[Tagging] solving iD conflict

[Mateusz Konieczny]

24 May 2019, 13:32 by kevin.b.kenny at gmail.com:

> I continue listening carefully to this mailing list, toping to glean useful information from it. IT SIMPLY NEVER HAPPENS.
>
Well, for me for example
https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/tagging/2019-March/043350.html <https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/tagging/2019-March/043350.html>
https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/tagging/2019-March/043355.html
was useful (if I would spend more time I would found something  more recent, but this was what 
I remembered)

It was both positive and allowed me to further improve documentation page at
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:addr:conscriptionnumber

> As Frederik points out, we have no central authority. Are you arguing that we must constitute one? 
>
No, mailing list is a good place for sanity check (if noone argues against something then it is 
really well established or simply noone cares about it) like for example I used it at
https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/tagging/2019-March/044190.html <https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/tagging/2019-March/044190.html>

If almost entire mailing list describes something as a poor idea then it is very likely to actually
be a poor idea.

Mailing list is also a good place to get some ideas (better or worse).

But note that iD also should not treat itself as central authority overriding established practices,
mailing list, OSM Wiki, popular tagging schemes, other software etc

Obviously, any of this things may be (and often is) wrong but simply ignoring everybody
who disagrees rarely ends well.

> In the absence of a central authority, tools such as taginfo are actually the most reliable source. Yes, it's _argumentum ad populum_, but truly, what else is there?
>
taginfo is useful tool but only one of many. Examples of some of taginfo limitations:

- it simple tag count, meaning is not always clear (taginfo has some descriptions,
but it is pulled from OSM Wiki). Just values at
https://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/keys/addr%3Aconscriptionnumber#values <https://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/keys/addr%3Aconscriptionnumber#values>
will not meaning of this tag clear, one needs documentation to make it clear

- vulnerable to mass edits/imports, there were cases of people running undiscussed mass
edits and then immediately presenting tag popularity as reason to do something

- no history - it is often useful to see discussion/known limitations/reason why tag exists
https://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/keys/is_in <https://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/keys/is_in> has no way to explain why this tag was used,
what is current opinion about it, is usage increasing etc

- complex syntax - good luck with making opening hours parser using solely
https://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/keys/opening_hours#values <https://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/keys/opening_hours#values>
It may be possible but documentation is necessary to make it productive

- taginfo is not a community - you can't ask taginfo about opinions on a new tag scheme
taginfo is not a replacement for mailing list, it is useful for completely different purposes

- poor information how tags relates to other tags (there are small bits of that but 
it is very limited)


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