iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Look into Wheelmap and Access map and the Taskar Center at Univ of Washington

Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Read my latest writing about how everything mapped needs to be seen, and recorded for the first time--and sometimes measured over and over again! open.substack.com/pub/worldbui...

open.substack.com

Discovery and Rediscovery in Spatial Data

Knowing what is where, how to get there, what it's like, and why

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

OpenStreetMap in the wild! On the Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen news website showing dam and hydroelectric upgrades in the Alps.

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

I check in to BlueSky after a week off and it's still primarily Gulf chatter Will check back in another week

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

I will add that I think the website called DataCamp is fantastic for getting the basics of Python and SQL, and it has a geospatial course too. From there keep looking how to apply it to your work or your interests. Try to get on Upwork to look for small freelance GIS tasks to apply the skills too

upwork.com

Upwork | The World’s Work Marketplace

Upwork connects businesses with independent professionals and agencies around the globe. Where companies and freelancers work together in new ways that unlock their potential.

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

In my opinion depends if it was a lake first or reservoir first. In almost all cases it was a stream that was modified into a reservoir, is my guess. So the one that was first!

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

It does some amazing things helping with coding questions, stats, figuring out how to properly resize images... But that's all Python libraries It may not be good with QGIS, but even there saves time vs digging through Stack Overflow It's made a lot of people's lives easier in my opinion

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

This is what is nice about multiple official names is you and me can call it Denali and we are totally correct still

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Reposted by Christopher Beddow

organicmaps.bsky.social @organicmaps.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

We’re thrilled to share that Organic Maps has now reached 3 million people worldwide! Thank you to the incredible community! Join us as we continue to unlock the freedom to navigate with maps that put ease of use, privacy and community first. Here's to many more adventures together!

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

The OSM foundation would block renaming a map feature? I am not saying it should be renamed but if the USGS and other agencies officially adopt the new name then OSM tends to reflect that in some way

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Well, OSM is not a display map service so it wouldn't be able to handle that. MapTiler, Stadia, Mapbox all use OSM and handle regional requirements. Just like Google Maps. OSM is just a database and most people who ever see OSM data do not see it directly

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

I can't remember the first fee but there were hikes later, I remember when a lot of websites started having the watermark on their Google maps embeds saying API key required or for development use only

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Well, then it's just everybody trying to reverse everyone else It would work fine with two names and not fighting over one

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

What if OpenStreetMap renames it though

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Yes which is what you proposed haha

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Somebody should propose it first! I do seem to think Oceania was not so used as a continent name until more recently (when I was a child I think the continent as a whole was Australia, maybe wrong?)

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Yeah agreed. Anyway I think this whole story is a nothingburger until the USGS officially makes a change, which I am not sure will ever happen

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Well yes partially, it could become the American English name (if it were legally approved) and the one displayed when user GPS is in that region It would remain Gulf of Mexico (Gulfo de México etc) in various other translations

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

I agree and nobody should change it based off current dialogue, just wondering if people would refuse to change it in OSM even if it went through full legal renaming or not

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

It also makes changes. Old printed maps will show Sea of Cortez for examples after Hernán Cortes, but which was renamed over change in political and cultural perspectives. Egypt is also called Masr in Arabic, and many other very different names. worldbuilder.substack.com/p/toponymy-i...

worldbuilder.substack.com

Toponymy in Mapping

The past, present, and future of place names

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Just larger, but with lower taxes

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

In a Spanish language map it'd Nueva York, and Germany becomes Alemanía. Actually super common practice. In Switzerland they even change it based on national language, somehow nobody melts down.

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

For Denali is should be easy, places around the world have 2+ names. In Switzerland you easily have German, Rumansh, Italian etc names. New Zealand maps this well too. It will always be Denali and can be called McKinley as it was for a long time, by those who want.

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Although political name changes are an annoyance, and politically driven map edits/reverses are too, I do think there's an okay logic in using América (with accent) that many countries (like those in OAS) say is the name of the vast region, as a name for the Gulf. Perhaps "Gulf of the Américas"

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

To be honest the alternatives are really bad especially in USA. OpenStreetMap data is the closest, which is a database not a maps app. You can see everything from OpenStreetMap in Organic Maps and use that day to day. I recommend trying to use it as much as you can and registering to edit OSM.

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

This is correct. In the end the names are very centralized based on what's official. I don't think most maps say Sea of Cortez anymore because of official changes, while Gulf of Mexico still remains official.

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Waze is awesome but it's good to test for alternatives. Nothing is as good. But I like Organic Maps a lot

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

As discussion boils about #googlemaps and #gulf of Mexico/América, I want to share something I wrote before about Unbundling Google Maps. Google Maps includes many pieces like search, places, street view... My post talks alternatives for each. worldbuilder.substack.com/p/unbundling...

worldbuilder.substack.com

Unbundling Google Maps

A look at how many small apps fit together as one

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Download Organic Maps app on mobile

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Use Organic Maps app on your mobile device

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

It needs a lot more work, and not just the data side. OpenStreetMap is not a mobile app. Organic Maps is a good way to go, but Google Maps has the best app in the world for maps, most people won't abandon it We need a truly great OSM based app to ever compete. I hope it can happen.

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

You should consider signing up to contribute to OSM too, add restaurants and more where you live! Lots of great guides on YouTube

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Most of OSM goes through a map provider who handles that like MapTiler so it's doable there, that's where vast majority of consumes encounter OSM

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

What if it becomes an actual legal name the way that Türkiye changed name or how Spanish maps show Nueva York and Londres?

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

This is normal for OpenStreetMap though. Name changes and reverses happen all the time, although perhaps rarely on larger bodies of water. My main question is whether a definitive legal name change in the US systems (among USGS and others) will still be ignored by OSM as a protest move

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

I think it's a snowball effect too. The more people de-google etc the more smaller apps become better. If 1% of Google Maps contributors (not just users) went to OSM every year it would be huge!

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

I wonder how many people switch now In past times when I have polled, most people use Google Maps, even OSM contributors, me too. Google Maps is often better for UX and map data for most people, I would bet majority of OSM contributors still use Google Mala to navigate.

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Was it on Mapillary? Similar project just was published out of Dublin!

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Reposted by Christopher Beddow

HeiGIT @heigit.org · 21/01/2025

🗺️📊 Curious about the impact of OpenStreetMap usage? We selected some metrics on #ohsome tools and the impact of #OpenStreetMap (#OSM) in 2024. From building data coverage to the number of API requests, these figures showcase the scale of OSM use and the analytics capabilities of ohsome.

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Wow, I never realized so much of this would be off the coast, so I assume all over sea ice

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

I find Google Docs etc is just easy and universal, but I do think Proton products are worth watching

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Reposted by Christopher Beddow

Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

My latest writing, on street view worldbuilder.substack.com/p/street-vie...

worldbuilder.substack.com

Street View: A History

How imagery visualizing the scenes along routes came to be

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

I love sunny winter days. This was last week. Today rainy and grim. Some days I think I should set up a screen in my house with a grid of webcams so I can wake up and see where near me has the best weather, as if I am running surveillance in a casino.

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Christopher Beddow @cbed.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Ah! Vexcel is one I think is good there.

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