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Recently, when editing the area of Disneyland and California Adventure, I came across some buildings that cited Google Maps as the source. These are new buildings in the California Adventure park that are not visible in Bing images, but apparently are visible in Google. I contacted the user to let him know not to do that, but the user seems to be ignorant of the fact that Google's license doesn't permit their data to be used.

Also the same user drew an excessive number of footpaths over an open space, and when I removed them quickly put them in again, telling me that he liked this style better.

Can he be blocked? Is that the right thing to do in this sort of situation?

asked 01 Sep '11, 08:24

namannik's gravatar image

namannik
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accept rate: 0%

edited 01 Sep '11, 08:32

Frederik%20Ramm's gravatar image

Frederik Ramm ♦
82.5k927201273


Writing to the user yourself (in a polite & friendly way) was the right thing to do. Using any information from Google maps or Google aerial imagery is not permitted in OSM, and the user would be expected to remove things he created with reference to these sources. Some users honestly don't know that (even professional cartographers are often surprised about what they perceive to be our very strict rules with regard to data sources).

Also, OSM is committed to mapping what's on the ground - we are not drawing footpaths where there is an open space, no matter what looks nicer on the map!

If you are dealing with users who do not understand this or refuse to play by our rules (we don't have many!) then you can contact the Data Working Group and they will handle the issue. Blocking the user is really a last resort but they will do that if nothing else helps.

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answered 01 Sep '11, 08:38

Frederik%20Ramm's gravatar image

Frederik Ramm ♦
82.5k927201273
accept rate: 23%

Thanks for the quick and very helpful reply.

(01 Sep '11, 08:42) namannik
4

At the same time cluttered look of the map is not a valid reason to remove a path if it is there.

(01 Sep '11, 09:36) LM_1
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question asked: 01 Sep '11, 08:24

question was seen: 9,241 times

last updated: 01 Sep '11, 09:36

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