[OSM-talk] immutable=yes Fwd: DEC Lands

[D Tucny]

2009/3/10 Russ Nelson <russ at cloudmade.com>

>
> On Mar 9, 2009, at 4:11 PM, Ulf Lamping wrote:
> >
> > OSM is about to have a *free* database. Saying "your not allowed to
> > change the data" is *not* a free database as I understand it.
>
> For this particular case, it's not that you're not "allowed" to change
> the data -- it's that it makes no sense to change the data.  The data
> is an assertion by the DEC of what lands it manages.  By definition
> nobody can change that data -- because then it wouldn't have the same
> meaning.


I'm not entirely convinced that there would never be a reason where it would
make sense to change the data... While I admit, that a lack of sense could
be argued for moving boundaries if the data is being kept up to date from an
external source, I'm assuming that this dataset consist of more than just
polygons with a DEC reference number on them representing areas of land, and
I would guess that it doesn't contain all information that could ever
possibly be recorded...


> And as the fellow points out, there's nothing you can
> determine from examining the site which would give you reason or
> information necessary to change the data.  You could find a sign not
> on the boundary -- but that would mean that the sign was wrong -- not
> that the boundary should be moved.
>

Should you examine the site and find additional information, not necessarily
a change in the information, but, extra information, would it also be wrong
to edit the data to reflect this? As an example, you find that an area of
land is surrounded by a razorwire topped electric fence, would it be wrong
to add the tags fence=electric, razorwire=true to the existing data? I don't
think so... If you find that the area is an area of construction, would it
be wrong to modify it with the tag landuse=construction? Again, I don't
think so... etc...

So, in short, I think immutable data would be wrong, modification in OSM
aren't just about moving things around... But, I can see a reason why
someone would want to take responsibility for making sure positional
information doesn't change independantly of the datasource in such a way
that the data can no longer accurately represent what was imported... But...
I see this as more of an issue of someone taking responsibility of
monitoring and maintaining the data rather than making it impossible for
people to change...

d
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