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Is it possible to identify who added or edited a particular feature?

3

If I would like to identify who originally added, or subsequently edited, a particular feature, how do I do this?

asked 29 Jun '17, 12:23

mikejd's gravatar image

mikejd
56114
accept rate: 0%

(29 Jun '17, 13:33) nevw

One Answer:

6

Use the question mark button on the map to identify the feature and select it. Then click the "history" link at the bottom of the feature detail side pane. This tells you who created and edited the object.

The process works in general but has some flaws. For example, if the object is a way, and the way was changed by moving its constituent nodes, then this will not be reflected in the way history (the logic being that the way itself has not changed). The same for relations and their constituent objects. Also, it may occasionally happen that someone deletes an object to re-create it, which of course breaks the history. Another issue is the splitting up of ways, which only preserves the history for one of the new parts, whereas the other starts afresh.

answered 29 Jun '17, 12:46

Frederik%20Ramm's gravatar image

Frederik Ramm ♦
82.5k927201273
accept rate: 23%

If a way is changed by moving existing nodes only, you can check the history of the nodes.

(30 Jun '17, 10:55) Hjart
1

You can also view what is added, deleted and changed in a particular changeset via the Augmented OSM Change Viewer (achavi). For example: http://overpass-api.de/achavi/?changeset=49941411

(30 Jun '17, 14:22) neuhausr

Source code available on GitHub .