[Tagging] Flat area in the mountains

[Sebastian Gürtler]

... maybe this aspect is ... er, deprecated? ... but may help to find a
perspective on the question...

If I want to render the data... then I find the different elements that
are tagged natural=xyz...

Maybe I use it in a geological orientated topographical map. Then I
could take e.g. mesa and show the steep edges. A plateau could be
rendered some way. In what way you would see the piano / altopiano / flat?


The point is that it seems to me that it is not really possible to
translate it to another language. (Which applies to any word...!, you
always have differences depending on culture and context). Especially
here you can't be sure that the tag will be used in the sense that you
mean.

 >("It is an important feature in the Alps, since these mountains have
always been inhabited and exploited for grazing. Finding a small flat
spot was nice, because animals and men could rest there, or it was
possible to build a little house. This explains why almost every single
flat spot here in the Alps have a name given many years ago." - the
contextual background. It has a completely different implication in
desert mountains.)

I just looked in taginfo about natural=flat. This has someone used for
very big areas in Slovakia
(https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/1934540,
https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/1934514). The occurance is quite
rare, but generally you may expect discussions with people who already
have used a tag in another sense.

On the other hand if you use something more precise
natural=small_high_flat, it won't be used very widely. But maybe it is
ok that it is a regional feature of the alps. Using e.g.
natural=altopiano. This would have the effect that it won't be rendered
in a wrong way (because it would be ignored by usual renderers), and
anyone interested could use it locally.


You see, I really don't have an answer to the question, but it's
interesting. ;-)


Sebastian