[talk-au] Sufficient permission?

[Andrew Harvey]

On Wed, 7 Oct 2020 at 08:13, David Wales <daviewales at disroot.org> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I like to walk tracks with my GPS running, and trace them into OSM
> afterwards.
>
> A long time ago, I sent an email to Robert Sloss, who makes lots of
> bushwalking guides in my region. I asked if it was OK for me to use the
> track names from his books to name the tracks in OSM. (Many of the tracks
> are not signposted, so you can't find out the name on the ground.)
>
> His reply was
>
> "You may use any names I have applied to tracks as my main intention is to
> get people walking."
>

I'm sidestepping the legal question here, but generally with names if it's
signposted then use that signposted name as name=*, if there is another
name that people refer it to commonly then use alt_name=* or loc_name=*.

If it's not signposted, but there is a name that most people know it as and
refer it as, then I think it's fine to use that as name=* and noting the
source as local_knowledge.

I would be cautious of only using one reference for names if you don't hold
any other local knowledge, the name they used in their guide might not
reflect what most people locally refer to it as. Though generally I think
it's okay to be pragmatic and if there are issues they can be discussed in
changeset comments.

If I write a guide or publish a map and name a pool as Andrew's Pool,
unless it starts to gain acceptance and is used more generally then we
shouldn't apply that name in OSM.

Which tracks were you looking to name? Maybe the list can collectively
chime in with their local knowledge of its name.

On Wed, 7 Oct 2020 at 09:28, <forster at ozonline.com.au> wrote:

> If a large group of people who were familiar with an area could
> confidently name a feature without referring to a map, for example the
> members of a bushwalking club, then my understanding of OSM rules is
> that you can use that name.
>

I agree, it's then just considered local knowledge and you can map it, so
long as you're not going through another work and copying across all of the
names but instead just adding from local knowledge then it's okay.


>
> My question to the community: if I ask one person, who is not
> connected with a mapping business and has detailed knowledge of an
> area and they can confidently name a feature without referring to a
> map, is that sufficient?
>

Yes it should be, and preferably note the source as local knowledge either
on the changeset tag or object tag.
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