COMBINED POI Files by Subject, Building, Grocery, Farm

I prefer the separate files. As an example I prefer home depot for some things and Lowes for others. A combined file of multiple files culled from this site will be a nightmare to keep updated. We don't all update our files at the same time. You would have to update your group and the others would update their group. I predict a lot of outdated files on this method.
And they aren't no brainers because in your groups I recognize 1 name but not others so the others would be useless to me.

Should work but I myself prefer to use "categories"

If you are interested, see
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25721

I've combined Tractor Supply, Rural King, Big R, Blain's Farm Fleet and Mill's Fleet Farm.

I mostly use FleetFarm/FarmFleet but I have a TSC near one farm and always find an Ag store useful.

Again almost no overlap, if you're out and about and use these stores a combined list is a no-brainer.

Most people that need a builder's store POI are going to be contractors out and about, for them one 2X4 is the same as another 2X4 - they just need one now!

The POI I created will simply generate a list of which is closest...you will see the store name and if you prefer Lowe's for some items and Menard's for others you will be, at a glance, able to decide which to choose based upon proximity without going into and out of three separate POI's while trying to juggle each list's data.

The files will be somewhat regional centric, the ones I've added are clearly midwest dominant. All geo lists will exhibit similar bias, and its functional utility to any one person will always be relative.

I think combining to may differend poi's into one can cause a nightmare as they are updated. I like to donw load the different poi's and and the if they are loaded on your gps all will show upe as you get close. If you want a certain company then you can look them up. Where I live I haven't heard fo a lot of the diffenent poi's and if they were combined I think it would be hard to fine what you wanted. Thee are certian ones tht fit in a combined file. (rest stops, Walmart,campgrounds, Sams,) just to name a few. I think the majory should be stand alone poi's. Just my 2 cents .

Probably not. Looking at the builder's supply combined file of:

1. Lowe's. Last POI change in the file itself was 09/02/2009 with updated coordinates for Scottsdale, Az.

2. Menards. Last updated 07/27/2009

3. Home Depot. Last update 1/10/10: Corrected coords of a Kennesaw, GA store and before that 6/1/09: Corrected coords of Keller, TX store.

The farm stores and grocers were also similarly stable. I don't feel that, given that history, maintaining the files will be a particularly demanding or stressful job.

To each their own. If you want to combine your files on your own GPS go for it and if you don't, don't.

Actually I was hoping to share my work with others who might find it useful - if of course that's all right with you.

Considering there are numerous free programs which allow you to easily combine POI files I fail to see why this site should host combined files. It will only cause confusion and will be a nightmare to maintain in the future.

Considering there are numerous free programs which allow you to easily combine POI files I fail to see why this site should host combined files. It will only cause confusion and will be a nightmare to maintain in the future.

And while you may think your combined files are "no brainers", you might want to think again. For example, why doesn't your building supply file include Ace Hardware?

The POI files that are being combined each belong to someone who has taken responsibility for updating them. Whether or not they have done so is an issue that Miss POI will address.

The administrators of the files would likely be concerned if they knew that there were other files on POI-Factory that they should but could not update along with their own files.

jombl2, I am interested in why you can not do the same thing with "categories".

I see the maintenance of the files to be the biggest issue. There are already to many files on this site that are poorly maintained and/or abandoned. This will add to the problem. I for one would not like to see any of my files combined on this site (I can't stop it though). I suspect that this will become an abandoned file in short time because it will be a headache to update.
Categories is the way to go. I use them and it is quite easy.

Repeating that "maintenance" is an issue - even when presented with facts showing the data has no change for two years makes no sense.

As to "Categories". I tried that and failed to successfully make it work, a year ago and last week. http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25401 My 'breakthrough' in this came after I upgraded my excel to 2010. I haven't a clue what was the glitch with my old excel.

Most Garmin users do not use POI's, and many users prefer to look for combined listings, who wishes to search through Shell, BP and Chevron - when all one needs is "Fuel?

I've simply addressed this, now one can look for building supplies - and not juggle Home Depot, Lowe's and Menard's. While still being able, at a glance, to see ones relative distance to ones choices - by name.

If POI Factory wishes to be successful it will make information readily available and easy to use. I've done this - now it's up to the members to choose to download it or not. Denying them the choice reeks of heavy-handed control for reasons having nothing at all to do with POI users needs.

We do not accept "Monster" files here. That is our policy.

I will not be publishing these files that you have submitted.

Miss POI

File sizes that I created are as follows:

Combined Home Improvement stores: 479KB

Combined Grocery: 192KB

Combined Farm/AG stores: 60KB

And for comparison, using POI files I currently already load:

National Park Services: 3,681KB

Starbucks: 1,558KB

Public Library: 1,894KB

Factory Tours 1,421KB

That's not a comprehensive list of all POI's I use that are larger, merely the largest for comparison. Note that one of those is over SIXTY times larger than my AG supply POI.

My sense though is that this is not a discussion as a handful of list maintainers seem to feel like protecting their turf and data. Power and the need to control or possess trump usefulness every time. So be it.

So sorry to have stepped on so many toes, I'll keep my place next time. It would have been nice to see if users actually downloaded these combinations (and others already exist but I guess they just quietly snuck under the wire)

The entrenched opposition by those with vested interests in existing lists to improvement or experimentation is duly noted.

But I would like to ask you 1 question.

How do you plan on maintaining a huge file that is made up of multiple files and keeping it up to date?

I would simply update the combination with each update from the sub-file.

In the case of the builder/Home improvement stores that would have required no changes to Home Depot, Menard's or Lowe's since the summer of 2009, nearly two years ago. One simply needs to use the changelog for each store as the trigger to update the combination POI, and then note its log accordingly..

Why didn't you respond to my earlier comment about your "no brainer" builder file in which you failed to include Ace Hardware stores? If you're going to make a combined builder file wouldn't it seem obvious to include something like Ace Hardware?

While YOU may find these particular combination of files useful, how many other people will? Probably not many.

So should Miss POI allow every member to post their own obscure combination of files? I don't think so.

It would probably be best if you were to find some other POI site and see if they would be receptive to your ideas.

Monster wasn't a reference to the actual file size in bytes, but the fact that your files are compilations of other files on this site.

It is time to move on. We do not want monster files that are compiled from numerous other files.

Miss Poi does not allow them on the site.

Take the files you want, combine them to what you want and then use them.

Lets just move on.

Ace is a hardware store - it differs from building supply or what are colloquially referred to as 'home improvement' centers in that it does not have a lumber yard or construction materials.

Home Depot, Menard's and Lowe's are near universally interchangeable - one can find mortar, tile, lumber, toilets, saw blades, sheet goods, a full contractor grade electric and plumbing department ... etc. "Ace" is not a member of this group.

The farm supply stores are also an interchangeable group - freakishly indistinguishable from one another on the inside.

Whereas the builders stores might find all three of them clustered every 10 square miles or so in urban areas, the ag stores are rarely closer than 20 miles from another - if at all.

Both groups, and their internally interchangeable subsets, benefit greatly from a combined listing.

That's not true. Numerous examples exist of POI files here that are nothing more than compilations of existing work.

One combination, of Walmart, Sam's Club and Wal Super Centers makes no sense at all. Different stock, different entry requirements, and different target demographics. Others are logical clusterings of like POI's - as I attempted here for farm supply and building materials.

But this was never a real discussion, was it? Any excuse will do, even if every one presented so far has been factually refuted and found empty. Just throw another one up....