About me!
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This user submits data to OpenStreetMap under the name
queerthoughts.
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Trainsgender is on the OpenStreetMap Community forum as @queerthoughts.
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| Gender
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Trainsgender identifies as Trans
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Trainsgender identifies as Non-Binary
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| Get in touch!
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Trainsgender uses Discord as @queerthoughts
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Trainsgender submits data to OpenStreetMap using JOSM.
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| Miscellaneous stuff
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Trainsgender
rides public transport.
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Hello! I'm Luna, an OSM contributor from Belgium. This page should give you a quick overview of who I am and how to get in touch with me.
About me
My OSM journey
I first started using OSM when I was in foster care, around 2017–2018. During the next few years, my contributions mostly consisted of improving the areas around where I live and places where I often passed by. I gradually gained experience, switching to JOSM (from iD) at some point and finding out about the “notes” feature on the OSM website, as well as various OSM-related tools. In 2023, I joined the OSMF as an associate member (as an “active contributor”), and connected with other mappers from Belgium for the first time. I'm looking forward to get more involved with the OSM community, as well as hoping to attend OSM meetups in Belgium one day!
Personal life
I'm an environmental scientist, but am hoping to become a train driver one day. My interests include queer activism, public transport, the web and social networks, open access/data and environmental/climatological topics. I'm also a cyclist in a way (as in, interested in cycling infrastructure; it's not my preferred mode of transport), a train lover, and am single. I'm autistic and a member of the queer community.
Things I focus on
Resolving notes
In Belgium, there is an organised effort to bring down the number of notes. I strongly support this initiative and resolving notes is one of the things I focus on.
Ideally, notes should be easily resolvable with only the information provided in the note. But often, this is not the case. It's common to use aerial imagery, street-level imagery or government sources like GRB or PICC to help understand what the author of the note meant or verify the accuracy of the information provided. Especially with anonymous notes, this is often necessary, as it is impossible to communicate with the author.
Some notes require verification on site, and in Belgium we mark these with #OSMBE #SurveyNeeded. When I have the time, I like to perform surveys myself, usually armed with my phone, public transport card and Monster energy drink. It takes time, effort and sometimes courage (I have been harassed while surveying stuff before), but provides an insight into situations that you simply don't get from online imagery. It helps to resolve that fraction of the notes that cannot be resolved by any other means, plus I've gotten to see wonderful places and sometimes socialised with random people.
Micromapping crossings
Information about the individual kerbs, crossings, traffic lights etc. is valuable information to wheelchair users, visually impaired people and tons of others! When surveying crossroads, I often pay attention to details like the kerb height and the availability of tactile paving, and try to map these in as much detail as possible. Road surface and smoothness information is valuable here too!
Toilets
OSM toilet tagging is wonderful and a mess at the same time. The level of detail that can be added is amazing: the availability of toilet paper, different handwashing options, toilet positions, disposal of waste etc., there's tags for all of those. And of course, wheelchair accessibility, access restrictions and other common OSM properties can be tagged too!
Sadly, the tagging scheme for tagging the gender of toilets is a huge mess. That being said, I try to add this information as often as possible to make life that little bit easier for all trans and gender-diverse people out there (you're wonderful).
Diet options
I am one of those people who likes to eat plants instead of animal-derived products (that's a very simplistic explanation of veganism, I know), and luckily, information on the availability of diets like this can be added to OSM! The availability of vegan and vegetarian options can be tagged, but also e.g. halal and kosher options and gluten/lactose/sugar free food!
LGBTQ+ acceptance
Oh gosh, I really am piling up the stereotypes here. But LGBTQ+ acceptance of places is super important to community members! Luckily, a fantastic tagging scheme exists for this purpose too. I try to pay attention to signs indicating LGBTQ+ friendlyness when visiting places, like a sticker on the front door for example. When a business does not indicate their LGBTQ+ friendlyness (which is the most common case), this can be indicated as well!
Knowing that a place is welcoming towards you can be a massive help for LGBTQ+ people, so I try my best to help my fellow community members out.
Get in touch!
There are some links in the userboxes on this page, but please have a look at my website for a complete overview of networks I'm active on.
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