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Article for community newsletter

نُشِر بواسطة JoshD في 10 أبريل 2011 باللغة English

I'm putting together an article for my local community newsletter, published by my HOA, to promote OpenStreetMap. It's received by around 7000 homes and businesses, which isn't huge but is a start. I needed too keep it under 500 words, which I found difficult. If you have any comments on my rough draft please let me know!

Mapping Burke Centre


As some of you are aware, Burke Centre has a trail map that was created several years ago with the help of Robert Pew from RestonPaths.com and Oaks Trustee Luanne Smith. It is a good basic map that is available in print at the Conservancy office and online as a PDF. However there are several shortcomings, chief among them is the lack of an interactive online map and a finer level of detail. Have you ever wanted to know the fastest way to walk to the library using the trails, or to be able to search for all tot lots with swings, or to see exactly where cluster boundaries are located? These and other questions can be answered thanks to a project called OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMap (OSM) was started in 2004 to allow the creation of a free and open map of the world. You can think of OSM as Wikipedia for maps; anyone can go to OSM.org, view a location on the map, and then click “Edit” to begin correcting or enhancing the map. Those with GPS devices can upload tracks that they’ve recorded, and when combined with aerial imagery shown as a background, this allows the user to trace in new objects on the map.

So what can be mapped? There is no limit to what can be added to OSM. I’ve mapped a number of items, but I’ve been focusing on the paths that cover Burke Centre. Once a path is in OSM, websites like Open.Mapquest.com can use the data to create walking directions to follow the sidewalks and paths. I’ve added additional information such as the location of stairs and curb cuts, which will indicate what paths are wheelchair accessible. Adding such objects as bridges, tot lots, and even waste baskets are not only useful to residents, but can also serve as an inventory of Conservancy assets.

How can you help? There are numerous ways to help, the simplest one being to tell others about this project, and to check on the map periodically at OSM.org or Open.Mapquest.com. The Mapquest site allows you to report errors on the map, which will then be seen and corrected by other OSM contributors like myself. The next level of involvement would be to provide suggestions and feedback on what you think should be mapped. Beyond that, you can provide GPS tracks, and then of course you can edit the map itself. If there is sufficient interest we could even arrange for a training session.

I’ve talked to a few of the Trustees, as well as the Open Space Committee, and they are very interested in the potential of this project. Hopefully we can have a presentation and discussion of this project at some point to see what level of involvement Burke Centre Conservancy itself wants to have, but in the mean time I will continue mapping, and so can you!


(You can also view the article and any edits here on the wiki.)

الموقع: Quiet Pond, Burke, Fairfax County, Virginia, 22015, United States
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مناقشة

تعليق من z-dude في 10 أبريل 2011 في 06:26

suggestion for an addendum for the 'How you can help' section.
People can even print out a section the map that needs updating, sketch up some changes, scan it or take a picture, and upload it to WalkingPapers.org .

تعليق من Rovastar في 10 أبريل 2011 في 10:11

I think the opening reads a little techie. If it is going out to the general public then I wouldn't not mention pdf's and start with the basics like mention
Openstreetmap is a website (OSM.ORG).(you don't actually say it is a website in your piece). It displaying maps of the world, etc. I think you jump to quickly into editing and the hard sell.

I find once people start using OSM as a/the map then edits will follow. Explain maybe that OSM can have public footpaths, POI locally that other maps do not.

They are the most useful as a user of the map. That after looking up there own street. Sell the fact that OSM is the best map of your local area and improving all the time. It is going to the community and even if they choose not to edit (it is scary thought for some newbie people) they should want to use the best map of the local area.

Maybe a 'so why not look up your local area and see how it is mapped.....'

I know we are all mappers and we want to others to edit the maps but I like to stand back a little and I think it can all sound sometimes too heavy to the average person. If we compare to wikipedia again most people that go to the site have no account/never edited a page. If people just start using OSM as their main map edits will follow naturally......

Phew sorry I didn't mean to sound so heavy there. Overall nice article and congrats on getting OSM in print.:)

تعليق من JoshD في 11 أبريل 2011 في 20:57

Thanks for the comments, I've tried to incorporate them into the version I've submitted to the editor. You can view it on the wiki (linked on original post).

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