Select a Task in the OpenStreetMap Tasking Manager

SELECTING A TASK

FROM THE OPENSTREETMAP TASKING MANAGER

Introduction

In this video tutorial, we’ll show you how

to select a task from the MapGive

“Learn to Map” page and work with the

OpenStreetMap Tasking Manager so you can

start mapping to make a difference.

Now that you know how to map,

it’s time to put those skills to work.

As you’ve seen, mapping is easy,

and soon, you’ll be making edits

that can help others around the world.

You may not be familiar with some,

or all, of the locations in need

of humanitarian mapping.

That's okay! You can still help.

You simply need to look at satellite

imagery and trace roads, paths,

buildings, and areas in the same way you

did when you were learning to map.

You do not need to know the names of

roads and buildings to help.

By tracing, you are generating map data

that is open and available to the world

through OpenStreetMap.

Another thing to note:

Even if you are only making a few map

edits to the OpenStreetMap tasking manager

you are helping in a major way.

There is no minimum,

and every effort helps.

No matter how small, if we all do a little

together we can accomplish a lot.

There are written instructions on the

MapGive site, which may be helpful as you

start to map in the OpenStreetMap

tasking manager.

If you don't feel comfortable mapping

yet, please pause this video, and

select the "How to Map" tutorial video

from the MapGive site.

Come back to this video

once you are ready.

Getting started

From MapGive’s “Learn to Map” page,

scroll down below this video

to the section called “select a task.”

In this section, you will see a

list of humanitarian mapping tasks.

Select the one you would like to work on.

Once you have selected the task, either

a new browser tab or window

will open, taking you directly

to the mapping task on the

OpenStreetMap Tasking Manager website.

Here you will be asked to log in to

your OpenStreetMap account.

This is the same account

you signed up for in STEP ONE on the

MapGive site's “learn to map” section.

You will also be asked to authorize

the OpenStreetMap Tasking Manager's

access to your account.

Please pause this video

and take a moment to make sure

that you have logged in correctly.

Starting a Task

Once you have signed in and are allowed

access to your OpenStreetMap account, you

will see the task that you

selected from the MapGive site.

You will see a map and some

information about the task.

The information about the task includes a

description of what MapGive would like

you to focus on, why that task is

important, instructions on what to map,

the individual mapping tasks, which users

have worked on this task,

and some stats about the task.

Please pause this video

and familiarize yourself with the

OpenStreetMap Tasking Manager.

Return to this video when you are ready

for more details.

Picking a Tile to Work On

Let’s use the interactive map and zoom in

on the highlighted tiles.

The task has been broken up into smaller,

tiled areas of the map to allow you to

do a little bit of mapping rather than

trying to map the entire area.

This also lets others simultaneously

map other tiles, or areas.

By doing this in small pieces,

you can all work faster.

When you select a TILE,

you are taking a TASK.

Your task is to map that specific tile

by tracing satellite imagery.

Gray tiles represent all of the tasks

available in this job.

Red tiles are areas

that have been marked as done.

Green tiles are areas that were marked as

done, and have also been validated.

Gray tiles with yellow outlines are

areas that are currently being worked on.

Click on a gray tile on the map to

select it. The task tab will open.

In the task tab, click on the green

button that says,

“yes, I want to work on this task.”

By selecting a tile you are

“checking it out.”

No one else will be able to edit this tile

while you are working on it.

Once you have completed

working on the tile you will need to

“check it back in” so others can

validate or build on your work.

We’ll explain how to check areas

back in shortly.

The task tab has a few additional

sections: extra instructions,

information on how to credit your edits,

and history of this task.

The extra instructions will contain

information about the imagery you

are about to work with.

Pause this video if you need to and make

sure you have correctly selected a task.

Working on a Task in the iD Editor

Select iD from the editing tool options.

This is the same editor you used to learn

how to map in OpenStreetMap.

This will open a new tab or window in

your browser with OpenStreetMap

and the iD editor.

The iD Editor will automatically

load the high resolution satellite

imagery for you to map with.

You will also see a bounding box,

showing you the exact area

marking the tile you selected.

You may need to adjust the satellite

imagery to match with an

existing map edit.

This is a very easy process.

Simply click on the layers button, scroll

down to “fix alignment,” and use the arrow

buttons to properly line up the high

resolution satellite imagery with

the existing map edit.

You may need to zoom in

fairly close to do this.

Once you have adjusted the alignment,

it's time to start mapping - adding roads,

paths, buildings, and areas- just like

you did when you learned to map earlier.

For example just as you did in the

practice, identify roads by looking

at them and tracing them.

It’s that easy.

When you make a map edit,

a dialogue box will appear.

You may not know the specific name

of the road or building, which is okay.

For instance, when you select the

“Building” button in the iD editor,

your map edit is automatically

“tagged” as a building. Remember to save

after you make your edits.

This ensures that your map edits

are available to the entire world.

We do ask that you credit your

work each time you save your edits.

A collection of map edits are called a

changeset, and when you save your edits,

you are essentially applying a

“commit” to the OSM database.

The iD editor will ask if you want to

provide a “commit message” to

your collection of edits.

This information will help us understand

when an edit was made as part of MapGive.

To credit your edits,

please click back to the OpenStreetMap

tasking manger tab in your browser.

Scroll down to the credit section

in the task tab.

Copy the provided credit.

Click back on the iD editor tab

in your browser.

Paste the credit in the "commit" section

of the dialogue box.

You can pause this video if you need to

get familiar with the editor

and the tracing you are about to do.

Finishing a Task

When you finish mapping an area,

or simply decide to stop mapping for now,

please return to the OpenStreetMap

tasking manager and either “unlock

the task” or “mark it as done.”

Unlocking the task means that you have

done some of the map edits but there

are more to do.

Marking the task as done means that you

have done all of the map edits possible.

When you unlock a task, the

tasking manager will ask you for comments.

Feel free to make whatever comments

you feel are helpful regarding this task.

For example, you could indicate

how much of the tile is complete,

or if specific features still need work.

If you have no comments to make,

simply write “no comments.”

Closing

If you feel like you need a little

more practice before jumping in,

go back to the MapGive “learn to map” page

and watch the “how to map” video.

Follow along and practice until you feel

confident enough to work in the

tasking manager. That’s it.

You’re now a full-fledged mapper!

Thank you for learning how to map and

also for mapping to make a difference.