Ilya Zverev

https://en.osm.town/@zverik

I love OpenStreetMap and crafting virtual things. he/him.

Info: https://ilya.zverev.info/

Public Key

npub16s2f50hel32frzawkqk527ufncja0t66x8a64gc4548w9fgc9xeqlkqwec

NIP-05 Address

zverik_at_en.osm.town@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsdg9y68mulc4y33whtqt290wyeufwh4adrr7a25v262nhz55vznvspz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dscrp964

Publishing to

nostr.mom

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub16s2f50hel32frzawkqk527ufncja0t66x8a64gc4548w9fgc9xeqlkqwec

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Last Notes

2026-10-27 14:45:28 UTC

A great article on why the recent PHP issue was predictable and not an outlier:
https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/monopoly-round-up-the-real-reason
Basically, money. Cybersecurity spending was never high and was only cut for past decades. It's a systemic problem.
"The vulnerabilities at the source of this week’s cybersecurity chaos were identified by researchers in 2024, then disregarded because the technology didn’t exist to make them exploitable."
Wherever you look, the security is underfunded, while AI for exploiting it is not.

2026-10-05 06:21:20 UTC

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Can you just choose another pack from NRC? E.g. the one for preparing for 5k?

2026-09-30 06:51:33 UTC

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I've been running for years and still don't know what that word means :)

2026-09-25 06:54:35 UTC

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Yeah I know, I'm interested in the format details — like, how exactly do you keep schedules to the minimal size.

2026-09-23 08:59:53 UTC

Currently working on annotating public transit stops, and was stalling it because working with raw GTFS zips would be slow and ineffective. How easier would it be to just use the GTFS Binaries with all the data already preprocessed and ready to use.
Today it dawned on me that there's no reason not to.
Rly proud of the data format, much better than GTFS Proto that came before.
One thing that bothers me is that @npub1t2q…n4vh are preparing their own and I've no clue.

2026-09-15 20:57:46 UTC

It is a bit weird that most of the Mobifree grant time was spent on the research, the new binary format (two actually), and a server infrastructure. And planning more research. But then, it will make writing the actual app pretty easy!
Now a server that feeds off @npub1c64…jwxh packaging metadata and converting feeds to GTFS Binary is up. The URL, the code and the documentation are here: https://github.com/Zverik/gtfs_binary_server
Thanks to @npub1dk0…k0wd for sponsoring! Pity the new cycle only includes core internet.

2026-09-09 07:15:06 UTC

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Oh, NRC app has excellent training plans narrated by live coaches. Used it for half-marathon training couple years ago.

2026-08-28 22:21:18 UTC

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Missing you here!

2026-08-23 18:36:20 UTC

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Finally, redid the exactly same app but using the new binary format I've been working on for the past month and a half.
Loading times are zero, file size is roughly the same when compressed, and I don't have to write code for deltas because now we use the standard bsdiff.
Four weeks left to sketch an MVP app, set up the backend feed publishing, and do some more research. Idk how I will manage.
(Still thanks to @npub1dk0…k0wd for sponsoring the work)
https://cdn.masto.host/enosmtown/media_attachments/files/117/146/252/999/643/779/original/afdccd3901d7990c.png

2026-08-12 19:10:43 UTC

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is there a sign list for running *from*?

2026-07-06 08:15:29 UTC

@npub14t7…k3ah this might be of interest to you / @npub1c64…jwxh people: I've downloaded all the GTFS feeds and run some stats.
https://izv.ee/gtfs/sizes
(This is a part of my GTFS Proto project funded by @npub1dk0…k0wd — investigating an alternative file format. Planning to meet you all at the @npub13py…9w0z to discuss the results!)

2026-07-05 07:48:31 UTC

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OsmAnd as far as I know parses OSM routes. Which means you're at the mercy of local mappers, however engaged they might be in your area.
@npub1t2q…n4vh just published a new release with transit information and routing built in, they use public official GTFS feeds but I think skip the schedule data.

2026-07-05 07:07:18 UTC

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I don't do any routing: the idea is to be offline for simple things, but still use a public API for routing.
Afaik Valhalla does use tiles for routing, albeit not the common MVT ones. For transit routing, an unpacked sqlite database made from the binary provides enough data for routing, but again, I'm not doing that :)

2026-07-05 06:36:40 UTC

Started working on packaging GTFS feeds into something akin to cloud-optimized files (but for phones, so it's megabytes, not gigabytes). and feel out of my depth :I
On the other hand, GTFS in a protobuf was a success: 5 MB file + 28 MB vector tiles were all it took to make a 100% offline app that shows stops, arrivals for each, and routes for the entire Estonia.
It's just the initialization (binary → sqlite) took like half a minute, and that's unacceptable for a consumer app.
Thanks @npub1dk0…k0wd
https://cdn.masto.host/enosmtown/media_attachments/files/116/865/972/249/527/173/original/bc28283902f04432.png

2026-04-26 09:16:15 UTC

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To be fair, flights are often chosen not for the fastest or the shortest, but by a multitude of criteria, e.g. not fully booked, not too expensive, with sane luggage options, maybe to a neighbouring cheaper airport, not overnight and with at most one change. Routing for that is practically impossible.

