📚Book Corners Suspends OSM Write-Back After Review
Book Corners won't be contributing back to OSM anymore
TL;DR
After reviewing the process, Book Corners has suspended its plan to contribute data back to OpenStreetMap. The project found that the operational costs and responsibilities outweighed the benefits of contributing.
Book Corners has decided to suspend its efforts to contribute new library locations back to OpenStreetMap (OSM) indefinitely. This decision came after a thorough review process, which included creating an import plan on OSM's Wiki and engaging with local communities through their forum. The project found that the operational work required for contributing data back to OSM was not aligned with its core mission of helping people discover and share book corners. The workflow involved searching OSM for duplicates, previewing data, and getting administrator confirmation before submitting changes via API. However, Book Corners concluded that maintaining an import account on OSM would create ongoing responsibilities around community feedback and potential reversions, which did not align with their primary goal of facilitating the discovery of book corners. The decision highlights the importance of understanding the guidelines and community standards when contributing to shared global databases like OSM. It also underscores the need for a clear distinction between user permissions and data release rights under compatible terms.
Key Points
Book Corners initially used thousands of public bookcases already mapped in OpenStreetMap as its data source
The process requires creating a dedicated OSM import account and publishing a detailed import plan on the Wiki
Local communities affected by contributions must be contacted and concerns addressed before submitting changes
User permissions do not automatically grant rights to release factual information under terms compatible with OSM
Book Corners will continue acknowledging OSM as the source of imported records but won't submit new libraries
Why It Matters
If you're working on a project that relies on OpenStreetMap data, this highlights the importance of understanding and adhering to community guidelines before contributing back. Book Corners found that maintaining an import pipeline was not aligned with their core mission, underscoring the need for clear distinctions between user permissions and data release rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this matter?
If you're working on a project that relies on OpenStreetMap data, this highlights the importance of understanding and adhering to community guidelines before contributing back. Book Corners found that maintaining an import pipeline was not aligned with their core mission, underscoring the need for clear distinctions between user permissions and data release rights.
What happened?
After reviewing the process, Book Corners has suspended its plan to contribute data back to OpenStreetMap. The project found that the operational costs and responsibilities outweighed the benefits of contributing.
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