[OSM-talk] Use of OSM data without attribution

[Andy Townsend]

On 19/08/2020 22:44, Clifford Snow wrote:
> ...  Instead of suggesting their users edit OSM, they instead instruct 
> them to email data at openstreetmap.org <mailto:data at openstreetmap.org>,
>
>
Indeed, and by the time they get to us they are usually "rabbits of 
negative euphoria"* because of the less than stellar support experience 
they've had at AllTrails.

Looking at e.g. 
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/list/yorkshire-wolds-way?b_tl_lat=54.06089919948305&b_tl_lng=-0.7765960693359375&b_br_lat=53.9918264806059&b_br_lng=-0.6293106079101562 
I'm not surprised - to my eyes that really is a crime against 
cartography.  Zoom in, and you'll see that that useful-looking 
north-south path just southeast of Thixendale is actually marked 
"(PRIVATE)", but at any scale you might want to plan a route on it isn't.

The explanation we have to give every time goes something along the 
lines of:

  * No, we're not Alltrails support, and can't directly affect the way
    that their map represents things.
  * Yes, it's perfectly normal for the OpenStreetMap database to include
    ways along which there is limited access (such as only the
    householder, or perhaps other people in an emergency).
  * Individual maps can choose what data to show and what not, and if a
    map does a poor job of it that's really not an OpenStreetMap problem.
  * While we'd love you to update OpenStreetMap yourself** (since you
    know your local area better than we do) we're more than happy to try
    and fix the OSM data if it's wrong - but we can't guarantee when (or
    even if) any particular OSM-based map will show the changes.

Best Regards,

Andy (from the Data Working Group)

* not a happy bunny

** I'd also, if it seems that it might help, try and introduce them to 
the local OSM community.


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