Gather GPX tracks for RUSA permanents

[MichalYoung]

However permanents are displayed on the RUSA perm maps or elsewhere, we could use a database of tracks for as many of our perms as we can get. We won't get them all, because some simply don't exist, and others may not be easily accessible. We should be able to gather a sizable fraction of them automatically.

Creating a database of perm routes (as versus finding them dynamically) is needed partly because they are not all kept in the same place, with some consistent access approach.

Sources that should be drawn from:

• Club collections: I believe at least SIR has an existing database of GPX tracks.
  So do Ontario Randonneurs (not part of RUSA). There may be others.
  • Spidering out from the existing RUSA database:
    • Some permanent records in RUSA database link directly to RideWithGPS entries, from which GPX can be extracted programmatically
    • Some permanent records in RUSA database link to web pages that in turn link to RideWithGPS entries. These could be used with some care to avoid extracting the wrong link from a page that describes several permanents. Many RUSA perm records seem to link to blogs and not directly to the blog entry describing a particular ride ... it's not clear how to use these to find GPX.
    • While RideWithGPS is the most common mapping service used by RUSA members, there may be a handful of others from which GPX tracks can be extracted programmatically.
• Voluntary entry by permanent owners; We should have a web form that allows a permanent owner to enter a RideWithGPS link or upload GPX. Some minor verification (like entering a RUSA member number) should be included to shut out spambots, but I don't think any serious security measures are needed for this.

Since GPX tracks can be fairly large, a simple CSV file is not sufficient as a database. We'll need something a little more serious, like PostgreSQL or MongoDB. This means thinking through how/where to keep it, backup procedures, access rights, paying for it if hosted by an external service, etc. It probably makes sense to use a database compatible with those used by RUSA, even if it is initially not hosted at RUSA, to keep future options open. I think that means MySQL.

See: #3

[jeremygray]

People can tweak their routes, so might be worth keeping track of the how the gpx file was found and periodically re-fetch. (Once a year?)

Being able to report an error might be useful.

RWGPS must have some kind of API to interoperate with Garmin and other devices. Maybe they would be willing to host all routes (and effectively be the database)? Not sure on their ToS, might be worth reaching out in person. Many rando routes are already hosted there, and they might be willing to host more as a way to further cement the relationship with the rando community.

[MichalYoung]

Periodic re-fetching is a good idea.

For perm owners who keep their routes in Ride With GPS, a route like https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16702977 can be downloaded as https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16702977.gpx . RWGPS does have strong ties to randonneuring, and I would like to encourage permanent owners to keep their routes in RWGPS, but I don't think I would ask RWGPS to act as a database for routes that are not otherwise in their system.

RWGPS has a 'search for rides' feature, and it also has a support for 'clubs' (paid) and 'groups' (unpaid, I believe). It is possible that we could bypass some of the spidering through the RUSA database if perm owners had a standard way of designating permanent numbers and associating them with RUSA as a group. I'd also be interested in RUSA as a RWGPS club, paying for additional access for RUSA members, but I expect that would be a controversial proposal --- there are RUSA members who (still) basically view GPS as a cheat.

[jeremygray]

.gpx files compress by about an order of magnitude