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

I’M THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT STICKS AROUND LONGER THAN I SHOULD … BUT ONCE I’M GONE.. I’M NOT COMING BACK….

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

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

I am finding shapes and believing that I have discovered a very important pattern not completely mentioned earlier. Using those principals in those pattern shapes many geoglyphs are appearing over and over. Some are of animals and others of what appears to be humans. Most see to use the natural hillsides and valleys and then some modifications to the terrain to bring out the features with the figures. These are not easy to spot, as I have been trying to spot some for quite a while, only recently appearing of which I can’t unsee.

At some point I’ll make some kind of formal presentation but for now I am continuing to lay shapes down.

Incidentally, I am not using any AI or Google Earth enhancers of any kind. Most shapes are not indicated, and some may be part of a previously discovered shape. If I see shapes over shapes, I’ll try to add a second line type.

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

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

ฉันชื่อ นายศรายุทธ ผุดวัฒน์ อาศัยอยู่ในจังหวัดตรัง,ประเทศไทย

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

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

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

Embarking on the Osm Guru Fellowship was an exciting and transformative experience. This five-month-long journey focused on mapping track has provided me with a unique opportunity to enhance my skills and knowledge in OpenStreetMap (OSM). Each month presented a new task and challenge, pushing me to explore different tools and techniques within the OSM ecosystem.

The first month introduced us to the basics of OSM. Our task was to map a specific area using the OSM platform. This involved adding and editing features on the map, such as roads and building features. In the second month, we focused on collecting Points of Interest (POIs) using the Every Door app. This tool was new to me, but through hands-on exercises, I became familiar with its features. Our task was to identify and document various POIs in a designated area, such as restaurants, shops, and public facilities. This exercise enhanced my ability to gather and input detailed location data. The third month centered on using Mapillary to collect street-level imagery and POIs. We were tasked with capturing images of streets and integrating them into the OSM database. Additionally, we used the imagery to identify and add POIs. By the fourth month, our task was to create a map using the POIs we have collected before. The final month was dedicated to the validation. We were assigned to validate feature such as buildings and roads.

The Osm Guru Fellowship was a transformative experience. Each month’s task helped me develop a deeper understanding of mapping and OSM tools such as Every Door and Mapillary. I am now confident in my ability to contribute to the OSM community and use these tools effectively. This fellowship has greatly enhanced my skills and appreciation for the importance of accurate and detailed mapping.

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

Congrats to UMT as she clocks 7

Unique Mappers Network (UMT) has significantly impacted my personal and professional growth. Through my involvement with UMT, I have gained extensive knowledge and practical skills in geospatial technologies, which have been instrumental in advancing my career. The collaborative projects and community engagement activities have allowed me to work alongside experts and passionate individuals, fostering a strong sense of teamwork and shared purpose. Additionally, UMT’s commitment to open data and mapping for social good has inspired me to contribute to impactful projects that address real-world challenges. This experience has not only enhanced my technical expertise but also deepened my commitment to using geospatial intelligence for sustainable development and community empowerment.

On behalf of all those that has benefited from my knowledge and experience, thanks Unique Mappers Network

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

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

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

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

My name is Victor, a 300-level student of the Geography and Environmental Management Department, University of Port Harcourt.

I am very excited to announce that I have joined the Unique Mappers IT Internship program.

This opportunity aligns perfectly with my love for technology and my desire to gain hands-on experience in the field of geographic information systems (GIS) and mapping technologies.

The Unique Mappers Network Nigeria is a renowned organization due to its approach and commitment to community-driven projects, making it an ideal platform for me to enhance my skills and contribute meaningfully.

I am also excited to work with a team of talented professionals and colleagues, learning from them and sharing my ideas.

Joining the Unique Mappers IT Internship is a significant step in my career journey, and I am ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities along the way.

I started my industrial training IT internship at Unique Mappers Network, Nigeria today. I’m excited to learn and contribute to the OpenStreetMap project. So far, I’ve met the team and gotten a brief overview of the company’s goals and objectives. I’m looking forward to learning more about the projects they’re working on and how I can assist.

