[talk-au] Mapping "off track" hiking routes

stevea steveaOSM at softworkers.com
Sat Oct 24 07:50:46 UTC 2020


On Oct 23, 2020, at 6:14 PM, Greg Lauer <gregory.lauer at gmail.com> wrote:
> I have not seen any apps that, for example, display any attribute (or graphic) to show a track is closed.

Try Carto (Standard) on a web page, how most users see OSM’s data as a map.  When tagged access=no, for example, a highway=path does not show as red dots, but rather as faint grey dots.

> So the tagging of trails is not visible to most users, and we have the issue of maintaining the tags as they are usually fluid (open, closed etc),

Mmmm, “false” (see above) and “usually false” (as closed trails usually stay closed trails, rather than be “fluid").  OSM maps “what is,” not “what we wish the world to be."

> The real world example for me is riding in the local forest in SE QLD and seeing other riders blindly following MapsMe on tracks that are closed (and tagged as such but not visible on the map).

They are not blind if they are riding.  They are not blind, but let’s agree foolish if they are riding on closed trails which are signed as closed trails (so signed on the ground), regardless of what MapsMe says, because MapsMe doesn’t make people ride on closed trails, people foolishly choosing to ignore signs that say “Closed Trail” are what make people ride on closed trails.  Their choice, not MapsMe “making them.”  Let’s remember that OSM is a data project, not one to curate a specific renderer to display with specific semiotics:  getting data correct is paramount.

> I am not suggesting a 'tagging to render' regime but just tagging a trail as closed is not having the effect we think it does. Short of adding an attribution to the trail name I am not sure how we resolve? Example xyz trail [Closed]

It sounds like you are suggesting ’tagging to render’ when you suggest something contrary to our wiki, which admonishes us to put into the name key “the name only.”  I ask “what effect DO you hope to have by tagging a trail as closed?”  If it is to “cause” potential users of a trail not to, I’d say you need to lower your expectations, as that is not what OSM either does or is designed to do.  When in the real world, pay attention to its signs.  Maps strive to be a good representation of the real world, but please do not confuse the map for the territory.

SteveA
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