[Tagging] type=* tags on trees

[Casper Kersten]

That reminds me: several months ago I already fixed a few thousand
type=broad_leaved and similar common tagging mistakes. That was long before
I had any indication that people were interested in this topic, so I didn't
bother to discuss it back then. None of the tags I have fixed then have
since returned, which leads me to believe that all these type=* tags are
simply old data from when schemes like species=*, genus=*, leaf_type=* and
leaf_cycle=* weren't as common as they are now.

Since each of these tags is used fewer than 300 times, with the exception
of type=palm, I highly doubt that anyone is still importing or actively
using them, so in my view all that's left for us to do is to pick up the
digital broom and sweep away what's left of these tags. I plan to do this
at some point during this week or the next, so if there are more
suggestions like retagging type=pine to leaf_type=needleleaved, I would
love to read them before that.

It has been suggested to me that a good next step would be to set up a bad
tag early warning system. My suggestion is to flag all type=* tags not on
relations as possible errors in order to prevent a system in which we make
separate warning systems for each nearly non-existent type=* tag that (for
now) is still around. This will also encourage people to find better
fitting keys for other type=* tags on nodes and ways. For example, type=oil
& type=gas are still in use, and they can in most cases be replaced with
substance=*.
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