[Talk-scotland] Pathtype proposal

[Robert Weetman]

Hi All

As discussed at the Edinburgh pub-meet... I've written a proposal for a 
new way to categorise paths. Can I invite comments and constructive 
discussion about this, either here or perhaps better on the proposal 
talk page.

In issuing this invitation can I make a couple of comments and a small 
plea please. Firstly; after several years surveying paths and a couple 
thinking hard about this I'm convinced that we absolutely do need to do 
this in one way or another (or in other words I'm convinced that the 
idea that we can manage by recording more objective things is 
understandable but incorrect). Secondly; any system will be imperfect 
(this one has several flaws). The plea: I'd be far happier to hear 
alternate (preferably better) ideas than for people to simply list the 
flaws in this scheme or to repeat the idea that we can make do with what 
tags are already available. After a couple of years of thinking hard 
about this, and about all the related tags (smoothness, surface, 
incline, visibility, sac_scale, and many others) this is the best I can 
come up with. It's definitely not perfect, but I would like to suggest 
that it would be usable if it gained some support.

Thanks - I'll be interested in all comments, even, despite what I say, 
those that indicate profound disagreement.

The proposal is here: 
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Proposed_features/pathtype%28alternative%29 

There are already a few comments on the talk page: 
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Talk:Proposed_features/pathtype%28alternative%29 

And lastly, I wrote a diary entry expanding on what I've said above - 
and this already attracted some comment: 
https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Rostranimin/diary/34533

Robert ('Rostranimin')