[Tagging] How to tag small canals?

[SelfishSeahorse]

On Friday, August 17, 2018, Christoph Hormann <osm at imagico.de> wrote:

> On Friday 17 August 2018, SelfishSeahorse wrote:
>
> > Of course we could just use width=*, but it's not always easily
> > possible to measure the width (e.g. in a forest) and sometimes it
> > changes often.
>
> I would translate this into "i want a subjective non-verifiable
> classification system but i hide this by defining pro forma verifiable
> criteria for the classes".


A classification based on width is arbitrary, but i don't see why it be
subjective.

If you want to map the river width tag width=*, if you don't want to map
> the width then don't create classes based on width thresholds.
>

Imagine a stream/brook in a forest, not visible on satellite imagery. You
can't measure its width on site (because you don't have the equipment or
because the soil at its sides is marshy), but you know (estimate) that it's
wider than 1 metre, but less wide than 3 metres. In my opinion it's better
to have that information that none.

If you enter width="1 m - 3 m", data users very likely won't understand it.
However if you enter width="2 m", the width value pretends to be exact.
Besides it is very unlikely that someone else verifies that value,
considering the fact that less than 1% of waterway=* tags have a width=*
tag.
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