[OSM-talk] Import of buildings in Chicago

[David Earl]

On 27/05/2012 17:11, Colin Smale wrote:
> On 27/05/2012 17:54, Worst Fixer wrote:
>> I want know why importer uses following tags:
>>
>> * chicago:building_id (314 330 objects, used by 2 users).
>>
>> I sent letter to importer, and he said he will not import this tag any
>> more. But, he continues to. No justification of need for tag was given.
>>
> Who has the right to ban a tag? Where does it say that a tag has to be
> justified?
>
> I understand your concerns about the import process, but not your
> allergy to tags which don't fit your idea of what's valid.

Indeed, users need such tags. If you have a database that it is not 
appropriate to include in OSM, it is important to have a means of 
linking the items in each, and using OSM IDs is not usually viable 
because they change at the drop of a hat. Using a reference scheme to 
link the two database is a widely used technique. Most of the bus stops 
in the UK are done like this because they are linked to a third party 
database of bus stops from which they were derived.

David