[OSM-dev] Essen / data model paper

Frederik Ramm frederik at remote.org
Wed May 2 14:07:58 BST 2007


Hi,

> More generally, while I like a lot of the ideas, and think we  
> should be
> moving in that direction, I do believe that this structure is much too
> complicated.

I believe it is very complicated, but it probably is what we require  
in the long run.

The OSM project works a bit like a bunch of ants, with lots of people  
implementing little things, little steps in the right direction  
(sometimes maybe the wrong direction as well).

I share your concern that it is difficult, and you need software to  
support it and users to understand it, and I also believe it cannot  
be done in one go.

However, even talking about it and planting some ideas in peoples'  
minds will, hopefully, help to make a greater number of ants making  
steps in the right direction ;-)

I haven't done anything on that paper since Essen, but will continue  
when I have the time, and somehow bring it all to the Wiki.

> For example, we should
> enforce key names & tag values where appropriate. Make list fairly  
> easy
> to edit, but a two stage process - create a new key (or value for a
> restricted key) with a description (perhaps by making a special wiki
> page), then the backend should strictly enforce it.

You know that many in this project, are strongly opposed to this. I  
am undecided; I see the merits of the open and the closed approach.

> The next thing is to
> make some way to tag the relationship between ways, or possibly a way
> and a node.

This could be supported by tags even now, with proper editor  
functions, but we don't want to go down that route - we need  
relationships where integrity is guaranteed by the database.  
Otherwise someone with a non-conforming editor comes and says "oh,  
funny tag xyz=12342324, I'll delete that..."

Bye
Frederik

-- 
Frederik Ramm  ##  eMail frederik at remote.org  ##  N49°00.09' E008°23.33'






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