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Hi,

I have been investigating mysterious disappearances of street light, street name and sidewalk data and it appears that this user at http://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Joe%20Strummer/edits seem to have randomly deleting and replacing ways without explanation and therefore I am confused. I have sent the user a message regarding this yesterday but it seems he has continued the edits today without giving a explanation for doing so.

Can you please investigate, thanks.

asked 12 Apr '13, 00:06

Amaroussi's gravatar image

Amaroussi
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edited 12 Apr '13, 00:12

1

Perhaps you could point to specific examples of names or sidewalk information being removed?

The user concerned seems to be a relatively new one, and it could just be that they need a bit of help and advice - they might not know that it isn't always a good idea to "delete and remap", and if they haven't spotted that sidewalk information was there before they're unlikely to re-add it.

Also, it sometimes takes me ages to spot that someone has sent me a message via OSM, and I know to expect them...

(12 Apr '13, 00:51) SomeoneElse ♦

Examples: http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/changeset/15658486 (Cromwell Road Way 42709089 shortened a new way put in without explanation); http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/changeset/15693969 (roundabout Way 3987803 deleted and recreated without explanation)

It is likely that the user is unaware of my efforts put into adding the lighting data and recently, sidewalks, especially that I have recently upgraded some junctions with intricate crossing data that Google Maps don't do.

(12 Apr '13, 01:00) Amaroussi
1

Note that if you spot something like "way X shortened and a new connecting way created" in a changeset this is usually the simple result of the "cut way in two parts" operation supported by most editors; mappers use that if they want to make one part of a way a member in a relation but not the other, for example. - I do agree that changeset comments would help a lot in understanding what the mapper is doing.

(12 Apr '13, 07:48) Frederik Ramm ♦

In Potlatch, it is possible to split the ways (press X) and preserve attributes for both parts. I think it might also be the case of advising users not to delete attributes unless they are absolutely sure that they are out of date, or not real.

(12 Apr '13, 09:14) Amaroussi

I think what's happening with Cromwell Road ("Way 42709089 shortened a new way put in") is that the no 14 bus among others approaches the NHM from the south and then turns right along the "new" bit of the Cromwell road, but doesn't run along the "old" bit of the Cromwell Road.

Unfortunately it's not easy to see what relations way 3987803 was part of, but perhaps that's also related to a bus route relation add?

permanent link

answered 12 Apr '13, 01:13

SomeoneElse's gravatar image

SomeoneElse ♦
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accept rate: 16%

If it was a bus relation, I would split the way then assign the relevant part to the relation, which preserves the information. I think he is just unaware of the potential for problems by retracting a way to make an entirely new way just for the relation, or taking note of all the valid attributes before recreating them.

However, I feel that describing changesets really makings things clearer for us because I was worried when street light data started to disappear for small bits of road.

(12 Apr '13, 02:06) Amaroussi
1

I'd split the way too (and so preserve what was there), but then I haven't only been mapping for three weeks. I'm sure that it's just an accidental and lack of experience thing, and once you've explained that some tags might not be visible in P2 simple mode, they'll be fine.

(12 Apr '13, 10:03) SomeoneElse ♦
(12 Apr '13, 11:23) Amaroussi

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question asked: 12 Apr '13, 00:06

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last updated: 12 Apr '13, 11:23

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