[Imports] How good can an import be?

[Tyler Ritchie]

>
> OpenStreetMap should be left to people on the ground holding gps units.
>

Really? I see this sentiment often and it's baffling.

If anything OpenStreetMap shouldn't have even allowed on the ground edits in
areas with good unencumbered data before the basics were imported (TIGER and
NHD in the US).

It would take decades to get any sort of a meaningful map in the US without
the TIGER import. Sure, the high population density areas will get mapped
well and quickly, but not the low density areas.

Make a mistake with the import, just one; duplicate too many nodes,
> overwrite existing data, import from a low-quality or old source, fail
> to connect it to existing data, and suddenly you are causing harm.
> Net harm.  Not just "less good" but straight into "bad."


I mostly agree. But some of these problems will be less of an issue as
revert and merge tools become more mature. On the ground mapping is the
best, but at some point falling back on less accurate data seems better than
no data.

-Tyler
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