[Talk-us] GNIS?

[Mike N]

On 6/17/2013 10:56 AM, Clifford Snow wrote:
> At last years SOTM-US conference, USGS showed a pilot  program using a
> modified version of Potlatch2 to update GNIS database with volunteers.
> If they use this plan, the id tag could be used to compare OSM with the
> new data. It would us to compare the existing OSM data with the new GNIS
> data. For now I would suggest leaving that tag in OSM.

  I got a chance to catch his presentation on this year's video (Thanks 
SOTM-US video production crew and posters!).   I will be looking forward 
to being able to use the results of MapCorps efforts.

   I agree that leaving the tag in OSM is the best course, but it's 
likely to only be an advisory clue when merging data, if it's used at all:

  -  Many times, local churches or schools had a new building built 
anywhere from a mile away to across town.  If the name was retained, I 
simply moved the GNIS node.   The updated GNIS information may simply 
mark this as XYZ school (historical) and keep its position.    Or they 
may delete it and assign a new ID to whatever the building is now used 
for.

  - If someone has already added a node or way representing the new GNIS 
object, the conflation process still needs to handle the case of same or 
similar name but no GNIS ID.