[Osmf-talk] As a Foundation Member I am starting a Volunteer project to develop my country's whole map in OpenStreetMap

[Frederik Ramm]

Hi,

On 01/16/2018 08:00 PM, Md Shahriar Alam wrote:
> As a Foundation Member I want to do something for OpenStreetMap. I am
> starting a Volunteer project to develop my country's whole map in
> OpenStreetMap. I also recruited some Mappers with salary in My team for
> this project and it will be continue until the whole things will be
> completed. 

The main strength of OpenStreetMap lies in having many, many "eyes on
the ground".

It is commendable that you and your partners have made a lot of edits,
but always remember: Your financial means are no match to those of a big
player like Google, Facebook, or Teleatlas. If you can hire two people
to help, then they can hire 20 people to help, or 200. If you can trace
5,000 houses from aerial imagery, then they can trace 50,000 or 500,000.

The one thing that we have in OpenStreetMap that these players don't
have, is a culture of no central authority. Of hundreds or thousands of
volunteers each contributing their little bit of knowledge to OSM, so
that OSM becomes the "local map of everywhere".

Hence, the most valuable thing that you can do for OSM in your country
is not hire people to trace objects, but instead spread the word. Print
and distribute leaflets that explain OpenStreetMap; make contact with
universities or civil/advocacy groups that can have shared goals with
OSM (in western Europe, for example, many cyclist groups were eager to
spread the OSM message to their members - in your country, other groups
might be in that position). Get a local bus company to use
OpenStreetMap. Talk to the press. Perhaps the culture in your country is
such that people are reluctant to participate in something like OSM?
Hold a mapping event in a small town, put up a banner that says "today
OpenStreetMap is mapping this town". Get press coverage - make it clear
that everyone can participate.

These are the things that will bring OSM forward. The OSMF doesn't yet
have a formal programme for grants (it's in the works!) but if it had,
it would be very unlikely that groups would be given money to pay people
to map. It is much more likely that groups would be given money to build
the community. Building a community is sustainable (because the
community will carry on even if they money stops flowing). Paying people
to add data to OSM is not sustainable.

Best
Frederik

-- 
Frederik Ramm  ##  eMail frederik at remote.org  ##  N49°00'09" E008°23'33"