[Tagging] The wiki (was "Re: That stupid 'quarter' tag has been approved")

[LM_1]

I think that you are both (Steve, Russ) right.
If something is mapped for the first time (and documented on wiki) it
is not really a standard. If someone else finds it and uses it it
becomes one (the more people use it - the more standard :)). If
someone finds it and disagrees he should challenge it or document
alternative but not ignore it. After a time it is likely that some
(one) standard evolves. That would be quite not possible when nobody
would document whatever they map before there is a consensual
standard.
LM_1

2012/6/2 Russ Nelson <nelson at crynwr.com>:
> Steve Bennett writes:
>  > Again, I'm surprised this discussion needs to be had, but there is
>  > clearly very poor shared understanding of what the wiki is for and how
>  > to use it. It seems obvious to me that the wiki is to document
>  > *shared* understanding of mapping standards.
>
> I think you have that almost right but significantly wrong. The wiki
> is to *share* understanding of mapping standards. Your purpose
> definition implies to me that there is agreement that an X that is Y
> will be mapped as X=Y.
>
> But just as Inuits have several names for "snow" depending on its
> qualities, so may people in different parts of the world have
> different names for what you consider to be the same Y. For example, I
> consider "surface=gravel" to be "gravel". You know, those rounded
> rocks about the size of a pea which come from a riverbank. But many
> rail-trails have a surface which is ground-up rocks about the size of
> tapioca or smaller, called "rock dust". You wouldn't have me map
> rail-trails as surface=gravel, would you? That would be more like the
> ballast that's left behind after the tracks are pulled up.
>
> That's why it's important for each of us to *document* how we
> map. Because if nothing else, in the process of doing so, we will
> actually take the time to RTFW to see what tags really mean. :-)
>
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