- If I remember correctly, in the UK postcode data were (are?) not
free (in any sense of the word), so someone decided to start trying to
collect that data. I think it was one of OSM's first "project of the
unit-of-time"? Either way, it was a good thing to get the community
together and give an example of what free and open data mean.
That's true of the UK. Postal code (zip code) data is also in the US
map. It's generally free in the US.
I believe zip code data is not free in the US - it is the property of
the US post office. Any free source such as via TIGER is way out of
date, and at best represents only an approximation to zip code boundaries.
I disagree with your assessment of utility. It is helpful to know the
bounds of an address, which a parcel often gives. That's why many maps
include it. You do raise a valid point of buildings often not being
exactly within a tax lot. I'm curious how other mapping providers solve
this problem or if it is effectively a non-problem.
There are enough cases where address <> parcel are not a 1:1 mapping,
that I still don't think this justifies bringing in parcel data. I
believe other mapping providers just keep the parcel data as a separate
layer, making it easy to update when the source parcel data is updated.
That leads us back to the discussions about a separate OSM database
for free data that would be easily accessible to common OSM tools and
renderers.
- Most importantly, OSM mappers can not make the data any better. By
their very definition, any changes to the imported parcel data make
them invalid and useless. If OSM participants can't improve the data
then it should not be in the OSM database.
Are importers not OSM participants?
Yes, but it would be best if you can demonstrate the benefits in a
small region and address some of the problems -
Can new people pick up the tools and begin contributing to the map
without needing a degree in GIS and JOSM University to make edits
without destroying data? Rerouting a modified road is intuitive to
beginners, but is more confusing if the rerouted road crosses parcel
boundaries.
Can you make periodic updates to parcel data without destroying any
OSM data that has been added around them? How do you resolve modified
parcel data? Someone may have corrected a parcel in OSM.
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