There are some districts that are low OSM coverage in the comparison. Please don't just go and map these though, I'm planning mapping events in some of them (probably late summer). My aim is to map them with ground survey AND stir up some new users locally. That will encourage mapping of other features (e.g. footpaths POIs, and house numbers) and to continue updating the map as the world changes next door to them.

At osm.org on the top right of the map is a blue button with a plus. That opens a menu for you to select other tiles. The data option is helpful as you can then click an object and look at the full information.

Several people in the community make specialised styles of the map. But it takes quite a bit of computing power to create the images, and also to host them. As such it is not appropriate or possible to have all of them on the osm.org website.

http://openpistemap.org is probably what your looking for.

Let us know if you need any help or if you want us to check things once you've made an edit.

Did you add the address details too?
I can imagine an OpenStreetMapper answering the door to a JW and having questions like "What's the latitude and longitude of the hall?" Or explaining how they could use OSM to plan where to go knocking.

Most people just use building=yes. I use building=residential and this makes it a slightly different shade on the main map. If you know the address details you can use addr:housenumber=1, addr:housename, addr:street, addr:postcode (full details at osm.wiki/Addr though city/country etc. can usually be worked out from the location).

Note that using unusual tags you will need to press 'Advanced' in the bottom left of the Potlatch 2 editor, once you have selected the item on the map.

A few years ago I tried to mimic a certain map rendering so that could encourage them to become an OpenStreetMap contributor and maybe use the data. They made (and sold in local shops) a selection of good cycle/walking maps in Devon. All manually/personally surveyed and images made.

Attempts to be polite are great in OSM, so I would say go for sending the last editor a message and possibly making a new friend.

Where did the "Cat Nick" name come from. Oh, actually looking at it now it is a part/feature of the crag. If it was the same thing but a local nickname, you could do loc_name=Cat Nick, or alt_name=Cat Nick (not common tags, so use the advanced part of Potlatch 2). The name won't be visible but it will be searchable.

This a great thing to do, you can even be in multiple groups.
Thing is it only appears to have Germany and Atlanta. We need some wiki clean up people to get creating user groups by looking ast Category:Users_in...

http://hdyc.neis-one.org/?dardhal
But you also shouldn't rush ahead with edits just to get your rank up. :)

Also alexz, I don't think Andy Allan (the very clever guy behind OpenCycleMap) needs any help in the technical sense. But cost, yes, is an issue with map tiles and traffic. I think because of bandwidth. Andy is a nice chap so he'll be happy if you talk to him and discuss stuff before loads of people start using his tiles via your site.

Final pedantic point, OpenCycleMap is not an overlay it's a base map. An overlay would have a transparent element so you can see some image/map underneath it. Rather your tracks would be overlays that you see placed over the OpenCycleMap/OSM base map.

If you don't want to deal with any JavaScript then alexz provides good links. Or if you want someone to build a system for you, I'm available for hire from March.

In what way do you want to use Bing? You can't use Bing imagery unless you get a license from them (think money). OpenStreetMap only has s a license/agreement to use their aerial imagery in our editors for improving OpenStreetMap. If you want to use the mapss, then that is doable I think but you might need to use their API and get that to work with an OpenStreetMap option.

How long until something is named after it the node it is in osm?

Ah, the pains of working out house numbers and the joys of knowing our work is so worthwhile and will hopefully be valued.

Here's one blog post about just some of the house numbers I have done.
http://www.livingwithdragons.com/2010/09/here-come-the-house-numbers

But if you have uploaded gps traces, they are ideal for using to get the line of roads. Combine them with your own notes or good memory.

Reading the whole 'documentation' is a bit hard to think about. We're not a great community at writing it and there ends up being various pages on the wiki to say the same things in a different order. You might also get into some confusing technical documentation for developers.

So I suggest reading enough till you feel confident you can do a few things you want, and give it a try. If you hover over the 'edit' tab you get some options, Potlatch 2 is a good option for beginners (or download JOSM if you don't like flash). In Potlatch 2, nothing is saved until you click the Save button, so if you mess something up then go back to the 'view' tab and don't worry about it.

Once you have made some edits, you could write another diary entry about it or ask on the IRC chat and someone should be happy to check it for you! Though are documentation is rubbish at being a good guide, there are lots of people happy to answer questions and help you out. Especially for people in Wales, we need more mappers there!

comment spam

I understand how it's helpful to see a map, so one can decide if another route goes just as close to my destination, where one could get to on buses from where they are, or where they'll see the bus and know to run to the stop to catch it.

It's a great shame that OpenBusMap/öpnvkarte hasn't updated since the summer. I'm quite motivated to map bus routes for the reasons above, but I would be even more so if I could see my work appear and see where sections/routes were missing.

Also, if it was updated then I would be up for contacting the local bus comapny (Arriva I think) and saying if they give me a 1 or 2 day passes free I will spend that time mapping all the routes.

You might want to take a look at this orienteering map that uses OSM data.
http://oobrien.com/oom/

I see in sundance's example construction=secondary, although technically this is inappropriate if there are no plans to restore it.
I would think adding disused=yes but this won't change the rendering, indeed the wiki page even doesn't include roads in the list of items it applies to(perhaps it highway should be added though) disused=*

For where it is blocked, perhaps barrier=bollard in place of any other recognised value. barrier=*
For reference, barrier=gate can apply to nodes on footway/paths or any highways, but it suggests someone has a key to open it (or it is unlocked but kept closed).
Access=no is a good idea too.

If there was fear of it being added again then I might just leave it only with a tag like "note=this road has been removed, surveyed June 2010". But usually if everywhere around is mapped then I'm not sure any over-keen tracer would be editing/looking in the area. They usually want to expand coverage where the map seems to be lacking part of a town or more.

You could improve the map to make it clear there is active OSM activity there. Add buildings/house numbers of surrounding roads, make sure the area has all the shops etc., or map the area as landuse=grass (you could actually attach a note tag to the grass).

I made the elephant page URLs even nicer now, http://www.livingwithdragons.com/elephants/215 but not sure why your photo isn't showing there.

I think I need to work on my action pose so I don't scare off any more new comers.

Wynndale, I didn't add any building outlines in Notting Hill, but will add all the buildings for my slice before I heard out tomorrow. The mailing-list discussion you link to is how many should we import for areas we'rre not going to ground-survey.