[OSM-talk] Strava high resolution heatmap

[Greg Troxel]

Jmapb via talk <talk at openstreetmap.org> writes:
> The latest I've heard is this thread from last November:
>
> https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk/2019-November/083563.html
>
> Rodrigo Davies at Strava says they "don't currently see a problem" with
> using the heatmap for mapping. A screenshot of this communication was
> added to the wiki at https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Permissions/Strava

Someone saying they "don't see a problem" is hardly a license grant,
even if they are authorized to bind the company.

> The wording falls short of a formal licensed release so personally I'm
> not comfortable adding paths based on Strava data alone. But I've used
> it to help with aligning aerial imagery, double-checking my own GPS
> traces, and marking spots for further survey.

Agreed that your approach is very reasonable.

> I probably wouldn't be comfortable adding paths based on Strava data
> alone even if they did have an explicitly ODBL compatible license. Just
> because there are GPS traces doesn't mean there's a path (plenty of
> popular bushwacking routes in their data) and certainly doesn't tell me
> what value to use for the highway key.

I am very much opposed to adding paths based solely on Strava for
exactly these reasons.  It does seem reasonable to use as a clue for
going into the field to survey something that might or might not exist.

Additionally, around me there are problems with people (mostly on
mountain bikes) trepassing onto posted properties.  If these tracks show
up on strava, even if they are actual paths, mappers are prohibited from
performing on-ground verfication.   This is another reason to be
uncomfortable with strava-only edits.