[OSM-talk] A warning about gates and other barriers

[Peter Wendorff]

  On 20.09.2010 13:20, Dave F. wrote:
>  On 20/09/2010 10:31, Peter Wendorff wrote:
>> Here we come to a great possibility for software to contribute to the 
>> OSM data.
>> Wherever possible the software should provide a mechanism to add the 
>> data, if needed.
>
> How?
>
> The original point of this thread was that routing software couldn't 
> distinguish it.
Exactly - but IF a software navigates the user through e.g. a closed 
gate, the user can say "this gate is closed for me as a cyclist". The 
software has to calculate a new route - and if that's recognized by the 
software, there could be a question back: why do I have to recalculate? 
Dependent on the current setting that could be reduced to specific map 
entities:
- is the street missing?
- is the gate closed and not passable for me?
- is the street typed incorrectly (oneway, ...)
- is a barrier missing (and what type of barrier)

I think, there are a lot of small questions we can create to situations 
like the one in front of a gate, and these small, predefined 
questions/answers can hopefully contribute to the database in place, 
with end users as source without much skills using complex editors etc.

You are right:

The software couldn't distinguish it,

but the user can - and with a cup of brain used for a feature like that 
the software can ask useful questions easy to answer by the user. In 
conclusion:

The software can motivate and enable the user to distinguish it.

regards
Peter