Many of us are working with the OSM map data almost every day, and have been doing so for a long time. If you are a bit like me, you may wonder if anyone besides the contributors are actually using the map?
I know that one of the most popular smartphone maps that uses OSM data is MAPS.ME, and I decided to reach out to them to get an idea of how many MAPS.ME users are downloading the map of Thailand.
MAPS.ME responded very quickly to my inquiry and provided these numbers:
2015 Q4 had 208.000 downloads.
2016 Q1 had 232.000 downloads.
This does not represent individual users, only downloads. A single user might have updated the map twice in a quarter and other users may still be using older maps. What it does show is that there is a huge interest in what we a making.
Lets keep up the good work and make sure these people can find what they are looking for :).
That’s good news.
In the Dutch forum, I found a thread where they discuss editing with Maps.me.
See also the blog post by Zverik: https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Zverik/diary/38344
Let’s hope that we can get some more local contributors then.
I have tried map.me after Johnnys post, and Yes, for POI, it seems so much easier and simpler than OsmAnd. Its a good app for viewing OSM and seems to route well, and render quickly, BUT…
But one thing I have noticed is that the update schedule for the maps (when done via the App) seems very long. I have not seen an update in many weeks, which means you can add POI’s where they already exist, giving double entries on the main map, especially in areas of recent mapping activity.
I hope to see the maps.me relationship grow with OSM, but given no response to an email I sent them about rendering 4 weeks ago, I’m reluctant to provide feedback to an apparently un-read email folder.
The map updates are very far apart, and somewhere on its page it just says that new maps are generated with big releases of the app. They have just broken down the maps into small bits, my hope is that will allow them to make updates more frequently while conserving bandwidth.
I have also heard complains that MAPS.ME have their own agenda, they seem to fix irrelevant bugs and not work on important issues - I do not know if this is true or not, but it could explain the lack of response you are seeing.
For me personally they have been very responsive, usually providing answers within an hour - but I guess my questions will lead to more people using MAPS.ME and might get priority.