[Talk-us] US highway tagging (was: [OSM-talk] Response to A critique of OpenStreetMap)

[Steven Johnson]

Hi Brad & list,
Well, you mentioned working groups. Have you considered standing up a
US-based Tagging working group? Perhaps the WG could take on highway
tagging as a first project.
Here's where to go to get started:
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Foundation/Local_Chapters/United_States#US_Chapter_Activities
Best regards,
SEJ
----
"Wretches, utter wretches, keep your hands from beans." -Empedocles



On Fri, Oct 15, 2010 at 12:00, Brad Neuhauser <brad.neuhauser at gmail.com>wrote:

> OK, a metaphorical gauntlet has been thrown down, and Richard makes great
> points.  That said, is there any chance the US community can find some
> agreement about highway tagging?  And once we do, we can broker the
> Israel-Palestine peace talks. :)
>
> But seriously, it seems like we need some sort of structured process for a
> group to look at the options, find compromises, make a decision, and then
> have a uniform scheme for US roads across the wiki (and hopefully the data
> will follow...).  What has happened up to now with wiki proposals on
> different pages and email discussions hasn't resolved the issue for whatever
> reason.  Maybe the OSMF-US (or a working group, or some organizationally
> smart person on this list) could come up with a process and timeline as a
> way to focus the conversation and move to a resolution?
>
> My $.02, Brad
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Richard Fairhurst <richard at systemed.net>
> Date: Thu, Oct 14, 2010 at 3:48 PM
> Subject: Re: [OSM-talk] Response to A critique of OpenStreetMap
> To: Kate Chapman <kate at maploser.com>
> Cc: talk at openstreetmap.org
>
>
> Kate Chapman wrote:
>
>> Point 1: I'm not denying that the data in the U.S. is messed up.  On
>> the other hand I can't count the number of times people say things
>> that I summarize to 'God, why are you Americans too stupid, lazy or
>> import crazy to map your own country?"  It really makes people want to
>> continue mapping with the project.
>>
>
> Understood absolutely.
>
> But put that out of your mind. No matter how I or anyone else phrase it, no
> matter whether it's accompanied by a helpful smile or a superior sneer, you
> do genuinely need to sort this shit out anyway. You do need to make sure
> that your data is as consistently attributed as Google's (or OSM's UK data),
> because otherwise people, like Mr 41latitude, will compare the two to your
> detriment.
>
> And you need to do that for yourselves. With the awareness of being part of
> an international project, sure, but it needs to come from US mappers. I
> mean, I personally dislike the overuse of relations to model absolutely
> everything, but you should take no bloody notice of me whatsoever and use
> route relations for your roads if you think it works well and will be
> reasonably in keeping with the rest of OSM.
>
> So if, say, you think you need eight levels of importance within your
> highway network, yet OSM only has seven (motorway, trunk, primary,
> secondary, tertiary, unclassified, residential), screw it. Invent another
> one. Quaternary or minor or something. The Germans have done that
> (motorroad=yes) and no-one has died as a result.
>
>
>
> > Yes it appears when people compare OSM to Google/Bing/etc they seem to
> > start in the U.S.
>
> Funnily enough only US people do that. :) Personally I'm more used to UK
> cyclists comparing OSM and Google. Google has no cycle paths or routes. The
> cyclists love OSM!
>
> I think, actually, you have an advantage in that the US community is quite
> small: it's easier to get agreement. Whereas over here, where the community
> is big and fractious, it takes forever to get anything done. You're still
> young. Use the advantage while you can.
>
> cheers
> Richard
>
>
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