[Imports] How to run Java shp-to-osm?

[Alan Millar]

> Why do people still insist on converting, and directly importing?
> 
> It makes more sence to 1) Convert the file
> 2) make the .osm files available
> 3) tell the community about it, so others can take a look before the
> most local people to the data actually 'copy it in' to osm.

I completely agree that the imports need to be done with local knowledge.

In the case of US NHD, I think it is fair to say that nobody is insisting
on doing anything contra to local mapping.  Rather, the opposite is
happening: nobody is insisting on anything, or bothering to set up the
infrastructure to convert the NHD data on a wide scale, store it somewhere
as OSM files, and alert other mappers that some data is available for their
area.

The organizing that is happening for NHD is a little more mundane.  The
wiki documents the conversion process.  If you want NHD data for your area,
here is how to go get it and convert it yourself.  There is even a signup
list for areas and users.  So some coordination is happening, it is just
pre-conversion instead of post-conversion.

I have not looked at your process to see how you convert, manage, organize
and communicate the Canadian files, but I commend you for your efforts in
doing so.  I don't expect I'm going to be the one to organize it all for
the US NHD data.  Once I've done my area, I don't have any plans for doing
more conversions.

So yes, it is less than ideal.  But ideal takes a coordinator that simply
hasn't appeared yet.

Can you give a short description or link on how you organize the
post-conversion OSM files?  Thanks.

- Alan

--
Alan Millar       am12 at bolis.com