You are raising a very important debate here. If OpenStreetMap is to become widely used, then it must be welcoming to all, not just to people who like mapping alone.

I really enjoyed the Manchester Mapping Party, learning to collect OSM data for the first time, viewing familiar landscapes with a fresh perspective and meeting new people.

I had two trips out with others. My mapping companion on Saturday morning did not want to survey alone. I was happy to accompany him and to learn from his OSM experience. On the Sunday afternoon I passed on my new skills to a late-arrival at the party who wanted to learn the basics in the short time available. I enjoyed both trips out, discussing the landscape we encountered and what features to record.

Mapping on my own was enjoyable too, but it was a different experience. I felt more self-conscious when stopping to make notes at waypoints and the mapping seemed more of a job to be done than something to be savoured. Certainly I would have liked a companion when I was heckled on the canal towpath! Safety is an important consideration – when surveying it is accepted good practice to work in pairs and to share an intended route with colleagues if alone.

Meeting experienced mappers at the party left me with the impression that people who have mapped large areas (often alone) are regarded as the most valuable OSMers. In terms of area covered, this is hard to dispute. However, one of the key strength of OSM over other maps is the local knowledge that it provides. The more people that get involved the richer this knowledge will be. Also, people who have contributed to the map, even in a minor way, will be much more likely to encourage others to use OSM.

A repeated motto throughout the OSM website and in the mapping party adverts is: 'have fun'. It's easier to have fun when you're with other people!

Jon