[OSM-talk] OSM issues: timestamps

[matthew-osm at newtoncomputing.co.uk]

Hi All,

I've known about and been contributing to OSM now for about 3 weeks. I thought
about creating maps from my GPS tracks two or three years ago, but didn't know
where to start, so I was really pleased when I was introduced to OSM. I've been
really enjoying mapping my area, and it's given me some needed exercise on my
bike, too, which is good (except my bike chain broke yesterday afternoon :-(
_too_ much exercise is obviously a bad thing!).

But... I'm quite saddened by the amount of squabbling and flaming that I see on
this list. It seems strange to me that there are lots of people creating a
really great system and software, but don't seem to be able to get on together.
Is this really the case?

Anyway, I've got some ideas about these "anonymous" and "privacy" issues, but
I'll have to find some time to write them down. A question I have been wondering
about for a while, though, is why do the uploaded GPX files require a timestamp?
Surely there is no need to collect it, and from what I have heard indirectly it
is not a required field for the trackpoint part of a GPX file.

I am happy for people to see where I have been (if I upload the track to the
server, that is) and if someone wants to know where I live then they can just
use whois. However it seems more of an issue of what time I went there.
Especially as things such as speed can be calculated*, or "X was at this place
at this time". What if I programatically fudge the timestamps to make them
meaningless?

Sorry if this has been covered before I started; I can't find anything in an FAQ
apart from "my data doesn't work... that's because you didn't include the
timestamp".

Thanks!

-- 
Matthew


* No, I don't break the limit that often, but however hard any of us tries it
  will always happen at some point or other.