[Imports] [MappingDC] DC Buildings & Addresses Import

[Richard Weait]

On Fri, Jul 18, 2014 at 11:07 AM, Brian DeRocher <brian at derocher.org> wrote:
> On Friday 2014 July 18 09:52:10 Richard Weait wrote:
>> On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 10:40 AM, Brian DeRocher <brian at derocher.org> wrote:
>> > I'm sorry for cross posting.  Let's keep the discussion of the import details on the MappingDC mailing list.  I just wanted the imports list to know MappingDC is getting involved.
>>
>> Umm.  No.  You are not discussing an import to the "private,
>> locallized, mappingDC database", but to the worldwide database of the
>> OpenStreetMap community.  You must engage with the wider community to
>> learn from them, and so they may learn from you.
>
> By "database" i assume  you mean "mailing list".  Though i'd argue a mailing list is a poor resource to learn from.  Who wants to read years worth of arguments, to learn an import process?  The best place for that is the wiki.  I just added links to prior US imports and a lessons learned section to the DC import wiki page [1]

No, I meant database.  If you are importing something to a
not-OpenStreetMap database, then hey, "knock your socks off!" :-)

My point being that an import in DC has effects wider than DC.  That's
why the global imports list exists, so we can all learn and share and
consult and improve before a repeat of an old-failed-import-scheme.

> I also argue that the MappingDC mailing list is not private.  It's open to anyone.  However it is focused on DC and i take your point about it being localized and it's harder to share information with the larger community.  Would you say import-us is a better mailing list to use?  I know of one DC person who had a eureka moment when he discovered several months late, that the DC import discussion was on imports and not imports-us.

imports-us might claim some interest in the discussion as well.  That
list has discussed additional restrictions and obligations around
imports in the US.  Aligning with those obligations, and the global
obligations, _and_ any additional local improvements you wish to
implement will make for a better result.  So, "both"?

But this seems like an old discussion to me.  Forgive me if my tone
seemed curt, earlier.

Imports have been done badly in OpenStreetMap for many years.  I know
that the ones I did were bad; so I have the conviction of the
converted.  Makes me insufferable.  :-)  As bad as my imports were
they were an improvement over the ones that preceded them.  And each
of those looks daft and ill-advised next to some more recent efforts.
I hope that progress will continue.

We all try to make each subsequent import better than the last.  The
imports list requirement is part of that.  The OpenStreetMap community
has been trying to make a perfect import for years.  It hasn't
happened yet.

If I could wave a magic import-requirements-wand, I'd make it
mandatory that any person wishing to import must map their
neighbourhood by in-person survey first. I think that would both train
the mapper in common mapping mistakes, and give them some interest
beyond "looks pretty in a specific rendering".  It would also give
OpenStreetMap another local mapper.  And that is our treasure.

Best regards and happy mapping,

Richard