A Morris wrote: >Sent: 14 April 2009 5:28 PM >To: osm-dev List >Subject: Re: [OSM-dev] [bug] direction of GPS traces > >On Tue, Apr 14, 2009 at 3:56 PM, Andy Robinson (blackadder-lists) ><[email protected]> wrote: > >> Well it's been like it is for the last 4+ years! If you uploaded your GPS >> data and it wasn't visible at all then what use would it be in OSM having >> it! By the very act of uploading GPS data to OSM you are making a >> contribution. It's only the original uploaded trace file that is made >> available to the wider public if you wish or kept private if you wish >not. > >Indeed, I did wonder what was the point of private traces. Personally, >I keep my traces private by, erm, not uploading them. > >Still, I can't help thinking it would be good to make it clear that >'private' traces are in fact, almost exactly the opposite (how about >'available-to-the-world-although-not-easy-to-personally-identify-however- >certainly-not-impossible' >? :-)
As Frederik has pointed out, it's important to make the distinction between the data that is taken from your uploaded GPS trace and imported into the OSM database and the original trace file that you can if you wish make publicly available for download. Regardless though this whole discussion misses the point about OSM in that the project needs GPS contributions. GPS data forms the very fabric for verification of map data because it confirms pathways and shows that someone has at least travelled that route on the map approached the faceplate of that post box by the side of the road. No other method of OSM contribution comes close to this level of verification. While I accept that some will never wish to upload their traces, and I respect that view, I also hope that we will continue to encourage GPS data contribution. It's invaluable to the project. Cheers Andy _______________________________________________ dev mailing list [email protected] http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/dev
