Tobias Knerr
Software Developer
Software Developer
My work wouldn’t be possible without open source software and open data. I believe in giving back to the community – in fact, I’ve been involved as a volunteer in OpenStreetMap, Wikipedia and other open projects long before I started working as a professional software developer. Here are some of the ways in which I try to make a contribution:
As a developer, I have contributed to several Open Source tools. Most notably, I maintain OSM2World, but I’ve also contributed to Mapsplit, JOSM and several other projects. When I use open source code for a project, I prefer that improvements of general interest are contributed upstream and will discuss with my clients if that’s a possibility.
I’m volunteering for the OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) and have been part of various working groups and committees over the years. From 2018 to 2022, I served on the OSMF Board of Directors. Currently, I’m part of the OSMF Engineering Working Group and a member of the governance team for the official OpenStreetMap Community Forum.
As a mentor and org admin for OpenStreetMap’s Google Summer of Code participation, I help on-board new developers to OpenStreetMap projects. I`m a frequent speaker at conferences on topics related to OpenStreetMap, and have authored or contributed to OSM tagging standards such as Simple Indoor Tagging and Simple 3D Buildings and Conditional Restrictions.
There are likely a lot of causes in the world which are more important than creating open software and open data. And while I cannot personally solve these issues, I do believe in financially supporting those who are working on them. As a signatory of the 10% Pledge, I’m committed to donate at least 10% of my income to help address some of the world’s most pressing problems.