[OSM-newbies] Adjacent areas

[Steve Bennett]

On Thu, Aug 18, 2011 at 9:14 PM, Donald Campbell II
<donaciano2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm wondering what the proper way to create an adjacent area is.  For
> example here there's a prison that takes up a full city block.  Does one
> draw a square using the same 4 existing nodes from the intersections around
> it?  Or should one zoom in and put 4 new nodes close to the existing ones?
> I do most of my editing in JOSM but can also use Potlatch when the need
> arises.

As you can see from the replies below, everyone is certain that their
way is right and the only way. :)

IMHO, both are ok. Both have advantages. Also IMHO some of the
reasoning against reusing nodes is flawed: sharing a node doesn't mean
the prison goes all the way to the middle of the road (any more than a
way indicates a road has zero width).

Life in OSM is complicated. Many alternative mapping methods and
tagging schemes coexist. Beware of anyone who tells you that you must
do it their way :) Best practice is to get in touch with your local
mapping community and map the way they do.

Steve