Talk Beginner

FOSS maps, and why you should use them

Withdrawn

Session Description

We start by talking about the āzād data project underpinning the maps we'll talk about - OpenStreetMap.

We discuss some vital questions - what is āzād data and āzād software? Why are they important for end users?

We then introduce three āzād applications (CoMaps, OsmAnd, and OsmAPP), which use OpenStreetMap data to provide privacy-respecting alternatives to proprietary maps like Google Maps.

(We also briefly mention some resources through which developers can use OpenStreetMap data in their own applications.)

We then discuss the advantages which OpenStreetMap has over Google Maps.

Finally, we discuss a few different ways of how the audience can make the OpenStreetMap data and software ecosystem better, and how they can participate in local OSM communities.

References

https://welcome.openstreetmap.org/

https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/

https://comaps.app/

https://osmand.net/

https://osmapp.org/

https://switch2osm.org/

https://streetcomplete.app/

https://mapcomplete.org/

https://community.osm.org

https://osmcal.org/?in=India

https://en.osm.town/@OSMIndia/

Session Categories

Introducing a FOSS project or a new version of a popular project

Tutorial about using a FOSS project

Knowledge Commons (Open Hardware, Open Science, Open Data etc.)

Speakers

Kashish

Kashish is a musician, software freedom activist, and OpenStreetMap educator. Per has been an OpenStreetMap contributor since 2016, motivated by the desire to improve freedom-respecting software ("FOSS") and privacy. Per regularly hosts OSM workshops and designs OSM awareness material.

Software Freedom Activist and OpenStreetMap Educator https://fe.disroot.org/@contrapunctus

Reviews

A guided walkthrough of the OSM apps ecosystem will help new users to the ecosystem. In my personal experience, the presence of multiple apps for OSM adds an extra hurdle for a user who is considering switching away from GMaps

Reviewer #1 Approved