[OSM-talk] Import geonames data for make POI

[Mikel Maron]

Hi Bruno

Welcome to OSM!

Geonames is a great project, and quite complementary to OSM. Geonames API is used by the city search at http://www.openstreetmap.org/search.html?action=citysearch

Since Geonames itself has a wiki-like editing interface for the POI it aggregates, I would not suggest to simply dump an export into OSM. For one thing, this would throw out Geonames identifiers, and future updates from Geonames would not be reconcilable with these Geonames POI stored in OSM. Another issue is that since we are already using their API for Search, if OSM were to have a copy of the Geonames database it makes sense to utilize that local copy for Search. These both suggest a deeper integration of Geonames and OSM than a one time database export/import.

There are many people adding POI directly into OSM, not through GPX, but through Editors. Note that GPX files are not directly converted into mapping layers -- trackpoints are used as a background layer on which streets (etc) are manually drawn. So I would not expect GPX Waypoints would ever be directly converted to OSM POI (nodes).

Still I would say POI are not the primary focus of OpenStreetMap currently, though nothing is preventing this from gaining more attention through specialized tools. Yet, Geonames has done such a fine job, couldn't it make sense to dilineate areas of focus with them? But a big issue is that positioning of edits in Geonames is accomplished via Google Maps, which leaves open the possibility of a Derivative Work and tainted data. Sorry if my train of thought here is a bit circuitous, I'm thinking out loud here!

Mikel

----- Original Message ----
From: Bruno Adele <bruno.adele at jesuislibre.org>
To: talk at openstreetmap.org
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 7:36:18 AM
Subject: [OSM-talk] Import geonames data for make POI

Hello,

I have a new user of OSM site and my name is Bruno Adele and i'm french (sorry 
for my bad english), and i'm a webmaster of website 
http://www.jesuislibre.org, this site refere all free application 
(opensource, GPL etc) in french language.

I have make a awk script for convert the data imported from   
http://download.geonames.org/export/dump/ ("Creative Commons Attribution 2.5" 
licence ) to GPX files.

And can't upload data into OSM because only waypoints.

in geonames site, they are (country, state, region,stream, 
lake,airport,parks,area,city, village,road, railroad,spot, building, 
farm,mountain,hill,rock) more infos http://www.geonames.org/export/codes.html

I think, if OSM would like success they are make multiple layer with POI 
infos.

For news beginner user(contributor), it is easier  to make waypoints (POI) 
then make a gps traces.

For news beginner user(user), it is easier use POI then use partial (unusable) 
trace.

BA
 

-- 
Bruno Adele
Tout sur le soft 100% libre - http://www.jesuislibre.org
GPG:  1024D/6BF76699  

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