Streets or Buildings?

At this point I'm most interested in having a simple standard that's easy for volunteers so that pages arrive from different people in as similar a format as possible. Then there's less cutting and pasting needed here when I assemble them all. So for the few problem cases listed above I've taken the not very scientific approach that if it sounds more like a streetname it goes in the street column.

There will be another chance to review this when all the lists have been typed in, and before the information gets put into a stricter database format. At the moment it doesn't make a big difference whether a name is in the street or building column, because searches are just done using google / the web browser's search and find it either way.

Annelise:

I came across my first "Terrace/Street" problem.  There are two listings, one right after the other:

"Ripon Terrace, Caine Road"
"Ripon Terrace"

This is why I suggest that we review all our entries and identify which Terraces are actually roads, and which are not.  If entries from later years, or more complete addresses, are not consistent, it will be harder to search over several years.

David:

At this point I'm looking for simple data entry, even if it ends up with a few things in the 'wrong' column.

Once all the lists have been typed, there'll be a chance to move things around before they get converted to a database format.

In the meantime, we should keep notes of anything (like your Ripon Terrace example) that is evidence of the name being either a building or a street. How about we use this thread for this purpose, and just add comments to it as we find anything relevant?

Annelise:

Private Streets: We now have the first 5 years all done, and it is time to review them.  The nice people who have volunteered to do data entry certainly should not be bothered with having to learn what Terraces were where. As you say, it can be fixed later.  That said ...

Hong Kong streets that contain the word "terrace" are usually private streets.  Then there are places like "Ezra's Lane" that are also private streets, and Lyndhurst Terrace, which - I think - is a public road.

So, where is the list of Private Streets in Hong Kong?

When you see an address on the jury list, the first thing that comes to mind is "where is that".  If the Terrace still exists as a private street, it is just a click away.

If not, you will need the name of the road it was on to find it.

With this in mind, I propose that if the data entry person has the information (like me), any Terrace that is the current name of the same road that is still in existance be put under "Street" othewise, under "Building".  I agree, the person doing the data entry need not be bothered with it.  But for those of us with more detailed knowledge, we can do it right the first time, and let the others follow the previous entry in the Excel Worksheet.

Existing Street:

- Seymour Terrace
- Lyndhurst Terrace
- Knutsford Terrace
- Rednaxella Terrace
- Knutsford Terrace

Buildings/Developments long gone:

- Belilios Terrace
- Ripon Terrace
- Alveston Terrace
- Elliott Crescent
- Lower Mosque Terrace
- Remedios Terrace