[OSM-talk] all our addresses are belong to you

[Mike N]

On 3/3/2011 11:16 PM, Alan Mintz wrote:
> Is this data really worth importing?

   With the required amount of review, I wouldn't classify them as a 
data import so much as a requested work list.   These addresses are 
important to the owners in some way: historically GPS's have gone to the 
wrong location, the road was misnamed, etc.   And many people set these 
locations as navigation / map search targets.   From the point of view 
that it is good to cater to those who consume OSM data, it is good to 
have these address points on the map.

> Why should this data be any different? Why is dragging a point to the
> nearest building and more correct that dragging it to the next block, or
> the next town, if you don't know the feature personally?

    In at least one case I found, it would be wrong to drag it to the 
nearest building - and since it began in the middle of the road, you 
can't even tell which side it belongs.  This was probably a case of 
"GPS's always send my customers to the wrong place".   Most of these 
should be surveyed before import to meet the expected OSM quality level. 
   Only a few are clear from aerials alone - such as a church or school 
in a residential / rural area where it is the address in question.

    That brings up another point: workflow.   When / if someone decides 
to add the few addresses that they can survey, it would be good to mark 
them as having been "imported" and remove them from the master list. 
Otherwise it will be hard to find new reports when MapQuest publishes an 
update.   Throwing them up on MapDust / OSM Bugs would almost be 
appropriate, but I'd say they are a bit more informed than the average 
OSM Bugs / Mapdust report.