GeoNames Forum

I'm developing software using the GeoNames database. As I've been doing so, I've run made some disturbing findings. There are many, many, many categories in which anything and everything in between has been lumped into a category that has nothing to do with most of the items placed into it's feature code. For instance: If you search railroad station, you will get not only railroad stations, but ranger stations, sewage treatment stations, pumping stations, experimental stations, agricultural stations, gas pumping stations and just about anything that has the word "station" in it's name

. I've spent the last several hours trying to put as many of these as possible into their proper place/featureCode/category but I'm only one person.

Is it random users that are doing this in such mass quantities? Or is there something automated going out and creating these items?

If it's users, do we need to start blocking those who aren't properly categorizing places into the database to prevent further degradation?

How can we fix so many thousands upon thousands of places with bad information without a coordinated effort and countless man hours?

Thanks for pointing this out.

The misclassification is due to a mapping rule that maps features from the US Geological Survey of type 'locale' with the term 'station' to the feature code railway station. This mapping will be changed with the next update.

Marc