Happy Birthday OpenStreetMap!
“In just twenty years, OpenStreetMap grew from a small UK-based mapping project into the largest crowdsourced and crowd-worked geospatial project of all time.” [Happy Birthday OpenStreetMap – Celebrating 20 Years]
I can’t even remember how I came across one of the best projects that we have. But I am super happy that Steve Coast started it, and that I decided to join.
I just checked and saw in my profile that I registered at 2010-04-30. But I do remember that I never wanted to contribute to GoogleMaps but contribute to a true OpenData project.
End of 2009 (so before I joined) the aerial imagery of Bavaria was allowed to be used for mapping (OpenStreetMap Wiki) and I remember that I mapped half of our town. I added a lot of roads, houses, meadows, forests, GPS traces, lot’s of details like the number of steps on public stairs, etc. And even after holidays I added and corrected paths and all kinds of data of the places we’ve been at.
And still – 14 years later. I use OpenStreetMap for planning my hikes and cycling. I contribute GPS traces and correct all the stuff I get aware of. Paths that have been abandoned or changed, track conditions that were missing or wrong, access restrictions, etc. Just lately(?), StreetComplete has become a companion when I am co-driver. There is just so much to map and it is a meaningful and fun activity while co-driving 🙂
A fun moment was … about last(?) year, when a colleague told me very enthusiastically about “This geo project” and wanted to acquire me for it. I listened friendly and confirmed that this sounds like great project. And told him … “Mapper since 2010 / more than 10.000 edits. 😀”. His reaction: “OMG! Don’t preach to the converted!!!” 😂
Well, I guess it is the project that has kept me the longest time contributing. 14 years, almost 15000 edits and counting. And it is just so rewarding to see the data being used in such a variety of ways. Especially when I look at a map and recognise that I edited this one piece on this map.
Thanks for these 14 years … we are not done yet!
Happy Birthday OpenStreetMap!
