[OSM-talk-ie] Logainm import?

[moltonel 3x Combo]

On 18/10/2014, Rory McCann <rory at technomancy.org> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'd like to have a discussion about importing data from Logainm, the
> official Irish place names database. They recently released their data
> under ODbL, the same copyright licence as OSM, so there is no copyright
> reasons not to use it.
>
> I've downloaded the logainm database, and convert it CSV:
> http://www.technomancy.org/logainm/
>
> So, let's talk about imports. Should we import? What can we import?
>
> IMO we could get a few things from it:
>
> (a) "logainm:ref". We could add the logainm id to OSM object that are in
> Logainm. This would allow applications that use OSM data to be able link
> logainm, or logainm users to find out where something is in OSM.
>
> I'd probably use this to add a link to logainm.ie for each townland on
> townlands.ie

A lot of imports have tried to keep an id link to the original data,
with disapointing usefullness. If we are to keep them, we should make
sure that logainm ids are stable, and that it'll actually be usefull
(backlinks, synchronisation...) and used.

> (b) Irish names, especially for townlands.
>
> Currently only 12% of our ~11,0000 townlands have a "name:ga" tag, for

Wow, 110 thousands, good progress guys :p

> the irish name. We could use logainm to drastically increase this
> number, and get a pretty good name:ga coverage. However we can't do a
> pure overwrite and will have 'merge' the stuff properly.

For townlands I'm sure we can do 99% of it automatically. For weird
cases and for other object types, perhaps a qa site and even a
maproulette chalenge would be safer ?

A qa site would help with post-import maintenance. I'd be tempted to
use our new server to host an osmose-ie instance; hopefully adding
logainm-based checks to osmose is straightworward enough.

> Logainm is the legal/offical name for a townland/etc. We can add
> offical_name:ga for sure.

Not sure that'll be needed, most cases should be ok with just name:ga ?

> (c) Higher level hierarchies
>
> Logainm tells you (say) what Civil Parish townland X is in. We could use
> this to help map those boundaries when we have the townlands mapped.

I tought we had other sources for this data, but sure, if it's handy,
let's use it. The csv format hints at purely-hierachical data, but I
thought we had some cases of townlands crosing parishes ? Manual
checks are probably best here; thankfully it should only take a
fraction of the original townland work.

> (d) Other bits and pieces
>
> Logainm has the location and name for lots of non-townland things that
> OSM could benefit from: sub-townlands, houses, fields, monuments, rocks,
> castles, etc. We could use Logainm to map and add these to OSM.

Does logainm have streets ? Is the english-language data
authoritative, usefull, usable ?

> (e) Something else?
>
> So, what do people think? Should we do it? Why not? What can we do?

Of course use all the stuff we can :) But dont rush. Build tools to
import (and maintain) the data manually first, and only then make
automated imports for cases that we've seen to be safe.