[talk-au] Re-Mapping (RE: various posts)

[Paul HAYDON]

Hello all,

A couple of comments regarding recent posts:

  > Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2012 07:21:38 -0400
  > From: Richard Weait <richard at weait.com>
  > To: OSM Australian Talk List <talk-au at openstreetmap.org>
  > Subject: Re: [talk-au] Redaction progress
  >
  >...
  > > What's worse - a town that is perfectly mapped but 100m, or
  > > the same town not mapped at all?
  > 
  > Well, this is OSM, so there will be well reasoned arguments for both
  > of the alternatives that you present and several that we haven't
  > imagined. :-)
  > 
  > Best regards and happy mapping,
  > Richard

As Richard says, there will be arguments for and against.  Just an observation on my part, but be wary - in my experience (in industry) temporary fixes which are put in place can often be left "as-is" later on, despite that never being the intention at the time of implementation.  If we map with known errors, how are their updating/correction going to be managed?  Perhaps a tag to identify them if known/suspected errors are included, or simply to be verified?

  > Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:04:52 +0200
  > From: Simon Poole <simon at poole.ch>
  > To: talk-au at openstreetmap.org
  > Subject: [talk-au] Task managment server for remapping activites
  > 
  > 
  > I've set up a task manager on http://rebuild.poole.ch/ . You can log in
  > with your existing OSM login.
  > 
  > If you want to add jobs send mail to my OSM user account (SimonPoole)
  > and I'll give you admin status and a show you how to set them up. I
  > suspect that targeting hotspots and stuff that doesn't require too much
  > local knowledge would make most sense.
  > 
  > Simon

AND...

  > Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:27:47 -0400
  > From: Richard Weait <richard at weait.com>
  > To: Simon Poole <simon at poole.ch>
  > Cc: talk-au at openstreetmap.org
  > Subject: Re: [talk-au] Task managment server for remapping activites
  > 
  > What scale of tasks should be added? Something on the order of "one
  > task per editing session"? I imagine a single task for each continent
  > is too broad, and a single task for each road is too narrow?

I'm relatively new to the whole mapping exercise, so apologies if this touches on arrangements either currently or previously in place.  But perhaps nominate someone regionally to "manage" or at least oversee the re-mapping (for want of a better term).  I reckon coastlines and water bodies (not necessarily rivers, but certainly bays and lakes), followed by the road network prioritised by type (motorway, trunk, primary...) to re-establish the map in the broader sense ASAP.  Someone with local (regional) knowledge, AND experience here on OSM.  Which leads me to a question I've been considering for some time:

How is the road network hierarchy established?  Consult any number of maps (internet and other) and you'll see differing arrangements (esp. trunk/primary, but also what qualifies as secondary & tertiary).  For example, on the Central Coast of N.S.W., the motorway/freeway is simple, and the Central Coast Hwy was tagged as "trunk" (now decimated, certainly around The Entrance).  The Pacific Hwy north of Gosford is only tagged "primary", so clearly not as simple as road-type.  Google Maps has it reversed (Pacific Hwy more important), but Bing does not.  Just wondering...

I suppose what I'm advocating is a "breadth-first" approach in lieu of being consumed by our own local networks.  And not that I know too much about the mapping, but my feeling is it's simpler to create the local streets once the more important road network is complete (at least, in terms of connecting ways).  Again, I look forward to hearing others' opinions on this.  So, for Simon's tasks, would there exist provision for sub-tasks?  Perhaps then, a regional task, with subsets for coast, motorway, trunk, etc., which might then be further sub-divided by roadway (at least, I guess, for the major road network).

  > Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2012 11:14:04 -0400
  > From: Richard Weait <richard at weait.com>
  > To: OSM Australian Talk List <talk-au at openstreetmap.org>
  > Subject: [talk-au] help the helpers.
  > 
  > One thing that would be helpful for armchair mappers is a little
  > "local context". If you can give some guidance for visiting armchair
  > mappers like,
  > 
  > - please fix the motorway junctions from [link] to [link],
  > - avoid [area bounding box] because new construction is not shown on
  > available aerials,
  > - start with arterial street connectivity in MyTown,
  > 
  > etc. may help to guide the armchairs to where they can be helpful
  > without stubbing their toes on features that will require local
  > knowledge.

Sub-tasks, I think, would assist with such allocations.


Anyway, I've probably now written something way too long, so I'll leave it at that.  Hopefully, it might generate some discussion or direction.  Meanwhile, I look forward to helping...

Cheers,
Paul.