[Talk-ca] GeoBase and OpenStreetMap

[Dave Hansen]

On Thu, 2008-12-11 at 15:02 -0500, Mepham, Michael wrote:
> My first question has to be “Why are you doing this?”.  I have spent
> some time looking through the OSM web site and I understand the
> rational for building street maps where none exist or at least are not
> generally available but that is not the case here.  I know of at least
> two other complete downloads of the GeoBase data for redistribution
> but still do not fully understand the reasons for replication /
> duplication.  

The basic reason is that we need to be able to edit it.  We can't simply
put data back into GeoBase, so we need a copy on which to work.  Is
there a way we even could get changes back to the "owners" of the data?

I think the core of it is that OpenStreetmap isn't your normal user.  We
don't want to just take the data and put it on a map, or figure out
where all the residents in an area live.  One of our core goals is to be
able to update and change the map.

> Secondly – How does this group expect maintenance to work?  When the
> data suppliers pass updates to the GeoBase portal team and those
> updates are made available then GeoBase and OSM will be out of sync.
> What are the expectations on how or when they will be brought back
> into sync?

For the US TIGER data, we are simply diverging.  There is no plan that I
know of, and relatively little need right now, to bring things back into
sync.  

It is just a huge problem with no easy solutions.  The easiest solution
that I see is what we're doing now: leave the data, and let the users
improve it, just like the rest of the world. 

These huge government databases have, in effect, been a jump start for
OSM.  But, I'm afraid they're a one-time thing.

-- Dave