[Imports] "readonly" tag for imported data (ask "simple" editors to not modify)?

[Serge Wroclawski]

I rarely think adding something good to a bad idea but since we're
already down the rabbit hole...

On Mon, Apr 25, 2011 at 5:40 AM, Frederik Ramm <frederik at remote.org> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Jaak Laineste wrote:
>>
>> What about following approach:
>> a) ban external source imports to the main database
>> b) create new separate solution (layer, server, API, whatever fits) for
>> all the imports.
>
> I think that is the way forward. If your data has special requirements, then
> put it in a special database, not in OSM. Do not abuse OSM as a vehicle for
> non-crowdsourced (or even non-crowdsourcable) data.

I've been thinking that it might make sense for OSM to implement a
secondary databases set internally- a place where people can upload
datasets which might be appropriate for OSM, then use things like the
vector layer in PL2 to trace over them where it makes sense.

>> What would be special about this imported data layer solution:
>> - update permission system, someone can be maintainer of the data
>> - free to copy data from import->main database
>
> How would this then be different from an import to the main database?

This is exactly right; the main OSM db should not be a place for other datasets.

If people don't want to use OSM for this, what about something like
geocommons? Why not upload your data there and do your tracing /if you
have the license to do so and the quality if high enough/.

- Serge