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Way 21107993 Border="Saudi Arabia - Qatar" is not aligned with the actual fence line that is located between the 2 border patrol roads located south (or west) of its current location. The roads run East-West between Bu Samra and Khor Al Udeid. The southern road is in Saudi Arabia and the northern road is in Qatar. These roads are used by military personnel patrolling the border. Consequently, the western half of Way 157490050 is also in the wrong location.

I am not an authority on borders and am relatively new to OSM mapping. I recognise this error from local knowledge as I am currently living in Qatar.

My question is this: It is appropriate for me to edit this way or should I submit it to a team / group / expert for editing?

asked 11 Jun '13, 11:06

rovingmedic's gravatar image

rovingmedic
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accept rate: 5%

edited 11 Jun '13, 13:31

aseerel4c26's gravatar image

aseerel4c26 ♦
32.6k18248554


I would say that you are currently the expert on this case. It is also clear from the imagery where the real border is.

Just make sure to align the background imagery correctly before editing (nearest roundabout crossing in Saudi-Arabia can be used for it as there are enough gps traces available in that location).

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answered 11 Jun '13, 21:36

RM87's gravatar image

RM87
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accept rate: 22%

edited 11 Jun '13, 21:45

aseerel4c26's gravatar image

aseerel4c26 ♦
32.6k18248554

1

In addition: One may also have a look in the way histories ("View history" on the pages I have linked to in your question test) and read the source tags on the ways to know from where the data comes and if there is any reason why the border ways are where the are currently. You also can contact the previous mappers there if you have questions - but they may not be active / may not answer.

(11 Jun '13, 21:50) aseerel4c26 ♦

Thanks for the encouragement! I will take this on over the next few days. I have done some online research and I have found many maps that show the incorrect alignment. however, I have found a few that show the border in the correct location, so this is reasuring.

(12 Jun '13, 08:27) rovingmedic
1

@rovingmedic: please be sure to not use those other maps for your contribution to OSM. That is: forget those other maps and look what is on the ground in reality (and in the editor's aerial background image). Thank you for your help on the OSM data! :-)

(12 Jun '13, 14:10) aseerel4c26 ♦
1

@aseera4c26: Thanks for your reminder. The maps I have been looking at were on Wikipedia and are all licensed under Creative Commons or public domain.

I have made the edits using local knowledge and Bing Aerial Imagery in Potlatch and JOSM. I have maintained all nodes on the boundary, only changed their location. I have added a new way and extended an existing way for the border patrol roads.

(13 Jun '13, 07:02) rovingmedic

@rovingmedic: public domain is fine - everything else not. Our database is not anymore under a creative commons license (there are several, by the way, and the proper attribution would also be doubtful). However, licenses aside, nothing beats local knowledge and what is "on the ground". We want to be better than other maps, so we should not copy them if possible, even if we would be allowed to do.

(13 Jun '13, 22:01) aseerel4c26 ♦
2

@ aseerel4c26: Thanks for your reply. Just to reasure you, I have not copied any of the maps that I looked at. I only used imagery available through OSM apps (Potlatch, iD or JOSM). This particular locatuon is not accessible to the public. I have a friend who made his way to the border fence in order to follow the track back to the highway. He was detained by the border patrol withing a minute of turning onto the road next to the fence, hence we know where it is located. This road (and shadow of the fence) shows up very well in the Bing sat;lite imagery in the editing software. My other edits are based on first hand local knowledge or is used as the basis for a field survey (tracing of imagery followed up by one or more site visit to confirm what is on the ground).

(14 Jun '13, 21:21) rovingmedic
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question asked: 11 Jun '13, 11:06

question was seen: 6,607 times

last updated: 14 Jun '13, 21:47

NOTICE: help.openstreetmap.org is no longer in use from 1st March 2024. Please use the OpenStreetMap Community Forum