2026-02-13 14:59:27 UTC

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Tbf I have no idea. I saw it done well in the MicroBlocks talk on FOSDEM, but there the guy used 200 euro academic camera:
https://archive.fosdem.org/2025/schedule/event/fosdem-2025-4304-microblocks-2-0-a-complete-makeover/
With a webcam, I had issues:
https://youtu.be/4v-UMTvrugc?t=142
Two things to solve:
1. Focus. Camera tends to fixate on fingers, on the table, on buttons, but not on the screen. A fixed adjustable focus might work well.
2. Brightness & Contrast. A bright LED screen confuses the camera matrix, and it tries to re-adjust, losing some data.

2026-02-13 07:48:43 UTC

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I tried doing this on an ESP32 device, but could not find a reliable solution to project the screen. It was all coming out blurry, my webcam could not focus :(

2025-12-15 12:10:14 UTC

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The take is simple: @npub1are…fcch is not and never has been about the geospatial data. It's about the community. And the main effect of AI is destroying communities through mistrust and mistakes that are too tedious to fix by hand. Regardless of whether AI makes good data, it does not make a community, and hence does not belong to OSM.

2025-06-20 07:05:32 UTC

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I need two kinds of tools. First, to make a rendering of roads and crudely drawn buildings around. That's for demonstrating how to rebuild a street to add cycle lanes and wider sidewalks. And trees. Nothing too flashy, but should be understandable and fly-able over in a video. Like the first picture.
Second, I have a photo, and want to add greenery, cycle lanes, walkways, remove cars maybe, though not important. Create before-and-after shots, like the second picture. #gischat
https://cdn.masto.host/enosmtown/media_attachments/files/114/714/397/494/683/471/original/1b860d9306cb1dee.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/enosmtown/media_attachments/files/114/714/397/487/961/436/original/4f53ac343c647d95.jpg

2025-06-20 06:59:47 UTC

In @npub1fdr…lvhs 's The Lost Cause there was some software that kids used to show fellow residents a vision of a better future by modelling their streets and their houses. Basically what construction companies do to sell houses, or what road building companies do to sell asphalt. But easier and faster to use.
The question is, do we have anything like that? I'm at a point where I need to show a future of my town to residents, and I want to show them pictures and renderings, not just maps.

2025-05-06 19:47:33 UTC

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Oh, nice! Seems like a logical step — but alas it doesn't compile to run in browser, unlike Pico8, which limits the audience a bit.

2025-05-06 16:45:02 UTC

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Wow this looks incredible, magical even! Hard to believe that's still Pico8 :)

2025-02-21 21:23:04 UTC

I has been researching @npub15f7…m7wr laptops today as a potential replacement for my Linux-incompatible AMD ThinkPad.
Turns out, AMD issues with Linux are not limited to ThinkPads. Every other topic on their forum is about heat or sleep mode or spontaneous restarts — everything I experience with my current laptop.
I wonder if virtual absence of issues with Intel Framework laptops is because they sell much fewer, or that they just work.
My advice, stay away from AMD with Linux.

2025-02-08 07:42:21 UTC

One of @npub1960…q88s grant proposals dealt with excessive tile loading from OSM servers. Just checked in 3.40 — and OSM maps look better and load faster indeed.
https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/qgis-psc/2024-November/010348.html

2025-02-06 07:39:01 UTC

url shorteners lol
https://cdn.masto.host/enosmtown/media_attachments/files/113/955/797/041/970/767/original/c53f90fba39c4931.png

2025-01-25 09:49:30 UTC

TIL big specialized forums have started backdating millions of LLM-generated posts. Now you cannot be sure a reply from 2009 on some forum for physics or maps or flower or drill enthusiasts haven't been machine-generated and totally wrong.
https://hallofdreams.org/posts/physicsforums/
https://cdn.masto.host/enosmtown/media_attachments/files/113/888/357/541/279/672/original/573edff3f9bd80fa.png

2024-11-28 06:19:21 UTC

By the way, the current round of @npub1dk0…k0wd funding applications ends in three days. If anyone plans to submit a proposal for their open source project, I can answer any questions. ilya@zverev.info or anywhere else.

2024-09-13 10:36:34 UTC

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It's not immediately obvious the "Find out more here" is a link to FSFE. It looks like a header to social networks buttons.
It is possible to maybe make some words in the article (e.g. "write") link to the same article?

2024-08-07 13:20:07 UTC

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I'm running five days a week!