ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Open map

Okay kiddo, so have you ever looked at a map before? You know, a piece of paper or a digital image that shows you where things are in the world?

Well, an open map is like a special kind of map that you can use for free and change it in any way you want! Like let's say you're playing a game and you want to create a new level with different obstacles and enemies, you can use an open map to do that.

Or, if you're a scientist who wants to study population patterns or environmental changes, an open map can help you visualize the data and create helpful charts and graphs.

The cool thing about open maps is that they're made by lots of different people all around the world. These people use special computer programs to add information to the map and make it more accurate and useful.

Anyone can add information to an open map, like a new neighborhood, a hiking trail or any other cool thing they may find, just like you could add a drawing to a picture of a house with crayons.

So, an open map is like a really big, interactive coloring book that people all over the world can use to make even cooler and more detailed pictures of the world around us.