validator. Seeing my work hold up next to theirs finally silenced that voice in my head telling me I wasn’t good enough.

But as much as I’ve grown technically, the heart of this experience has been the people. Connecting with a global community of mappers who share the same passion for “mapping for change” has been the most rewarding part of the journey. The fellows were always helping each other out and in constant communication, a true community and something that happens only when people have common goals beyond borders. Together, we’ve been able to support humanitarian efforts and help communities become more resilient by making sure the maps they rely on are accurate and high-quality. Whether it’s a rural village or a growing city, I now understand that a precise map can be a lifeline.

This fellowship has changed how I see my work and myself. I’m walking away with new skills and if I could coin a phrase for the ESA Validation Fellowship, it would be : Certainly, what we do truly matters for the world.

During the ESA HOTOSM Validation Fellowship, my journey began with the basics—learning how to install JOSM on my laptop and understanding its interface. From there, I learned how to install and use essential plugins such as the Building Tools plugin, Utils plugin, Mapathoner, and other supporting tools that greatly improved my workflow and actually made my validation easy. I also learned how to install and apply map paint styles, which helped me easily detect issues such as overlapping buildings and missing or incorrect tags, learnt how to work with different imagery such as bing, Esri and how to deal with the imagery offsets. These foundational steps laid the groundwork for my growth as a validator and deepened my understanding of data quality in OpenStreetMap. As the fellowship progressed, we moved into active validation, where I gradually became familiar with new JOSM shortcuts that made mapping and validation more efficient. Shortcuts such as B for drawing buildings, G for ungluing objects, and Ctrl + Shift + G for replacing the geometry significantly improved my speed and accuracy. As someone who had not done validation before, the daily practice sessions were extremely valuable. Validating tasks across different regions allowed me to learn by doing, and with each task, my confidence and skill level improved. This consistent hands-on practice reinforced the idea that practice truly makes perfect.

One of the most impactful aspects of the fellowship was the opportunity to receive personal guidance. I had several private sessions with some of the team members, where I received direct feedback, clarification on complex validation issues, and encouragement to keep improving. These sessions helped me better understand quality standards, common mapping mistakes, and how to communicate effectively with mappers. Through this mentorship and continuous practice, I grew from a beginner in validation to someone who is now confident in reviewing and improving mapping data.

Throughout the fellowship, I also validated data across different regions, including Africa and other parts of the world. This exposed me to variations in settlement patterns, building shapes, and infrastructure layouts. By using filters, imagery tools, and map paint styles, I was able to identify inconsistencies such as overlapping polygons, misaligned features, and missing attributes. This experience gave me a broader perspective on how global mapping standards are applied in diverse geographical contexts and strengthened my attention to detail as a validator.

Balancing the fellowship with my academic responsibilities was sometimes challenging, as the training period overlapped with my lectures and examinations. However, the availability of recorded sessions ensured that I could catch up whenever I missed a live session. This flexibility allowed me to remain consistent and committed throughout the program. To further enhance the fellowship experience, I would suggest more flexible scheduling and additional interactive sessions to encourage stronger connections among fellows.

My name is Justus Aikiriza, a passionate mapper and Land Surveying and Geomatics Engineering student from Uganda. I joined HOTOSM with the desire to make a meaningful humanitarian impact through mapping. Through this fellowship, I have not only gained strong technical validation skills but also built confidence in my ability to contribute high-quality OpenStreetMap data. Today, I am confident in validation, committed to quality over quantity, and motivated to continue supporting humanitarian mapping initiatives across the ESA region and beyond.

Also adding to my introduction, my first impression was the time I was selected among the people to participate in the fellowship, I got so happy coz I had always waited and wanted this opportunity, so me being chosen among didn’t really take that chance for granted and really appreciate God for this together with Madam Becky Chandu our organizer and the entire HOT fraternity for this wonderful arrangement. By the time I was selected, we were actually in exams buh I had create some time each time to make sure I contribute, ask questions where I didn’t understand coz to me it was an opportunity, and now I have all it takes to actually volunteer as the Validator and mapper. Thank you so much. May God Bless you 🙏🙏

My Growth Journey in the ESA validation Fellowship

When I was first selected for this fellowship, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves. My first major assignment was Hot Tasking Manager Project #16505, and I’ll be honest: it was a wake-up call. Initially, the tasks felt daunting. I quickly realized that while I knew how to map, I hadn’t yet mastered the advanced features required to validate data efficiently.

