[josm-dev] [OSM-talk] JOSM shp file plugin

[Frederik Ramm]

Hi,

On 10/20/10 16:16, Gregory Arenius wrote:
> There isn't a day gone past where the vast gaps in the OSM dataset, the
> missing address nodes, missing turn restrictions, missing building
> outlines, missing subdivisions, missing everything and whatnot don't
> hugely degrade the usefulness of the project.

OSM is not a data dumping ground, OSM is a community project. Importing 
all these things without a community to support them is worth less than 
nothing, it hurts the project rather than helping it.

If you have a shape file with building outlines, configure your Mapnik 
instance to render the buildings from that.

(Having said that, I would really like to see your suggestion for a 
shape file import that adds turn restrictions.)

> There is a huge amount of data out there that is under an acceptable
> license to import into OSM that would be a great asset to the project.

No, no, and no again. OSM is not a pool to collect the free geodata of 
the world. Because you are right - there is an *awful* lot of geodata 
available and we do _not_ want to burden our infrastructure with dead 
stuff that nobody cares about.

> You can say "just go collect it manually" but if we know the data is
> already there we're not going to put in years of work duplicating it
> just to appease this anti-import mindset that some on this list have.

Let's say it is a pro-community mindset. Prove that there's the manpower 
and the interest to maintain the imported data and you might have a point.

Bye
Frederik