OpenStreetMap
Recently, my sun wanted to start with Geocaching. So I've robbed the piggy bank and bought a GPS navigator (Dakota 20). The pig wasn't fat enough to add an original Garmin map - so I´ve found OSM, and installed a pre-converted map (thanks to the guys who do that work) on the GPS.
Obviously, many people have done a great job already on this project. In my home town, some things are still missing or not 100% correct. So I have decided to correct and add information as far as possible. It takes some time to get accustomed with the editor(s), but then it's real fun. Hope I don't make too many faults.
Thanks again to the people who have done all the existing and tremendously helpful stuff that exists already.
Discussion
Comment from Sanderd17 on 1 June 2011 at 07:13
Welcome to OSM. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. This is a community project, and if somebody sees a mistake, (s)he will correct it.
As for your map, Germany is quite complete. But I do see that there is a lot of work to do: there are no addresses on the map (and that's worth many days of mapping).
Maybe some task that is easier to do: Secondary ways like this: osm.org/browse/way/24545563 don't seem to have a maxspeed. Secondary ways without speed limit mean that you can drive quite fast. But I don't think this is the case here.
I only mention these things for the case that you are bored and don't know what to map, there is stuff enough to map!
Oh, and before I forget it: happy mapping and thanks for helping!
Comment from compdude on 4 June 2011 at 03:02
OSM has a long way to go before it can be deemed reliable enough to be used for routing everywhere.
Comment from hitzelbe on 5 June 2011 at 20:54
Thanks, Sanderd17,
for your friendly welcome here.
The more I look at the details of my home town, the more I find details one could add - based of course on the existing lots of stuff others have already done. The speed limits and adresses represent, as you say, a lot of work. Right now, I'm focusing on missing pathes and residential roads and their names. An interesting exemple where my local knowledge is probably advantagous is osm.org/browse/way/107000959
This road is connected at both ends to the neighboring roads - in Bing, one of those connections is absolutely "invinvible". Its a really narrow connection between two houses - but it exists. I´ve been there...
BTW speed limits: The example you have given is complicated to map: There is a 30 km/h speed limitation that is only valid on work days (MO-SA in Germany) from 7am to 5pm. Otherwise, its 50. I don't know yet how to map this. Other issue I have as a rookie: the correct classification of roads and their surfaces is a mess (for me)
compdude is probably right - at least with respect to me: there is some work to do..
It's more complicated than I thought - but I'll do my best..