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Our geocoding API is built on OpenStreetMap, a global crowdsourced project. Sometimes people ask us how we keep up with everything happing across the OSM world.
A thread
A thread
2/ It's true, the OpenStreetMap community is massive (and growing) 
, global , and very dynamic 
! Lots of things are happening all the time. But ... that can also be a bit overwhelming. How do we stay aware of what's happening?
, global , and very dynamic ! Lots of things are happening all the time. But ... that can also be a bit overwhelming. How do we stay aware of what's happening?
3/ First up you read/subscribe to the OSM weekly, a volunteer-run, weekly digest with a broad overview OSM news available in many different languages: @weeklyOSM https://weeklyosm.eu Bonus points: you can (should!) also submit OSM news
4/ Second, itās important to note that there is no single OSM community, there are many. Some focused on specific geographies (country, region, etc) Some based on shared interests (mapping cycle infrastructure for example) or shared languages
5/ Different communities (or people within those communities) use different tools and platforms to communicate. Mailing lists are common https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo , but some prefer IRC, Facebook, Telegram, forums, etc. It really varies.
6/ Hereās a wonderful world map run by @osm_be to click around on and see the local OpenStreetMap communities for an area https://community.osm.be/
7/ Some local OSM communities are really well organized. Good example: @OpenStreetMapUS with a monthly newsletter and much more. https://www.openstreetmap.us/community/
8/ Of course there are lots of OpenStreetMap meetings and events. In-person and online. Small and large. Best place to check for an overview 
https://osmcal.org @osm_events built by @thomersch
https://osmcal.org @osm_events built by @thomersch
9/ Once a year thereās the global OpenStreetMap event, called āState of the Mapā @sotm https://stateofthemap.org with many interesting talks and presentations about all aspects of OSM. This year's SotM will be held online from 9-11 July.
10/ Lots of social networks or places people hang out online have OSM subsections. Hereās /r/openstreetmap on Reddit for example: https://www.reddit.com/r/openstreetmap/
11/ Since you're here on twitter you should definitely follow @openstreetmap Other good worldwide OSM accounts are @OSM_Tech and @hotosm
12/ Many local OpenStreetMap communities are very active here on twitter. There are lots of twitter handles in our thread from a few months back about the interviews we've done with many local communities on our blog https://twitter.com/OpenCage/status/1357696395268997123
13/ The OSM Foundation (weāre corp. members) is the non-profit that keeps core infrastructure running. If youāre into OSM you should look at joining. For individuals thereās an annual fee of Ā£15, or if you are an active mapper the fee can be waived. https://join.osmfoundation.org/
14/ Important to note that the OSMF āsupports, but doesnāt controlā OpenStreetMap. Hereās a podcast with @allan_mustard, Chair of the OSMF board, about OSMFās recent survey of the OSM community to gather consensus on the path forward. https://thegeomob.com/podcast/episode-63
15/ The point of all this is that OpenStreetMap is a massive, thriving, global project. Lots of people around the world are mapping and building cool things with the resulting open data!
16/ Itās impossible to know everything that is happening in OpenStreetMap, but we hope these resources help people join the community and stay on top of things.
What did we overlook?
Regardless, the best thing to do is start by mapping your area. Find your niche, join us!
What did we overlook?
Regardless, the best thing to do is start by mapping your area. Find your niche, join us!
17/ Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed this geothread, we have more listed in this post on our blog: https://blog.opencagedata.com/post/geothreading
final bonus tweet: Well worth reading @mouthofmorrison's "OpenStreetMap is Having a Moment" from about 6 months ago, which provides great perspective on all the momentum behind OSM. We agree! https://joemorrison.medium.com/openstreetmap-is-having-a-moment-dcc7eef1bb01
some more good tips: https://twitter.com/timetabling/status/1390651915365715969
