OpenStreetMap
I build tools that make map data easier to use. One exports public transport routes from OpenStreetMap as GeoJSON, a format you can use in other mapping software.
Bristol, UK
Hello, I'm
Edward.
I’m a Debian developer based in Bristol. I spend my time contributing to open source, writing Python, and connecting OpenStreetMap with Wikidata.
I like exploring cities on foot and travelling by train, often with a conference or hacker camp along the way. I share photos, projects, and things I notice on Mastodon.
Software, maps, and knowledge
Connecting things, sharing what I find.
Much of my work is about connecting information: linking places on a map to the things we know about them, and making that information easier to use.
I also enjoy self hosting: running apps and websites on my own servers. These are a few of the projects I contribute to and use.
Try my route tool
Wikidata & Wikipedia
I work on linking places in OpenStreetMap to Wikidata, the shared database behind Wikipedia. I also help collect event photos on Wikimedia Commons so others can reuse them.
Debian
I’m a Debian developer. I’ve worked with other Debian contributors on packaging Home Assistant, bringing my interests in free software and home automation together.
Home Assistant
I enjoy connecting everyday devices with software I can run myself. I’ve even connected my kettle to Home Assistant. Small, practical experiments are part of the fun of self hosting.
Following a question
Books, links, and experiments.
I enjoy reading, mostly non-fiction. Sometimes that turns into a software project: I put my eBook collection into a search engine so I could find different books telling the same story. A search for the story about doubling grains of rice on a chessboard turned up twelve books in my collection.
I’ve also worked with Ted Nelson on his ZigZag and Xanadu projects. We worked together on ZigZag at the Internet Archive in 2012, and returned to Xanadu in later years. Connecting information has been a recurring thread in my work.
Beyond Bristol
Taking the scenic route.
I enjoy making the journey part of a trip. I’ve travelled along the Cambrian Coast by train and taken a sleeper to Vienna on the way to Budapest and Prague. Conferences are often a reason to go somewhere; I like leaving time to explore on foot, try the public transport, and take photographs.
Other trips have taken me to stay with nomads in Mongolia and to the floating reed islands on Lake Titicaca. Closer to home, I enjoy Bristol’s street art and harbourside.
People and projects
See you at a talk. Or in a field.
I enjoy meeting the people behind open source projects. I’ve spoken about connecting OpenStreetMap and Wikidata at FOSDEM, Geomob, and GeoPython.
I’m also fond of Electromagnetic Field, a camping festival full of talks, electronics, art, and things people have made. In 2024 I picked up a heavy old server at the swap shop. After having some fun with it, I brought it back in 2026 for somebody else to play with.
In Bristol, I’ve enjoyed Dorkbot evenings at the Watershed: people showing each other the unusual things they’ve been doing with electronics. If we have an interest in common, say hello on Mastodon.