28 November 2012, 15:47

OpenStreetMap: Hundreds help with "Operation Cowboy"

Change statistics
Source: OpenStreetMap

At the OpenStreetMap community's second "Mapathon", numerous map areas in the United States were updated to include new details. The OpenStreetMap organisers said that a total of around 300 people took part in "Operation Cowboy" – 162 of whom recorded their activity using the Twitter hashtag #opc2012. Together, participants added about five times the amount of data that would have usually been added to the data set in the same time span. There was also a great deal of exchange between users in the US and members from other countries, said the project.

As well as adding many details to previously empty areas, participants reportedly also fixed thousands of bugs in imported maps. Nevertheless, the project said that the US member base urgently needs to be expanded because a whole continent has to be mapped. The organisers noted that the project was welcomed by the community and that they anticipate that some participants will continue to contribute to the US maps.

Areas with the greatest number of changes
Source: OpenStreetMap