Accidental Contributions

Project overview

Title: Accidental Contributions

Objective: Allowing OpenStreetMap contributions to happen “by mistake”

Team: Meike Jung and Moritz Steinhauer, supported by Tobias Bähr, all three were involved in OpenCulturas development right from the start. The project is carried out by AcciCont Meike Jung und Moritz Steinhauer GbR as part of a grant from the Prototype Fund.

Period: September 2024 - February 2025

Powered by: A grant in round 16 of the Prototype Fund. The Prototype Fund is a project of the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

OpenCulturas contribution: By improving the connection between OpenCulturas and OpenStreetMap, platform operators can ask their users for relevant information about their (cultural) locations, which is then available in both OpenCulturas and OpenStreetMap. As part of the prototype, information on accessibility, opening hours and contact details in particular will be transmitted to OpenStreetMap. It will also be possible to report mapping errors directly from OpenCulturas.

What is this all about?

Open data such as the content of OpenStreetMap is primarily provided by tech-savvy people. However, the less tech-savvy often lack low-threshold solutions rather than good will.

In particular, the urgently needed information on accessibility is contributed too slowly—especially in rural areas. The module to be developed enables platform operators to let their users become OpenStreetMap contributors "by accident" —and educated at the same time.

The approach

As a prototype, a module for OpenCulturas is being created using PHP and JSON. Where address data is recorded for a public place, input masks are to be created in an easily understandable way so that further questions, e.g. on accessibility, can be answered and opening hours can be recorded in a structured form. This stored or updated information about a location is then transmitted to the OpenStreetMap API.

Target group

The prototype is aimed at site owners and users of platforms based on OpenCulturas. The main aim is to reach those who are not (yet) OpenData enthusiasts by relying on the "knock-on effect" in the background. The transferability of the solution to other content management systems is being examined and initiated together with the relevant communities at CMS Garden.

Want to know more?

You will soon find more information about the proceedings at the AcciCont Mastodon account (@accicont@floss.social) and here in the magazine. You are welcome to contact the team at info@accicont.de.

About Prototype Fund

Der Prototype Fund ist das erste niedrigschwellige Förderprogramm für freie Entwickler*innen, die in Deutschland innovative Open-Source-Software aus der Gesellschaft und für die Gesellschaft entwickeln.

(The Prototype Fund is the first low-threshold funding program for freelance developers in Germany who develop innovative open source software from the society and for the society.)

The Open Knowledge Foundation Germany project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), promotes innovative and meaningful open source projects and enables selected projects to dedicate themselves to a development topic without excessive pressure to succeed.