Hi Steve,
No worries. Seemed like most of the reasons I'd heard about
importing ZIP code data is that it is either linear or point
specific in nature and the imports were attempts to use areas to
implement them, usually based on census data.
I just wondered if getting ZIP codes for objects for which OSM
already had some address data would be acceptable. My bad, very bad,
about only skimming the TOS on the USPS site and not noticing the
restrictions right at the top.
Using the Karlsruhe scheme (see our wiki) and developing a USA
version of postal_code (ditto) are topics you may wish to explore. I
see no harm in including a bit of ZIP code data in, say a city-wide
address node import, but again, it is important to consider "what
(software process/socket/renderer) is listening?" on the toolchain of
those data being there. As there is (or may be, with some
development) a good toolchain, it makes sense to have data at the
bottom that "light up." (Whether in a search/index scheme, a
rendering, whatever. There are an infinity of possibilities here).
Putting data into OSM today might mean you don't see them today
(there are plenty of examples of this), but the intent is certainly
for data to be useful.
And you raise a good question regarding whether that data should be
in OSM at all. I can see an argument that ZIP code information for
objects representing commercial entities could be useful (e.g.
looking for a barbershop in ZIP code 95060) but will admit that for
objects like private residences it adds no real value.
ZIPs MIGHT add value to private residences, but I'm hearing crickets
chirp as I ask "what, exactly?" Perhaps somebody comes up with some
value added, and how. I'd listen; I think others would, too. But
until then, crickets. It's just an approach about our project: we
don't wish to stifle good ideas, but we can wear a discrimination
filter (in a good way) about the quality and quantity of data that
enters our map substrate.
Having done my immediate goal (ski trails for Mt. Pinos), I've been
amusing myself with updates that seem to make routing for automobile
travel work better. In general OSM data is reasonably good for
finding a route between two points with the on and off line routers
I've played. Improvements really seem to be of several kinds in
rough order of how much they help:
It feels great to get your gears turning thinking about how to make
OSM useful, doesn't it!?
1) Good address data. If you are online the Nominatum does a great
job falling back to non-OSM data to find places. But for offline use
finding your destination is a crap shoot if all you have is an
address. Unfortunately that is something that needs to be done
locally as you can't read house numbers off a satellite photo. I
have walked a significant portion of the residential streets in
Sunnyvale gathering such information though. It looks like others
have been doing the same elsewhere like in Palo Alto. My walks have
shown me that house numbers are not as uniform as I'd always
assumed. I've found areas where east-west numbers were used on
north-south sections of a named road. I've found that patterns where
numbers change by, say 4, are often only for a short section before
some exception occurs. I guess maybe I ought to see if my local city
has this information in some sort of dataset that could be imported
but in the mean time it is a good way to get exercise.
2) I've found that getting the proper maxspeed values greatly
enhances route selection and leads to very reasonable travel time
estimates on all the routers I've looked at. Again, this is
something that cannot be done via satellite imagery. Even local
survey can come up short, for example there appear to be no speed
limit signs northbound on CA 35 from Bear Creek Rd above Los Gatos
all the way until just as you are getting into Sky Londa. I would
have expected at least one near CA 9 or where the road really
changes character a the intersection of Black Road.
3) Turn restrictions. Fortunately most intersections have no
restrictions so this does not seem to hurt routing in most the areas
I travel. I imagine that the first time I try to use OsmAnd for a
destination in San Francisco I might have troubles though.
On the one hand I want to say these are wonderful that you type them
out loud here, as they are all excellent observations (and can lead
to "more productive" outcomes, sometimes with only a minimum of craft
and work). On the other hand I want to say "Tod, you are only
scratching the surface here!" (That old blue sky beckons, as OSM
seems wonderfully plastic at accommodating a wild, expansive future
of geographic data).
So no worries on the ZIP code data. I've got plenty to keep me busy
in ways that are probably more useful for OSM.
Good of you to be thinking about it, and sharing with us here. Thank
you! -SteveA
-Tod
<remainder redacted>
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