[OSM-talk] Mapping with no GPS data

[Nick Hill]

Hello Dan

Satellite photos of areas can be pretty misleading, railways, canals and 
viaducts can easily be mistaken for roads.

This brings to mind the question:
What is the best way anyone can spend your time to help openstreetmap?

Perhaps we should work on the page:
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Starter_Tutorial

To triage people interested in the OSM project and would like to help into those 
who are
1)Programmers,
2)Those who have a GPS and
3)Those who don't.



Dan Karran wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm interested in a number of cities around the world that don't
> currently have any GPS track data or users drawing roads in those
> areas, but they do have easily discernable road patterns on the
> Landsat imagery (for the larger roads at least).
> 
> I know the imagery has a relatively poor resolution and isn't
> accurately rectified in some areas; and it isn't really suitable for
> discerning smaller roads and typical inner city streets.
> 
> However, if main roads can be traced based on the Landsat imagery,
> what are peoples opinions on using that as a starting point for the
> creation of OSM data and allowing people to update that initial
> attempt as and when real GPS data is uploaded into the system? Where
> there are uncertanties about whether a structure is a road or not, it
> could simply not be included in the initial dataset.
> 
> For an example of an area where main roads are relatively clear, see Kiev:
> http://www.openstreetmap.org/index.html?lat=50.43&lon=30.52&zoom=12
> 
> My feeling is that when people come to OSM and they see that there is
> already some information for where they are, they'll be much more
> inclined to join in with the project and help fix bits that don't look
> right, etc. On the other hand, it's creating geodata based on a
> not-so-accurate dataset. Perhaps it should all be tagged initially as
> "source=landsat" or something?
> 
> 
> Kind regards,
> Dan
> 
> --
> Dan Karran
> dan at karran.net
> www.dankarran.com
> 
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