Laws are often a problem when there are people willing to enforce them. In this case, keeping track of land owner information can open OSM up to a number of legal entanglements. Personal information should be left to to the instested commercial parties with legal departments. In this case, that’s what real estate sites are for.
Here’s why:
Each country has thier own privacy laws.
OSM is a bunch of map nerds, not lawyers.
Private land ownership is complicated.
I don’t want to be called to testify for exhibit A in someone else’s legal battle.
Agree with Ian H. Many Europeans find it mind-boggling that land owner
information (in one case where I saw it, including full residential
address) is publicly available in the US! Then on the other hand they
complain about shady firms in offshore places owning the land. Let’s
keep out of that quagmire.
I am sorry you feel that way, @ContraBand. While people here do strive to be civil, helpful, kind and “further the map,” (making data better, using our processes…) this is not always an easy task. There are cultural and language barriers, technical difficulties that make things not necessarily friction free.
If I have done anything to offend, I apologize. I hope you find the answers you are looking for. I will remind all here to remember that there is a very wide spectrum of many things here (OSM abilities, how receptive to and “potentially helpful” any advice offered can be…) and sometimes there is a mismatch. Please be open-minded and understand that there are often, usually even frequently, very good intentions here. Sometimes, a bit of fine tuning is required to reach solutions.