[OSM-talk] xybot

[Someoneelse]

I see that xybot has woken up again.  Would an announcement on this list 
really have been too much to ask?

I'm guessing that the rules that it's following are these:
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/User_FixTypo3Euro:Xybot

If so there are a number of potential problems, especially where the 
change is not a "straightforward typo".

One example is way 32539831 which was changed from "landuse=wood" to 
"landuse=forest".  How does it know that landuse=forest is correct as 
opposed to natural=wood?  Both are on map features.

Another problem is where there is:

tag_a=value_a
tag_b_value_b

If it thinks that tag_a is a misspelling for tag_b it'll change the 
tagging to the following:

tag_b=value_a

which is just plain wrong.


If it is necessary to "validate" the data against a pre-conceived idea 
of what it should contain (and I'm not convinced that it is) wouldn't it 
be better to collect lists of "errors" by last modifying user and 
suggest via mail that they review them?  At the very least, a list of 
changes by last modifying user should be produced to allow us to undo 
any damage.