[OSM-talk] Id stability

[Gregor Horvath]

Hi,

Am Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:32:29 +0200
schrieb Frederik Ramm <frederik at remote.org>:

> 
> I think you are again making the mistake of mixing various layers of 
> meaning. If someone deletes an object in OSM to trace it anew, from 
> better imagery for example, then he is creating a new model, and the
> old model ceases to exist. It is perfectly ok for a link to the old
> model to return 404.

If someone is doing a web page describing a car (ie a model of a
physical car) and he decides to make the description of that car (ie the
web page) prettier then what I expect as a user of this web page is that
the old URI's are still valid. (HTTP 301 or 200)

If he does a complete redesign of his website, then I expect links to be
broken. (404)

It depends on the case. The problem with OSM is, that a move of an
object abstraction (ie the ID) like HTTP 301 is not possible yet. 

> 
> (On the other hand, it may be possible for someone to move a model of
> a house in OSM by 200 metres and the HTTP return code would still not
> be 301 ;)
> 
> > The same logic should apply to OSM ID's/URI's
> 
> As I said, if there is a mistake here then it is probably in your 
> expectation, not in what OSM is doing; and it may be our fault to
> have given you that expectation by using a REST interface. We should
> take care to make clear on the Wiki that OSM is a database of models
> of things - models that may vanish at any time - and not a database
> of things.

All I expect is logic.
It is irrelevant if an OSM ID describes an object or a model of an
object. Because models can also be moved, therefore there should be a
possibility to move the model ID.
 
--
Greg