[Tagging] mast / tower / communication_tower (again)

SelfishSeahorse selfishseahorse at gmail.com
Thu Oct 25 09:07:10 UTC 2018


On Thu, 25 Oct 2018 at 00:04, Graeme Fitzpatrick <graemefitz1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Do we also need a RFC / vote to amend the wiki page, or can I just amend it & clear up the bad reference photo's?
>
> I'd be looking at combining the mentioned engineering definition with the popular opinion expressed here to become:
>
> A mast is a tall, slim structure supported by guys, usually with external access only

According to this definition, short (< 10 m) antennae 'poles' on
buildings [1] were 'towers' and thus would be tagged the same as
towers more than 100 m high [2].

[1]: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LeifersexTimZentrum.jpg
[2]: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zuerich_Uetliberg_Sendeturm.jpg

As i've written in my previous message, guy-wires are used to
stabilise tall masts. Therefore the absence of guy-wires doesn't imply
that it's a tower.

I'd leave the current definition as is, just adding that usually tall
masts are guyed but towers aren't.

> A tower is a tall, slim free-standing structure, usually with internal access. (Possible include from wiki: "Towers are specifically distinguished from "buildings" in that they are not built to be habitable but to serve other functions.")

Cooling towers or defensive towers aren't slim, but are still towers.
And garages or office buildings aren't built to be habitable, but are
still buildings. (I think it's fine to call a tower a building if it's
closed, that is, has walls and a roof.)

> Replacing man_made=communications_tower with man-made=tower; tower=multi_purpose. Yes they're used for communication in that they have antennae mounted on them, but are also usually tourist spots with lookouts & so on, where normal TV towers etc aren't.

Imho, multi purpose is too broad. Note that, for example, there are
also bell towers with antennae inside. I think it would be best to
either tag all purposes (e.g. tower:type=communication;observation) --
which, however, might be problematic for data users -- or to tag the
main purpose only.

Regards
Markus



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