Keeping alive OSMTracker

Room: Talks I

Friday, 14:30
Duration: 20 minutes (plus Q&A)

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  • Jaime Gutiérrez Alfaro
  • Diego Munguía Molina

This is a story about the last 7 years of OSMTracker and how, from an academic space in a Costa Rican public university, we managed to keep alive the app with computer engineering undergrad students. We want to share what we have learned: the challenges and contributions during this process, and how we plan to continue.

OSMTracker is one of the oldies free software data capture tools in the OSM ecosystem. Its simplicity, low technical requirements, easy customization, and ability to use the exported data in various applications make it a valuable resource for mappers. The app became part of the methodological resources used by the Laboratorio Experimental de Computación y Comunidades (LabComún) for development of university extension projects together with communities like Erizo Juan Santamaría Informal settlements and Alajuela en Cleta urban cycling collective. Naturally, the usage of OSMTracker in this context showed us improvements needed in the app, and consequently, we contributed with code that were incorporated in the tool.

In 2018, nguillaumin, the original developer of the app, transferred the maintenance OSMTracker to LabComún. Since then, LabComún has been managing the challenge of developing free software from a (global south) public university: scarcity of resources, bureaucratic difficulties, and how to align the process of developing software while offering a sustainable educational experience for students.

The ongoing focus of development of OSMTracker highlights the importance of engagement of undergrad computer science students in projects that are related to territories and people. This offers a real perspective on how their contributions to software could improve the quality of life. From a technical and academic perspective, the opportunity to be part of a bigger free software and open data community is unique.

Finally, we want to open discussion on how to enhance the sustainability of OSMTracker, involving other actors in collaborations and keeping the app useful for thematic mapping projects.