[OSM-talk] checking before massive deletion

[Mario Frasca]

hello here,

I wish to get some sort of support in a decision regarding data which I 
find hard to verify, and actually also hard to believe.

years ago ArielRod completed this changeset: 
https://www.openstreetmap.org/changeset/17323627

I have asked about the source, and got no reply.

the above is not an isolated changeset, for there are at the moment 995 
place=* on ArielRod's name in the "Comarca Ngäbe Buglé", and 342 in 
Chiriquí.  these are the points added by this user, and not edited by 
others.  but there are more, where people have edited them downgrading 
place to isolated_dwelling, just in doubt instead of deletion, I suppose.

the alleged source is the census for the year 2010, but the 
corresponding document, as far as I managed to search 
(https://inec.gob.pa/archivos/P3551P3551cuadro3.xls) does not contain 
coordinates.

I have zoomed into quite a few of these points marked as place=hamlet, 
and in most cases I do not see anything that could justify the presence 
of a `isolated_dwelling`.  in some cases, there is something, but is it 
sheer chance?  could well be.

one example for all, Node: Bulite (2416914927), marked as hamlet, 
supposedly 5 houses according to the census.

https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2416914927#map=17/8.54709/-81.76901&layers=D

around this node, at less than 1.0km, there's 18 more place=hamlet, by 
the same user.

in the same area, I do see a few buildings (I haven't mapped any), but 
not near the place=* nodes.

of these 19 nodes, only 8 are actually mentioned, verbatim, in the 2010 
census.  but still, whether they have been thrown at a random location, 
or placed here for any other reason, that's obscure to me.

so far the situation.

I would like to do some cleaning up, and am considering deleting all 
such nodes added by this user, either edited by others, or not.  I have 
commented so much in the Panama Telegram Group, where a few local 
editors are active, asking for their opinion.  none has been expressed 
so far.  I would not want to act without some support.

I could also leave it as it is.  after all, why should I care?

comments will be very welcome,

best regards, Mario Frasca