[Talk-GB] OSM UK address project: tags - Updated guidance

[Mike Baggaley]

The information in the wiki about not using the name tag if the feature is
known by an address or reference number or code was added on 8th April 2021,
supposedly as a clarification of  the earlier text which previously said,
"The names should be restricted to the name of the item in question only and
should not include **additional**  information not contained in the official
name such as [[How to map a|categories, types]],
[[Key:description|descriptions]], [[addresses]], [[Key:ref|refs]], or
[[Key:note|notes]]" (my asterisks). This therefore said other parts of the
address should not be put in the name field, not that a building name should
not be put in the name field, and was intended to prevent users from setting
name to something like "Primrose Cottage, High Street" or "1 High Street".

I cannot see anything in the wiki that indicates "it should not be used
where the name is only part of the address and has no independent
relevance.". The name of the building is still its name, whatever the rest
of the address is - the rest of the address is only needed to uniquely
identify it.

A quick count indicates that there are about 27000 items with building=* and
name=*House and about 31000 with building=* and addr:name=*House, so pretty
similar numbers.

This just adds weight to my view that more information/clarification is
needed in the wiki!

Cheers,
Mike

From: Mark Goodge <mark at good-stuff.co.uk>
To: talk-gb at openstreetmap.org
Subject: Re: [Talk-GB] OSM UK address project: tags - Updated guidance
Message-ID: <58c2cb7f-0a5e-60b8-4b40-22998655fb6d at good-stuff.co.uk>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

On 04/01/2022 00:18, Mike Baggaley wrote:
> I disagree, name is the correct field for entering the name of an 
> entity. In this case the entity is a building. I think the page also 
> needs to mention noname and nohousenumber (and possibly noaddress). A 
> building with name=* and nohousenumber=yes is I believe correctly not 
> flagged by streetcomplete.

name= and addr:housename= are different things, and serve different 
purposes.

addr:housename= should be used where the name is part of the postal 
address (often, but not always, where there is no number), but should 
not be used if the name does not form part of the postal address.

name= should be used for the name of an object irrespective of whether 
the name also forms part of the postal address or not. However, it 
should not be used where the name is only part of the address and has no 
independent relevance. As the wiki says:

    Do not use name=* if:
    [...]
    The feature is known by an address or reference number or code.

https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:name

Mark