@cquest: On the subject of geocoding, perhaps Simon’s last example will help. When you read the following quote, replace “surface data” with “geocoded lat/lon data”.

And what about the other way around? Assume you notice that OSM has some surface data that is better than that in your proprietary database and you replace the original information with that? Then the resulting dataset is subject to share alike and you need to make it available on ODbL terms.

So we have the following cases (in all I assume “Public Use”):

1. You use OSM to geocode some data (e.g. convert an address into Lat/Lon) and then add this data into your own proprietary database. The resulting dataset a “derivative database” = Share Alike
2. You use OSM to geocode some data and you keep this independent of your proprietary database. The data extracted from OSM (list of geocoded addresses) is a “derivative database” (= Share Alike), but your proprietary database is untainted (=no need to apply share alike to your proprietary database).
3. You use OSM to geocode some data and you keep this independent of your proprietary database. You then assemble the two independent parts into a collective whole - for example (like the waste bin example) replacing addresses in a non-OSM database with the geocoded results. Now the resulting OSM data is clearly a Derivative Database and is subject to the share alike terms in the ODbL (as it was in point 2), but it does not change the status of the collective whole which can still have different licences for its individual parts and the whole.

The case I’m not so sure on is the one where you use OSM to geocode some data and then display markers on top of map tiles generated from a proprietary database. In my opinion the map tiles are not a database and as such this situation would fall under point 2 above. If however this combination constitutes a Collective Databae then point applies. In any case points 2 and 3 essentially mean the same thing (i.e. the list of geocoded addresses extracted from OSM is a “derivative database” = Share Alike). You then assemble the two independent parts into a collective whole - for example. showing the markers on a non-OSM map, or (like the waste bin example) replacing addresses in a non-OSM database with the geocoded results.

Obviously attribution still applies in all cases. So if you are using geocoding to display markers on your slippy map (map tiles) then you need a statement saying that the geocoded data (map markers) is from OSM.

@TomH: In the previous article you questioned how more moderators may help. My understanding was that identifying foreign language spam was a problem. A full reporting system would help, but in the mean time maybe just a simple page would do. I see now there is the spam page on the wiki - is that not good enough? Maybe a list that only approved moderators can edit, and a script you could run that pulls back this list and deletes spam?

It would be nice to see the user diaries and community blogs get used a bit more. I think user “mcld” is working on updates to the blogs.openstreetmap.org page at the moment. I’m hoping that will integrate it back into the new osm.org design.

But… we could do with a few more active programmers. Fancy having a go yourself? :-)

@TomH: Do we need to look for some new moderators (particularly non-English language)?

Looks good, will test it when I’m next out mapping.

My big request would be to use Vespucci to help conflation of external data. So for example, load open data from a government into a holding database, and be able to intergrate this into OSM using Vespucci whilst out on the ground.

You can tag a pavement on a highway by adding sidewalk=both/left/right/none (as appropriate).

osm.wiki/Sidewalk osm.wiki/Forward_%26backward,_left%26_right

As for landuse, I prefer to map up to the edge of the road but not join it to the road. In UK rural areas, I will mark farmland up to the hedge (the small grassed areas between hedge and tarmac are almost always maintained as part of the highway).

Rob

That looks great. Would really make things a lot easier here on OSM.

I should point out that these are SOTM US videos. The OpenStreetMap Foundation’s annual global conference “SOTM 2013” has not yet happened! It’s 6th-8th September 2013 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. stateofthemap.org

Oh and there will be videos available from SOTM 2013 during and after the conference.

Thanks, Rob

There is also Milliams postcode tool. One part of it attempts to match the Land Registry open data to objects in OSM. For example see CV3 5 below (it’s a little slow and I recommend not searching for anything below CV3+, where “+” is needed for the space character):

http://milliams.dev.openstreetmap.org/postcodefinder/landregistry/search/?postcode=cv3+5

If you look now you will see some in the “Wrong Postcode” section. These are those addresses tagged only as CV3. Every few months I look on this tool and add the full postcodes to OSM (Land Registry data is updated once a month).