On 15/11/2025 20:29, Chris Smith wrote:
Whilst I can understand the NT trying to direct walkers away from some paths, this doesn't seem in accordance with OSM principles that we map what is on the ground. I wondered what the group thought about this?
We map what's on the ground, but we don't map transient features. Informal desire lines across open countryside often come, go and meander according to the seasons, vegetation growth, erosion and other natural changes. That's not to say they can't be mapped. But they're something that's best left to local mappers who are familiar with them and know how fixed the course is.
In particular, to be suitable for mapping on the basis of "on the ground" it needs to be something that's visible on the ground all year round. One of the problems with popular tourist locations is that they get an influx of visiting mappers in summer, who then map what they've seen while they were there, not realising that it won't be there in the depths of winter after they're long gone, and when they come back next year the desire line will have been re-established in a slightly different place.
Mark _______________________________________________ Talk-GB mailing list [email protected] https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk-gb