Goals for the next few days:

• Get familiar with the company’s workflow and tools
• Meet with my supervisor to discuss my tasks and objectives
• Start learning more about OpenStreetMap and how to contribute to it

I’ll update this diary as I progress and learn more. For now, I’m just taking it all in and trying to absorb as much as I can

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

Here I come to the world of OSM…. I signed up today to join Unique Mappers OSM Nigeria community and i’m so excited

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

Finally! After over four months of near-daily almost painstaking manual editing work in JOSM, entirely using aerial imagery with no automated imports whatsoever, and going through a few episodes of arm and hand cramping, all of the remaining woodland data on Vancouver Island, all the way northwest to Cape Scott, is now present in OpenStreetMap. I hope I was able to depict my own part of the world here just a bit prettier than before.

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

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

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

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

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

Hi! This is Faiza Waziha. One of the Gurus of the Open Mapping Guru Fellowship. This journey started when I was selected to be a part of this incredible journey in 2023.

First of all, I want to mention the vibes this community gives. It is very welcoming, energetic and inspiring. I love the enthusiasm so much!! This is one of the reasons I get to learn so much from them and to communicate with them without worries.

There were 3 tracks in the fellowship (Training, Mapping, and Validation). I was part of the Mapping track. After getting the briefing about what we will be doing for the next 5 months, I was pumped up for the challenges. We got to map various countries; India, Bangladesh and also some Island countries like Tonga, Vanuatu, and Micronesia. Which were very interesting and got learned many geological characteristics of those areas.

From this fellowship, I have learned to use Josm (It is the most efficient thing a mapper can have to map anything and I love it!!), Mappilary and Everydoor. Also the use of Josm in validation, how to use the open data source for data analysis in QGIS. These skills will help me in building my career as a GIS analyst.

This fellowship allowed me to connect and communicate with many talented individuals like Brazil Singh Rittik Vai, Khan Mohammed Ibtehal Vai, Can Unen and many more. It was also a great experience to be a part of Slum area mapping in Mirpur in collaboration with World Vision Bangladesh. I get to lead an amazing team- Sozin’s Comet in the Climate Change Challenge 2024. Though we didn’t win any prizes it has helped me a lot in how to manage a team, how to stay motivated and keep others motivated. I learned that communication is the key to leadership. I have grown as a mapper and also a better human being.

Lastly, I want to thank Mikko Tamura, and Honey Fombuena for their immense support and for pushing us to reach our goals. Thank you so much!!

Sometimes I think I’m a bottom feeder going through the map and cleaning up the obvious errors and this comes from my observations over time and cleaning up thousands of duplicate buildings.

Because many countries do not have good census data you can do a rough calculation by multiplying the number of houses by an average number of people who live in them. It isn’t perfect but if you have nothing better then it works.

So duplicate buildings are a problem. When you’re looking to see how many schools you need duplicate buildings mess the numbers up. Buildings incorrectly tagged or not tagged at all also mess the numbers up.

Then we get to the imagery used. These days I’m seeing more and more microsoft BuildingFootprints tags on buildings. They are normally very accurate and align well with Bing imagery. The largest most accurate satellites are only accurate to 60 meters so the imagery has to be aligned. My recommendation would be to use Bing imagery and find a building that aligns with it. Then switch to your preferred imagery and align it with the Bing aligned one.

This helps ensure that buildings are only mapped once and when you add buildings you don’t add an existing building and if someone imports using microsoft BuildingFootprints then your building won’t be remapped 10 meters away in the future.

Disposable mappers are often used meaning many will only may a few times. So we don’t really have time to train them.

We want to get the most accurate mapping we can from them and as many buildings as we can. With JOSM buildings_tool plugin I can highlight one building then add more by clicking and holding down the button, moving to the opposite corner of the building and releasing the mouse button. If they aren’t in line it takes another mouse button click. You get a rectangular building correctly labelled. This is far less than using iD. Plus you don’t need a validator to inspect each one to see if it is correct.

