> Those "armies of volunteers" aren't exactly interested in the region either.
I don't doubt your experience.
The talk is about disaster response, so it only describes maps in regions where a response is taking place.
Elsewhere, the rest of the time, I'm under the impression there is no serious mapping taking place, neither by Google or OSM.
What I found surprising from the talk I linked was instances where there was a hardly usable Google Map to use for the area (just big expanses on the map and the occasional large feature), and the fact that at times up to 1000 volunteers would work together mapping a region at short notice, down to street and building level, by analysing satellite images, and coordinating with responders on the ground.
In the opinion of those disaster responders, those volunteer created maps were much more useful than the Google ones.
We haven't exactly had one of those in decades, so yeah. I'd say it's a bit telling that there's only interest/means for volunteers to map the developing world when there has been a disaster, but I digress.
Google Maps is perfectly usable where I live (apart from its continued if understandable confusion about how...irregular roads and road access can be here), and in my experience has been at least useful in all the cities in my home country I've visited. OpenStreetMaps is...not.
I don't doubt your experience.
The talk is about disaster response, so it only describes maps in regions where a response is taking place.
Elsewhere, the rest of the time, I'm under the impression there is no serious mapping taking place, neither by Google or OSM.
What I found surprising from the talk I linked was instances where there was a hardly usable Google Map to use for the area (just big expanses on the map and the occasional large feature), and the fact that at times up to 1000 volunteers would work together mapping a region at short notice, down to street and building level, by analysing satellite images, and coordinating with responders on the ground.
In the opinion of those disaster responders, those volunteer created maps were much more useful than the Google ones.