[Tagging] Feature Proposal - RFC - value 'basic_network' - cycle_network?

[stevea]

I agree that lcn=yes is a potentially ideal tag to put on each way which is member of "a" basic_network.  Maybe I haven't been clear about that (so I am now), but I have mentioned at least a couple of times "this sounds like lcn=yes" (with perhaps noname=yes) would work just fine.  I could be wrong and it seems some discussion about this has already happened and I don't understand why it wouldn't work (if that was the conclusion).  So it seems it's time for more discussion to happen after this (painfully long) thread has exposed a "less parochial" (more worldwide) perspective of how the world seems to conclude there isn't any need for the proposal as stated.  We can do what's needed with the (tagging, data structures, existing schemes / paradigms...) we already have.

Note that I say "a" basic_network rather than "the" basic network, because it seems there are certainly more than one basic_network  — they appear to aggregate at a political level (i.e. Germany's or Bavaria's basic_network isn't the same as Switzerland's or Zug's basic_network).  How to differentiate these?  Why, with well-chosen values for the cycle_network key, of course.

I think what has happened here is a fair number of people with multi-country / multi-cultural perspectives (and many of us are quite savvy about how this sort of bicycle tagging / routing / networking / aggregating is already done in OSM) have clearly (and repeatedly) stated:  toss this "good try" (but over-engineered and diverges from the existing schemes) into the dustbin for now and "do the categorization work."  Yes, it's tough, it requires comprehensive "we have a mess," we have an ideal in mind, let's get them to meet one another... it requires consensus.  I am certain the work invested will pay off handsomely as bike routes "around there" harmonize with bike routes in OSM in the rest of the world.  And even thinking about that makes me smile.  It's a very achievable goal, but it does require some effort and wide human agreement.

If, with my candor, I have offended anybody, I offer my apologies.  Seeing the sausage get made can be kind of ugly sometimes.  I continue to be amazed and look forward to being even more amazed at OSM growing up to be even better than it is today.