My workflow was slow, and I felt I was missing the technical “bridge” needed to ensure the high-quality data that a project of this scale demands. The breakthrough came through the mentorship of our facilitators. They introduced us to a suite of professional techniques and GIS tools that changed everything. Specifically, learning how to leverage advanced filters and JOSM shortcuts was a game-changer.

These weren’t just “tips” they were the keys to unlocking a much more efficient and precise validation process. By integrating these tools into my daily workflow, my technical hurdles disappeared. What once felt overwhelming now feels intuitive. This fellowship has done more than just teach me how to click buttons; it has provided me with:

• Technical Proficiency: A deep understanding of GIS features I previously overlooked.
• Confidence: The ability to validate complex data with precision.
• Professional Growth: A clearer perspective on the standards required in the GIS profession.

I am walking away from this experience with full confidence in my skills and a renewed passion for contributing high-quality data to the OpenStreetMap community

The ESA Hub Fellowship was a deeply enriching and practical learning experience that significantly strengthened my skills in geospatial data production, validation, and humanitarian mapping.

Mapping for Impact: My ESA Hub Fellowship Experience

As of December 13th, 2025, Swift and Portal interlockings have been renamed to “Old Swift” and “Old Portal”. Tracks and signals have also been renamed (2 turned into 22 and 3 turned into 33). Ive already put in the edits.

During the fellowship, I learned how to validate more effectively, especially by using filters, search functions, and setting up map paint styles.

Won't Blame Ya For Staring

OpenStreetMap is a map of the world, created by people like you and free to use under an open license.

may I point you to our online mapathon tomorrow night?

কাতিলা শষ্ঠীতলা মন্দিরটি সঠিক অবস্থান ও মানসম্মত OSM ট্যাগ ব্যবহার করে ম্যাপে যুক্ত করা হয়েছে। মন্দিরটি রাজশাহী জেলার বাগমারা উপজেলার যোগীপাড়া ইউনিয়নের কাতিলা গ্রামে অবস্থিত। নিকটবর্তী পরিচিত বাজার হিসেবে নাগা বাজার উল্লেখযোগ্য, যা মন্দির থেকে আনুমানিক ১.৪ কিলোমিটার দূরে।

وما ذنب النباتات؟

I’m finally back to mapping after an unplanned 4-month break.

I usually have a casual but relatively consistent approach to mapping: every time I have to go somewhere new and my exact destination isn’t in OSM, I add it once I arrive; if the opening times of a place I visit regularly change, I update them, and so on. As of late, though, this just hasn’t happened. Either map data has become good enough for my everyday needs in Gothenburg, Sweden or I’ve been paying less attention than usual. Probably a little bit of both.

Right now, on the other hand, I’m visiting my family in Agrigento, Italy, and mapping is the perfect holiday activity for me: it can (to some extent) be done without a computer, which is a nice change of pace, and it gives me an excuse to be outisde, enjoy the warm weather and take all the side streets I haven’t explored before or have forgotten about. Plus, there’s so much to do here compared to Gothenburg!

Today I simply went for a walk and answered a bunchn of quick questions on StreetComplete. In the next few days, I want to try something more systematic, like updating information about what’s happening inside each of the buildings of the main street: a lot has changed since I last came. I’m also pondering trying to get one or two family members involved; we’ll see.

Started this year with a weekend mapping project: locate and map public traffic camera feeds from citys website.
Day 2 and Im halfway done, about 130 out of ca 260 have live feed links now. Roughly 5 of them werent previously mapped at all.

Link to the Time Lapse Video of Amaravati (2015-2025)

HOME OF ABCHOME4K

My New Year’s resolution is to try not to lose any interest in mapping!

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How do I do that?

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I don’t know.

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What about you guys, what is your New Year’s Resolution related to mapping?

এই ম্যাপিং কার্যক্রমে কাতিলা মণ্ডলপাড়া জামে মসজিদের তথ্য হালনাগাদ করা হয়েছে। মসজিদটি নাগা বাজার থেকে প্রায় ৫০ মিটার দূরে অবস্থিত। নিকটবর্তী হওয়ার কারণে নাগা বাজারের মুসল্লিরা নিয়মিত পাঁচ ওয়াক্ত নামাজ আদায়ের জন্য এই মসজিদটি ব্যবহার করেন। এই আপডেটে মসজিদের অবস্থানগত প্রেক্ষাপট ও আশপাশের এলাকার সাথে সম্পর্ক যথাযথভাবে উপস্থাপন করা হয়েছে।

Last weekend I traveled to the west coast of Java, specifically Anyer in Banten. The journey was done by train from Jakarta to Cilegon, followed by a local shared minivan taxi to Anyer.

