[Talk-ca] Regional trail progress & Quality & trust on OpenStreetMap

Sam Vekemans acrosscanadatrails at gmail.com
Sun Jan 24 05:53:30 GMT 2010


Hi Patrick et all,
re: data quaility & accuracy & trust

Its great to now see more trails being mapped out :)
It looks like as soon as the NRCan canvec data is sorted out, it will
be available to import.
We (the OSM community) are not in any rush to get the data imported,
this is because we know the data is from mixed sources, and more often
that not, its dated.
So it requires being re-navigated physically, to check what the
current conditions of the trails are.

The data (in the OSM database) is technically accurate, because the
contributors can be easily contacted, to find out what the trails are
like, and the method used to collect the data.
So if anyone questions the quality, they are welcome to re-survay the
area themselves, of find out if someone they trust more, will be
navigating the trails. (which is another reason we have ('mapping
parties')

The OSM community works on trust.  Trust that EVERYONE working on the
map, is doing so, to make the map the most accurate & uptodate as
possable, using the best available source (that was donated, or
public) domain, or permission granted to use the data.)

Its always an interesting discussion, because traditionally, its the
'paid cartographers' who are the only ones who are 'certified GIS
professionals', but now. The data that was heald in a vault
(copyright) can be used, with hand-held GPSs and Satelite imagery, can
make maps that dont get out of date, and is constantly changing based
on the conditions on the ground.

Leveraging the community, and OpenSource collaboration, we make a GIS
product that is accurate to the level that contributors and the
community wants to make it.

So for trail mapping, OSM is much more detailed than we need :)

hope that answers your question.

cheers,
Sam
-- 
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