[OSM-newbies] Rendered two ways; why?

[Steve Dobson]

Hi

Just thought I would chip in here with my own 2p worth  :-)

On 13/06/10 22:07, James Ewen wrote:
> On Sun, Jun 13, 2010 at 12:37 PM, Isaac Wingfield<isw at witzend.com>  wrote:
>> The area is certainly not equivalent to a public parking area
>> (which the blue "P" icon now on them suggests); it's church property
>> and intended only for church use. So why is it proper to label it as
>> "parking"?
>
> The blue "P" icon might suggest public access parking to you, but
> perhaps just parking to others. The blue "P" icon is only one
> renderer's interpretation of the parking amenity tag.

As a Brit who as driven both in North America and on mainland Europe I 
can testify to the power of a common sign design.  When driving in 
Europe I don't have to think about looking out for important roadsigns, 
because the basic "language" of the symbols is the same across Europe 
(or at least the parts I've driven).  My brain just sees them just like 
I see the UK signs because they are so similar.

In contrast it took me quite a while to spot the "One Way" sign of North 
America.  White lettering on a black background is just not part our 
European road signs so I just don't see them and have turned the wrong 
way into a one way street.

So for me a blue background square sign with a white boarder and a big 
white "P" does mean public parking, and I wouldn't be surprised to find 
out that my euro-friends think the same.

Surely what is needed is a way of internationalising the symbology in 
OSM (and JOSM, ...).  I would like to see the symbols that I am already 
familiar and I expect that others would too.

Steve