Hey, this is my first post here and I think it would be fitting if I’d tell all of you why I even created an account here and started making my own edits on OSM.

Background

First, you need to know that I’m a student at Westpomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin in department of computer science. That means that me, and 90% of people there are nerds with interests like: trains, transportation, hacking, programming, opensource and… well… maps.

How it started?

It all started during a normal day at University. We were walking from one building on campus to another when I noticed that my friend has a map open with a lot of pins and some questions on his phone. I asked him what it is and he told me about “Street Complete”. That’s it! I already knew that my ADHD butt found a new hyperfocus for the indefinite amount of time. I installed it and 3 of us started adding the detail information on the map around our campus.

Street Complete era

So… for the next few days I had Street Complete open on my phone during every tram ride and every walk. I wanted to fill every question. This took some time, I answered some question around the Poland in Szczecin, Kielce, and recently in Wałcz.

Taste for more

Right now I’m at my family house in a village where most OSM information where updated several years ago. I went on a walk and - as usual - opened Street Complete. It was great until I came by a few buildings that were demolished few years ago, but were never deleted from the map. I knew that I can’t just leave them there and I couldn’t do this from Street Complete. I went back home and booted my laptop. I opened the OSM editor for the first time and started making edits around the village. Adding houses that were build recently, deleting stuff that no longer existed, updating the zones, etc.

Before I realized I got hooked. It’s so satisfying to make some edits and then see the results. I’ve been making edits everyday for few days ago. I joined community Discord, and learnt quite a few things about how OSM and editor works.

And that’s where we are now… I think I’ll stay here making more edits and updating things that need to be updated. I’ll mainly work on Szczecin and Wałcz, since those are the two places I know the best, but I might make some changes in different places from time to time as well.

Thank you to anyone that read this, I hope you’ll have a great day / night.

My diary entries are all my own thoughts and do not represent OpenStreetMap, The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) or any organisation using the HOT systems. Any errors are all my own work.

I was visiting Sa Pa, Vietnam, and navigating with Organic Maps. I was looking for a street that would bring me back to the city center. I could not see any on OSM or Google Maps. I walked for a while and was able to see a street that led in the right direction. It turns out that it connected to another street that brought me where I wanted to go. This made me realize how much of the useful information in maps depends on people walking, running, or commuting through those streets. You cannot see these kinds of streets from satellite images. You can only know them, but knowing them, you may not use GPS tracking to record them. I think this leaves only runners and anyone who likes walking to discover most of the streets that are not currently on the map.

কাতিলা দারুস সালাম ক্বওমী মাদরাসা রাজশাহী জেলার বাগমারা উপজেলার নিচু কাতিলা এলাকায় অবস্থিত একটি পরিচিত ক্বওমী ধর্মীয় শিক্ষা প্রতিষ্ঠান। মাদরাসাটি নাগা বাজারের উত্তর পাশে অবস্থিত এবং নাগা বাজার থেকে আনুমানিক ১২০০ মিটার দূরত্বে অবস্থান করছে, যা স্থানীয় সড়ক ও পায়ে চলাচলের মাধ্যমে সহজেই পৌঁছানো যায়। প্রতিষ্ঠানটি আশপাশের গ্রামগুলোর শিক্ষার্থী ও ধর্মপ্রাণ মানুষের কাছে সুপরিচিত।

এই ডায়েরি এন্ট্রিতে মাঠ পর্যায়ে যাচাই (ground survey) ও স্থানীয় তথ্যের ভিত্তিতে মাদরাসাটির সঠিক অবস্থান, নাম ও প্রাসঙ্গিক ট্যাগ যাচাই করে OpenStreetMap–এ সংযোজন/হালনাগাদ করা হয়েছে। এর মাধ্যমে নিচু কাতিলা, নাগা বাজার ও পার্শ্ববর্তী এলাকার শিক্ষা প্রতিষ্ঠান সংক্রান্ত ভৌগোলিক তথ্য আরও নির্ভুল ও ব্যবহারযোগ্য হবে বলে আশা করা যায়।

OSM Apps Catalog Redesign - Survey

datenset Spalte i: A0025A