Using OSM Notes for personal mapping

Is there any update to the Notes - OpenStreetMap Wiki that says “It enables you to add a comment on the map to assist others in mapping/editing OpenStreetMap.”

Can I create notes just for my own mapping?

It’s best practice that notes are either actionable by others or provide information to other contributors - it’s generally not best practice to make notes that are only useful to yourself. Without more context it’s hard to give more guidance as to what is or is not useful. There are always things like uMap - Online map creator which can be used for personal notes or tracking mapping projects.

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If you have the means to add a note for yourself I would guess you have the means to do that as a waypoint or whatever in that same app. So a note would not be neccessary.

As there are not very many active contributors in my area I leave notes from home to either people passing by a place or for myself should I find the time to investigate myself. But I try to keep the info in the note clear enough so others are able to act on it

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You can, but you shouldn’t. You can create notes on an app and not push them to osm (with OsmAnd for instance).
Or if you do, add something like #forme to indicate that’s what you intend to resolve it later on your own.

Yes, you can, but don’t overdo it, and make them useful so other mappers could solve them too.

You don’t want to leave a ton of open notes, making future mappers wonder why you didn’t just enter the data yourself.

Because I always forget things that I wanted to do, I don’t use notes-to-self. I take pictures instead, then process my pictures at home with JOSM on the PC. If I forget, too bad, but I do not bother other mappers with it.

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As this question about good practice is most likely tied to/provoked by a specific discussion, I’d consider it good practice to actually link to the discussion in question so the people who are trying to come up with a response to your question have a slightly better understanding of the context: Note: 5470645 | OpenStreetMap

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Yes, you (or anyone else) can create notes as long as they contain useful information, so another mapper can resolve them by using common sense. A note with “Hydrant” at a location, where is no hydrant in OSM, everyone can solve.

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So I could create 20 OSM notes from today’s outdoor mapping with comments like “café”, “toilet”, “shop” and later add them with iD editor?

How should we update https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Notes to reflect that?

Especially POIs like shop and café need more information to be useful. I would not recommend this.

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There’s no need. You can read there

Example how I did this just yesterday: Note: 5478667 | OpenStreetMap

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Additionally:
I really don’t see any great problem with the amount of notes in Switzerland if I look at my country, Germany.

Using the link of a mapper in those lists will show you the statistics of them. Sometimes it’s a good idea to look at that before asking him some questions as in the mentioned note.

In comparison to “Hydrant”, your “note suggestions” feels incomplete to me, especially shop. “cafe”, “fuel” or “supermarket” can be fine as well, but a note “Aldi”, “Shell” or “Starbucks” might be better ideally you add also something like “is missing in OSM” or “is not existing anymore” :wink:

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I guess I could include the business name, so anybody can figure it out fairly easily.

Is this acceptable even if I have no real expectation that anybody else will deal with the Note?

Supposedly mappers trying to handle my note in the meantime might ask to provide additional information.

as Note: 5470645 | OpenStreetMap is related

@9_tab - DO NOT HARASS PEOPLE

DO NOT OPEN ALREADY RESOLVED NOTES UNLESS THERE IS A GOOD REASON TO DO THAT

and in this case there was no good reason to reopen it, as it was solved

this note was 100% fine as it was quickly resolved

If you just want to save personal notes, there are other tools, even functions in Osmand, for this.

Can we count on you that you will use notes correctly going forward?

was obnoxious harassment of @Piagno based on (again) misunderstanding how OSM works

closing “there is X here” notes may be justified but only when they are staying for very long in a given area and are spammy (too many of them)

but even then the reason for closure would not be “personal note”

and as this note was quickly closed it was entirely fine

and passed this test

“personal note” would be for stuff like “#1717 problem” or “I am planning wedding here”

(capslock in this post was 100% intentional and used in “shouting” meaning)

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it is more fine if you quickly close it yourself rather than leave it sitting for weeks

even better would be just editing with GoMap!!/Vespucci/StreetComplete/EveryDoor/iD on smarthone

even better, attach also photo (at that point mapping will be easier though)

The context that @Piagno is probably the most prolific note-fixer in Switzerland and has worked on +20000 (!) notes is also quite relevant here. Of the last 500 notes they opened (I cannot search for more on NotesReview), only 5 are still open.

So @9_Tab: chill!

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Name, yes, and opening hours. fuel types including power loading, maybe house numbers, outdoor seating, self service. Those are the details I need to remember for the mapping.