<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1 http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18852"></HEAD>
<BODY
style="PADDING-LEFT: 10px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; WORD-WRAP: break-word; PADDING-TOP: 15px; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space"
id=MailContainerBody leftMargin=0 topMargin=0 CanvasTabStop="true"
name="Compose message area">
<DIV>>Why oh why oh why do some people insist on wasting time trying to
import loads of data?<FONT face=Arial></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial> I like to view OSM data as capable of
creating some usable map types on its own, rather than just a possible
supplemental feed to Google maps in the future. As such, landmarks
are key to a standalone map:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial> A map without streams and rivers is not
real to me. That's where the NHD import comes in. After
the import, I frequently update the actual hydrography features for changes
caused by new construction. Not a waste of time to me, and the
map is useless without those hydro landmarks. I certainly wouldn't
be slogging up thousands of streams and rivers - most of which are on
private property - trying to map any of them myself.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial> Similarly, larger park boundaries could
not be reasonably mapped without special arrangements from park management
to stray off marked trails and file your survey plan. Most parks
would not allow casual access off their marked trails for good
reasons. So parks are another useful landmark
import.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial> Trails - if accurate, why not use them? The
end result is a good start so a later mapper can spend time adding trail
landmarks and details rather than the trail itself.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial> Aside from that, I'll agree that importing
just because some data is available is not good, and firsthand survey data
is much more valuable. After all, if someone wants to make their own
"voting district" map (which can change every year), they just combine the
public voting district data with the OSM features they need at that
time.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial> - Mike</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><BR> </DIV></BODY></HTML>