You need to install JOSM and Microsoft openJDK but you’ll get a lot more buildings out of them. It is possible to set it all up on a USB stick and run it from there.

With iD mapped buildings there is room for error in tagging. Some aren’t tagged at all, I’ve seen some tagged barrier=fence amongst others. Also many buildings are rectangular in shape but you won’t think it from the mapping.

The buildings tagged microsoft BuildingFootprints implies an import. Officially there is a formal process for an import. If you are importing please follow it. Part of the requirement is to visually check to see if the building has already been mapped. I strongly suspect this is not being followed in all cases.

Thanks for reading

John

Well, the fellowship was the first of its kind for me. The whole time, the commitment led me to learn and know the vast features and tools of OpenStreetMap. The fact that overwhelmed me most that how the organization has managed and engaged numerous volunteers and improved its tools over time. Training and resources were efficient and convenient in a structure that proved instrumental for me in completing the tasks. The biggest delight is seeing my edits come into visualization within moments which truly instills a feeling that I am making an impact by mapping. Throughout the whole time, I have been able to discover a little of it and may also have made slight and/or big mistakes during edits or validation, ahead of this, I want to explore this platform more and be an instrumental mapper.

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

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

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

Me, MySelf and OM Guru Fellowship

Hello Fellas! Greetings from Indonesian Mapper.

Okay, I believe this is my first diary entry as I start contributing to OpenStreetMap. I’m not sure how many people will be interested in reading my diary, but I’ll share my story here.

“Above the sky, there is still sky” - it’s a quote we’ve probably heard before. OpenStreetMap is made up of many contributors from around the world, all of whom are great mappers and work diligently for the world. I realize that the knowledge I have now must have been possessed by several people before me. Because of this, I feel that with OpenStreetMap, I can learn and collaborate with other mappers.

Just a quick flashback to 2019 when I made my first contribution to OpenStreetMap. At that time, I was still unsure of what OpenStreetMap was. I thought it was just a mapping tool and had no idea about the many surprises it held.

As a geography student, mapping is my passion, and I enjoy contributing to OpenStreetMap. To my surprise, I became the best mapper in a competition held by OpenStreetMap Indonesia. In 2021, I was the only Indonesian participant in the HOTOSM internship. The following year, I was hired at OpenStreetMap Indonesia (POI), and now I am part of the OM Guru Fellowship program. The Om Guru gives us tasks to work on each month, I am responsible as a validator, where the tasks given to me are things related to validation. I carry out validation using quite a lot of media such as OSMCha or OSM Inspector, of course, this adds to my knowledge and skills.

“For me, by consistently practicing and loving what we do, we will invite miracles into our lives”.

This fellowship is fascinating because it allows teachers to contribute and learn about the different landscapes in each country. So, what impact does this fellowship have? Well, for me, this fellowship has improved my mapping skills. More importantly, it has taught me to broaden my perspective, showing me that knowledge is not restricted by who, where, or how you study.

Thank you to the OM Guru Fellowship; I am very proud to be a part of this activity!

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

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

Just getting started with OSM tonight. Ive been a lover of maps and geography since as far back as I can remember. My interest in globes and maps lead me to travel to many places and put experiences with long standing “points on paper”. What has brought me to learn about openstreetmaps is an interest (an obsession rather) in helping to connect a growing global community of freedom fighters who believe money should not be controlled by an oligarchy, but remain open source.

For all the merchants who see the infrastructure of money as public domain and recognize how imperative it is to ensure everyone has access to permissionless, uncensorable transactions, I solute you and will be working on helping the growing but still niche community know where they can shop with other like minded people.

There are several mapping organizations on this same beat, and I believe the decentralization and variety of options to map these merchant datapoints, highlighting and emphasizing certain relevant offerings within the broader community will be net beneficial to all, as well as keep standards competitive and delivery of info evolving.

Looking forward to to using this platform!

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

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