5 ms·

Incredible. I'm a big fan of google maps but the map of my neighborhood is much much clearer on openstreetmaps than on google maps.

rmc 9y ago
And if you don't like how OSM is showing something, you're free¹ to take the data and make your own map showing your own things. [1] free to set up a rendering database that is
- alex_duf 9y ago
  And if something's wrong you can fix it
  - blunte 9y ago
    Indeed. I have made several approved corrections to Google maps over the years. They are responsive.
    - y4mi 9y ago
      OSM is not google though... but yeah, google approves them occasionally as well
Karrot_Kream 9y ago
Google Maps actually has the shape of the buildings in my neighborhood incorrect because earlier it was blocked by huge trees, shrouding the shape of the building.
- notahacker 9y ago
  It seems to really struggle with single storey extensions and garages in my area, even when they're nearly as large as the main house floorpan and the Google car drove right past them. I think there's probably human intelligence as well as higher resolution imagery in getting those cathedral and space needle details right... And it doesn't have any buildings at all in my friends' neighbourhood, because it was fields when their aerial images were taken under construction when their StreetView cars passed through 4 or so years ago. OpenStreetMap has accurate buildings. Apple Maps doesn't, but you've got a complete street layout and can overlay its more recent aerial imagery to see the buildings. Google Maps has no buildings, no aerial imagery from the last seven or more years, gets the street layout wrong and mislabels some of the few streets it actually shows. It's fun taking a 3D drive through the first roads when they were still lined by bare earth and areas about to start construction, but I got lost using their map... Any mapping service's "moat" depends more on whether it's remotely adequate for the areas an individual cares most about than its ability to superbly render famous features of priority US cities.
  - reaperducer 9y ago
    In larger cities, such as Chicago, the building shapes are part of the data the local government makes available to the public. All Google has to do is translate it into its format.

rmc 9y ago

And if you don't like how OSM is showing something, you're free¹ to take the data and make your own map showing your own things. [1] free to set up a rendering database that is

alex_duf 9y ago
And if something's wrong you can fix it
- blunte 9y ago
  Indeed. I have made several approved corrections to Google maps over the years. They are responsive.
  - y4mi 9y ago
    OSM is not google though... but yeah, google approves them occasionally as well

Karrot_Kream 9y ago

Google Maps actually has the shape of the buildings in my neighborhood incorrect because earlier it was blocked by huge trees, shrouding the shape of the building.

notahacker 9y ago
It seems to really struggle with single storey extensions and garages in my area, even when they're nearly as large as the main house floorpan and the Google car drove right past them. I think there's probably human intelligence as well as higher resolution imagery in getting those cathedral and space needle details right... And it doesn't have any buildings at all in my friends' neighbourhood, because it was fields when their aerial images were taken under construction when their StreetView cars passed through 4 or so years ago. OpenStreetMap has accurate buildings. Apple Maps doesn't, but you've got a complete street layout and can overlay its more recent aerial imagery to see the buildings. Google Maps has no buildings, no aerial imagery from the last seven or more years, gets the street layout wrong and mislabels some of the few streets it actually shows. It's fun taking a 3D drive through the first roads when they were still lined by bare earth and areas about to start construction, but I got lost using their map... Any mapping service's "moat" depends more on whether it's remotely adequate for the areas an individual cares most about than its ability to superbly render famous features of priority US cities.
- reaperducer 9y ago
  In larger cities, such as Chicago, the building shapes are part of the data the local government makes available to the public. All Google has to do is translate it into its format.