4 ms·

The biggest drawback of OSM and OS-related apps is POI. Lots of outdated information so it's not reliable and can not be used day to day life.

by HunOL 6y ago

lucb1e 6y ago
Google goes so far as to send businesses physical mail to make sure they put their business on the map. When an old employer of mine got this, I remember thinking of making flyers that people can distribute and drop in mailboxes for OSM. (Similar to how my school emailed everyone, every year about how generously Microsoft gives us their Office suite for only 40 euros or something, failing to mention that LibreOffice works perfectly fine --if you don't mind the design-- and is of course completely free. Why not encourage people to donate 40 euros every 5 years to LibreOffice instead, or alongside?) Didn't end up doing it, also because there just isn't an easy editor that businesses would use. I would make one, but then how would I make them aware of this? OSM in general and such an editor in particular? It's just such an uphill battle when everyone uses Google Search, businesses can get free advertising by putting themselves on Google Maps (that map shows up when you look for a local business or category of businesses), and Google spends a boatload of money on driving cars around and getting more business owners on board as well.
- maxerickson 6y ago
  You can point businesses at https://www.onosm.org/ https://www.onosm.org/ (It creates a note rather than directly adding the business to OSM)
  - toomuchtodo 6y ago
    Have you used this? Would it be straightforward to build custom URLs per biz into QR codes, stick them on postcards, and shoot them out using Lob or a similar services to rapidly get POI data on OSM?
    - maxerickson 6y ago
      I've not used it. I'd expect pretty low response rates for something like a post card.
      - deleted 6y ago
        [deleted]
  - lucb1e 6y ago
    Oh, that is pretty much exactly what I was thinking of! Thanks for the link :)
  - iqihs 6y ago
    this doesn't allow to edit existing businesses at a location

The biggest drawback of OSM and OS-related apps is POI. Lots of outdated information so it's not reliable and can not be used day to day life.

by HunOL 6y ago

The biggest drawback of OSM and OS-related apps is POI. Lots of outdated information so it's not reliable and can not be used day to day life.

lucb1e 6y ago

Google goes so far as to send businesses physical mail to make sure they put their business on the map. When an old employer of mine got this, I remember thinking of making flyers that people can distribute and drop in mailboxes for OSM. (Similar to how my school emailed everyone, every year about how generously Microsoft gives us their Office suite for only 40 euros or something, failing to mention that LibreOffice works perfectly fine --if you don't mind the design-- and is of course completely free. Why not encourage people to donate 40 euros every 5 years to LibreOffice instead, or alongside?) Didn't end up doing it, also because there just isn't an easy editor that businesses would use. I would make one, but then how would I make them aware of this? OSM in general and such an editor in particular? It's just such an uphill battle when everyone uses Google Search, businesses can get free advertising by putting themselves on Google Maps (that map shows up when you look for a local business or category of businesses), and Google spends a boatload of money on driving cars around and getting more business owners on board as well.

maxerickson 6y ago
You can point businesses at https://www.onosm.org/ https://www.onosm.org/ (It creates a note rather than directly adding the business to OSM)
- toomuchtodo 6y ago
  Have you used this? Would it be straightforward to build custom URLs per biz into QR codes, stick them on postcards, and shoot them out using Lob or a similar services to rapidly get POI data on OSM?
  - maxerickson 6y ago
    I've not used it. I'd expect pretty low response rates for something like a post card.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
- lucb1e 6y ago
  Oh, that is pretty much exactly what I was thinking of! Thanks for the link :)
- iqihs 6y ago
  this doesn't allow to edit existing businesses at a location