?? re: develop new mapping system, new layers (medicine/public health)

General talk
1

Our group is relatively new to OSM.
Probably there are several important “read these first, most of all” resources. Probably some excellent examples. Hopefully at least one person willing to cat a bit and assist with pointers.

We have a system that pertains to assessment of individuals and groups, regions including communities, including buildings, public areas, and transportation, and all in regard to issues of public health including infectious and publicly transmissible (contact and non-direct contact) diseases.

We intend to build a comprehensive mapping system that begins with existing/core OSM. Into the map are placed data, as per basic OSM functionality, for locations, ways, closed ways, areas, relations, etc.

We do not envision changing or adding to the basic system, but our interfaces will be from both interactive users and other digital systems.

The users will enter data through mainly JS apps and primarily from phones. Text, voice-to-text, buttons, checkboxes, graphic sliders, selections of points (locations including routes, streets, buildings, etc.) on the map. From the collected data entered, after validation and other functions, this information will be added, essentially as a new “edit”, into the map.

Then there are other applications and functions which do not involve the map per se, and there are other entries to the map that will be made after various analytics have been performed (e.g., new regions, notes, etc.)

We see the rich set of resources here at OSM. We would deeply, very much, appreciate any practical assistance in getting started, especially with the following:

setup of our own (clone) of OSM on a server (ours or another) which will be our development worksite.
and
friendly advice

Given that we are all seeing what’s going on in our world, particularly now, with 2019-nCoV, the “novel coronavirus pneumonia” epidemic in China and extending worldwide, we believe that what we are doing should be of some interest also to persons who may want to join the Team.

I am the main contact: Martin Dudziak martinjoseph@tdyn.org, or martin.dudziak@gmail.com, and +1 231-492-8301 is one good number that also works for WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram.

2

Further (Addition, not “reply”) ----
We are actively seeking both Volunteers (and we can explain why this is sensible, logical, and worthwhile) and persons who could gradually/eventually consider working (and even then being paid!) for

Software Development pertaining to OSM and what we’ve very lightly described above in the main posting. This involves working with the exact sets of tools and apps that already exist for OSM, and some new apps in the area of interactive editing and data entry. No changes or work right now in actual map functions, GIS, graphics display, any of that - it is now, for us, all about entering extensive data besides what people usually do with maps like OSM, but much of this new data pertains directly to existing OSM information such as streets, public transport routes, major buildings, sites of high traffic and personal contact, etc.

Right now we want to get a whole system set up properly on a server, so that we can start adding data to it manually, using existing interfaces, but a major software-dev project is for a very open-ended use-by-anyone interface, one that enables persons to enter information in multiple formats -
for instance,
in answer to specific items regarding health, or environment, or resources/supplies (all this is part of the main public health and epidemiological response/tracking operation), the user will be able to answer with one or more formats:
simple text, a voice input that gets auto-translated into text, with options for correction of the text
checkboxes, radio buttons, and color-coded sliders

and in the future, some options for including very short video and animated-Gif snippets which pertain to scenes such as crowds on trains, etc.

THANK YOU FOR READING, AND PLEASE THINK ABOUT HELPING. Yes, there is a concise plan for eventually having some paid technical staff, but right now we need some quick help that could be just a few hours of assistance. Thank you.