Replacing `amenity=toilet` with `amenity=toilets`

o_andras · 2022-10-19T08:16:22.402Z

I was reading the wiki page for amenity=toilets today and found that there’s a small area in Zambia (~4km^2) with some features tagged amenity=toilet – see the Overpass results.

According to the “Possible tagging mistakes” section of the wiki page, I believe most (if not all) of these should be amenity=toilets instead.

I’m opening this thread to bring this tiny issue up, requesting feedback from the local community, to know if the community would be OK if I went ahead and editted this around, or otherwise if the community would itself prefer to handle things.

Mateusz_Konieczny · 2022-10-19T10:24:30.819Z

For start, thanks for asking!

Looking at data it does not look like public toilets at all.

Looking at tags it seems confirmed:

    amenity = toilet
    operator:type = private
    toilet:num_chambers = 1
    toilets:disposal = pitlatrine
    toilets:position = outside

This rather should be deleted as privacy-violating and out of scope for OSM. OSM is not for mapping detailed interior of private residences.

I opened Note: 3405444 | OpenStreetMap

Likely also over 8000 already “fixed” should be deleted as out of scope. See Changeset: 78972785 | OpenStreetMap

Disclaimer: I am not local community at all. Maybe this are actually public toilets but it would be quite surprising to me.

SK53 · 2022-10-19T13:38:58.773Z

Judging by the hashtags (#hotosm-project-2360 #OSMZambi) on some of the original changesets this was added as part of a task on Tasking Manager. I don’t know if any evidence of the details behind this activity are documented anywhere. It may be worth trying to contact some of the original mappers to ascertain the project goals.

I have seen well-meaning mapping of private toilet facilities elsewhere in the world: usually as part of efforts to collect statistics related to socioeconomic status in poor urban areas. Whilst the collection and use of such statistics can be important for a whole range of interventions, it is not clear to me that information which can be directly related to individuals should be entered in OSM.

Mateusz_Konieczny · 2022-10-19T14:51:41.574Z

Limitations on mapping private information - OpenStreetMap Wiki is an attempt to document consensus among OSM mappers.

o_andras · 2022-10-22T11:07:21.932Z

Thanks for the replies. Looks like the situation is already in hands better than mine

ENGELBERT_MODO · 2023-11-11T13:46:54.832Z

Hello everyone, I hope everyone is doing well. Please I would like to know how we do to get the usernames of all osm contributors who participated one day in modifying the map of Cameroon!!

ENGELBERT_MODO · 2023-11-11T13:47:17.372Z

I would like to know the process or the SQL or python Request !