Hello! It seems others have used the user diaries as a means of introduction before, so I thought I would do the same, especially since getting involved with OSM for me is in support of a broader research project.

I’m a doctoral candidate in Communications and Media with the Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and I’m interested in the evolution of location-aware projects in alternative media, particularly with the emergence of grassroots forms of mapping in mind. My dissertation thus relates to the political, cognitive, cultural, and social implications of digital mapping and increasingly available location-aware media technologies, and looks at alternative projects to learn more about the current state of digital mapping.

So, as I go about my dissertation research, I’ll be reviewing the community’s work, contributing through edits, and participating in mapping events. In writing up findings from this research, personal identifiers will not be published or presented - no such information (including usernames) will be included that would reveal any user’s identity in any results of the research.

Please don’t hesitate to message me if you wish to learn more. Thanks for reading, and I’m looking forward to contributing and learning more about the community’s work!