[OSM-newbies] Cannot save using POTLATCH

[James Ewen]

On Sat, Jul 10, 2010 at 6:29 PM, Bob Maloney <maloneybob at gmail.com> wrote:

> I just tried to connect the Fire Road to Route 6. Let's see how it turns
> out.

You added another track on to the end of your first track. I combined
the two. I selected one way, and then while pressing <CTRL>, I clicked
on the other, which combined the two separate ways into a single way.
Nothing really wrong with having two ways, but it's simpler to just
have the one way defining the road.

> I couldn't figure out how to automatically convert the GPX trace.

Go back and read the long description I gave in the last email. Have
the editing window open and the email open as well, so you can follow
along. If you are editing with save, you can play without changing the
real database. Just click the box that says Convert GPS Tracks to ways
when you enter the edit mode.

> A question concerning standards for naming a road, hiking path, etc. The
> Nawahunta Fire Road is a woods road probably built in the 1930's.

Is it called Nawahunta Fire Road? Then that's what it should be named
on the map.
You can get into details about the type of track by adding another tag:
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Map_Features#Tracktype

This is probably a tracktype:grade5

> It is only
> open to park vehicles for emergencies.

Now you're talking about permitted uses. That's different than the name.
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Map_Features#Restrictions

Also, is there a gate across the road to restrict vehicular traffic?
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Map_Features#Barrier

> This  road is closed to everyone but the park
> employees. However, it is tagged as a "residential road" and to me it shows
> on the map as a road everyone can ride on. I believe that the data for it
> was probably automatically downloaded from the US CENSUS TIGER fileswhich
> are notoriously inaccurate. I believe the same taf should apply to the Fire
> Road and Baileytown Road. What should it be? I can change the Fire Road, who
> can/should change Baileytown and many other park roads?

Well, the OSM map belongs to all of us. It is a crowd sourced project.
Those Tiger roads were input by an automated import. If you look at a
Tiger road, it probably has a reviewed:no tag on it. That means that
someone needs to look at the real world, and see if the road exists,
and is accurate.

>From where I sit, I think this way is not real.

http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/way/20709937

It runs perfectly straight over a mountain, and across a stream. It
doesn't show up in the satellite photo either, but a photo can be
older than a newly created road. If you have more accurate information
than is in the OSM database, make the changes. You just want to make
sure that your information is accurate, and not copied from a
restricted source.

It would be bad form to go deleting a road because you don't remember
it being there, and then later driving along, and finding that you
deleted a road that was just built last month.

If you KNOW things are wrong, fix them. I drew Queensboro Lake, but if
you think my outline is wrong, you're free to fix it.

So, hopefully we have you hooked... notice that you've only seen the
tip of the iceberg. I've been doing this for a few years now, and am
still clinging to the tip... I haven't even gotten close to the
waterline yet!

James
VE6SRV