5 ms·

Just another reply saying "OSM is completely useless where I live". If I enter my street address into Google Maps, it shows my house. If I enter it into OSM it

Just another reply saying "OSM is completely useless where I live". If I enter my street address into Google Maps, it shows my house. If I enter it into OSM it says "No results found" and can't even figure out what country or city I am in.

kqr 8y ago
At least you were given the chance of improving it. You declined to do so, but that's your decision. In a similar situation with Google Maps, you wouldn't even have been given the opportunity.
- halflings 8y ago
  You can add missing places (including private property) to Google Maps, but I've never had an issue where I needed to do that.
  - Mtntk 8y ago
    Because everyone implicitly forced for improving the maps via a bullsh*t named captcha.
- baddox 8y ago
  That’s not an extremely compelling argument. I could host a web-based persistent infinite bitmap canvas where anyone can draw anything they want, and that would still be a much worse map than Google Maps despite the fact that the friction to contribute is as low as it could be.
- TulliusCicero 8y ago
  > You declined to do so, but that's your decision. This kind of patronizing attitude is unnecessary and silly. The vast majority of users of any software product are only interested in being just that: users. And that's totally okay. No need for passive-aggressive shaming.
  - jamesrcole 8y ago
    The vast majority who make use of OSM data probably aren't even aware of what Open Street Map is, nor that they can contribute data to such a thing, or of how they could do so.
  - kqr 8y ago
    After re-reading my own comment, I agree and am sorry. I meant to put the emphasis on "your decision", in order to highlight the freedom argument for OSM. I realise it totally sounded like the emphasis was on "you declined", which makes it a personal attack, and that was never intended nor necessary. Again, sorry.
    - TulliusCicero 8y ago
      Good on you, you're a better commenter-person than I am.
Pinus 8y ago
Just out of curiosity, have you looked into what data is missing? Is the house (or at least the street) mapped, but missing the street name or the house number (assuming you live somewhere where these are relevant), or is the street completely missing?
- freddie_mercury 8y ago
  OSM doesn't support/understand the street numbering scheme used in my country. If I rewrite my address in the format OSM thinks I should be using, then at least it can find the street I am on. But I'm not going to write addresses differently just for one website...especially when Google Maps understands how we write addresses.
  - rmc 8y ago
    Hi, I'm a long time OSMer, and I'd like to help. OSM has a flexible tagging system, so it could be possible to map your addresses the way they should be. You shouldn't have to shoe-horn things into a schema that doesn't fit you. Which country are you in?
    - freddie_mercury 8y ago
      I am in Vietnam. Here are the problems: Addresses here are written like "220/9 xo viet nghe tinh", which means "go to 220 on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh and turn into the alley there, go to #9 in the alley". Typing "220/9 xo viet nghe tinh" into OSM results in "No results found". Instead I have to write "hem 220/9 xo viet nghe tinh" for it to find the road; no one writes it that way. A house address would be "220/9/14 xo viet nghe tinh" meaning "go to 220 on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh and turn into the alley there; go to #9 and turn into the next alley you find there; then go to house #14". The only way OSM can figure things out is if I write it like "14 hem 220/9 xo viet nghe tinh"
  - maxerickson 8y ago
    You mean the search box doesn't handle it well? How does https://photon.komoot.de/ https://photon.komoot.de/ do?

kqr 8y ago

At least you were given the chance of improving it. You declined to do so, but that's your decision. In a similar situation with Google Maps, you wouldn't even have been given the opportunity.

halflings 8y ago
You can add missing places (including private property) to Google Maps, but I've never had an issue where I needed to do that.
- Mtntk 8y ago
  Because everyone implicitly forced for improving the maps via a bullsh*t named captcha.
baddox 8y ago
That’s not an extremely compelling argument. I could host a web-based persistent infinite bitmap canvas where anyone can draw anything they want, and that would still be a much worse map than Google Maps despite the fact that the friction to contribute is as low as it could be.
TulliusCicero 8y ago
> You declined to do so, but that's your decision. This kind of patronizing attitude is unnecessary and silly. The vast majority of users of any software product are only interested in being just that: users. And that's totally okay. No need for passive-aggressive shaming.
- jamesrcole 8y ago
  The vast majority who make use of OSM data probably aren't even aware of what Open Street Map is, nor that they can contribute data to such a thing, or of how they could do so.
- kqr 8y ago
  After re-reading my own comment, I agree and am sorry. I meant to put the emphasis on "your decision", in order to highlight the freedom argument for OSM. I realise it totally sounded like the emphasis was on "you declined", which makes it a personal attack, and that was never intended nor necessary. Again, sorry.
  - TulliusCicero 8y ago
    Good on you, you're a better commenter-person than I am.

Pinus 8y ago

Just out of curiosity, have you looked into what data is missing? Is the house (or at least the street) mapped, but missing the street name or the house number (assuming you live somewhere where these are relevant), or is the street completely missing?

freddie_mercury 8y ago
OSM doesn't support/understand the street numbering scheme used in my country. If I rewrite my address in the format OSM thinks I should be using, then at least it can find the street I am on. But I'm not going to write addresses differently just for one website...especially when Google Maps understands how we write addresses.
- rmc 8y ago
  Hi, I'm a long time OSMer, and I'd like to help. OSM has a flexible tagging system, so it could be possible to map your addresses the way they should be. You shouldn't have to shoe-horn things into a schema that doesn't fit you. Which country are you in?
  - freddie_mercury 8y ago
    I am in Vietnam. Here are the problems: Addresses here are written like "220/9 xo viet nghe tinh", which means "go to 220 on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh and turn into the alley there, go to #9 in the alley". Typing "220/9 xo viet nghe tinh" into OSM results in "No results found". Instead I have to write "hem 220/9 xo viet nghe tinh" for it to find the road; no one writes it that way. A house address would be "220/9/14 xo viet nghe tinh" meaning "go to 220 on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh and turn into the alley there; go to #9 and turn into the next alley you find there; then go to house #14". The only way OSM can figure things out is if I write it like "14 hem 220/9 xo viet nghe tinh"
- maxerickson 8y ago
  You mean the search box doesn't handle it well? How does https://photon.komoot.de/ https://photon.komoot.de/ do?