Data and Licenses
Wemucs Journey is built on free and collaborative projects. Here is how we use them and how you can contribute.
The Project's Spirit
We love the open web and collaborative work. We build on open databases created by enthusiasts around the world, and we encourage everyone to help improve them.
The Sources We Use
OpenStreetMap (OSM)
The free map of the world. Wemucs uses it to display base maps, hiking trails, and to identify points of interest (landmarks, parks, accommodations, local shops). We sometimes adapt certain tracks, polygons, or markers to better define tourist areas and make navigation easier.
We also contribute to OpenStreetMap, currently on a personal basis. Whenever we discover new places or find that data is no longer accurate, we update OpenStreetMap first.
Discover and contribute to OpenStreetMap
Who's On First (WOF)
A free global database that references administrative boundaries (countries, regions, departments, municipalities), very useful for structuring navigation on Wemucs.
Wikidata
Wikimedia's large knowledge base. It helps us link reliable information (history, culture, multilingual links) to each destination.
Wikimedia Commons
A huge free media library where we find photos of monuments and landscapes, always crediting their authors.
We do not modify images: they are not cropped or optimized. We use the formats already available on Wikimedia Commons. A photo may sometimes be cropped in the display for technical reasons or specific aspect ratios.
Note: If a photo cannot be redistributed because the author refused, we do not display it.
How We Handle Data (and Licenses)
To respect the communities' work and OpenStreetMap's ODbL license, here are the simple principles we follow:
1. Two Separate Worlds
OpenStreetMap data remains separate from our internal data (accounts, favorites, reviews, or AI-generated trip suggestions). We only link them via identifiers (osm_id) without merging the databases.
We also have specific points that may not be mapped in OpenStreetMap. In that case, they are always stored separately.
Finally, if we make adaptations to text, tourist-related content, or other criteria (including phone numbers, website URLs, etc.), we always store that data separately. We also use AI to automatically enrich our data. AI can make mistakes.
The display order, from highest to lowest priority, is:
- Wemucs data
- Wikidata
- OpenStreetMap data
- Wemucs AI data
2. Clean Extraction and Adaptation
We retrieve OSM elements from official tags (tourism, heritage, nature, leisure). When we adjust a boundary, coordinate, or attribute to adapt it for tourist display, these derived data remain 100% compliant with the ODbL license.
3. Direct Links to the Source
- On each place page, we provide a link to the OpenStreetMap entry when one exists. You can verify the information or fix a small error directly on OSM.
- On each published photo, you will find the author's name, the platform where the photo is stored, and, where applicable, the redistribution license.
Want to Get Involved?
Two options are available:
Directly on Wikidata, OpenStreetMap, or Wikimedia
Know a great trail, a secret viewpoint, or updated opening hours? The best approach is to update OpenStreetMap directly or add a photo on Wikimedia. Your contributions will benefit Wemucs and the entire open web!
Via reporting on Wemucs
On each place page, you will find two tools:
- "Contribute" to strengthen supplementary information
- "Report an issue" to flag incorrect data
We process reports manually. If information is strictly verified, we may update OpenStreetMap. Otherwise, we may choose not to take it into account or to integrate it only in Wemucs Journey.