[Talk-us] Changeset to revert (or defend?)

[David ``Smith'']

I have found the changes in a particular changeset to be rather
unhelpful and in fact quite annoying:

http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/changeset/4363590
Belongs to: NE2
Tags:
comment = Removing negative layers from ground-level features.
created_by = JOSM/1.5 (3081 en)

Some examples of the "ground-level features" that were stripped of
their negative layer tags:

http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/way/26497642
A section of 8-Mile Rd in a "volleyball interchange" in Detroit.  This
is a 3-level interchange between two major city avenues, where the
middle level is at "ground level" and in fact provides access to
properties and side-streets adjacent to the interchange.  Setting
"layer=-1" on the lowest level makes perfect sense.

http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/way/29687558
A section of the Scioto River in downtown Columbus.  While technically
the "ground" is the riverbed itself, this river is certainly lower
than anything else around.  Most bridges that cross it are tagged
layer=0 because they are generally not higher than the rest of the
streets they carry.

http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/way/29314498
A section of the South Innerbelt, also in downtown Columbus.  This
freeway is in a trench, easily 20 to 30 feet below the streets.  Were
it covered, it could legitimately be tagged as a tunnel.  (Eventually,
portions of it could be.)

All three of these examples, and presumably the vast majority of ways
in the changeset, have other features crossing over them that are
tagged with layer=0.  NE2 did not change those to layer=1.  As far as
I can tell, he didn't even check for their possible existence.  I
believe this changeset was done simply to satisfy some arbitrary (and
not widely-accepted) restriction on use of the layer tag, putting some
academic idea of "correct" tagging over practical realities.

Would anyone like to defend these changes?  Of those who would defend
it, how many are willing to fix the semantic problems they caused, by
increasing the layer on all of the affected bridges (and any bridges
over them, and so on)?  I think reverting the changeset would just be
easier.  Unfortunately, I'm a Windows user with no easy way to do
that.

-- 
David "Smith"
a.k.a. Vid the Kid
a.k.a. Bír'd'in

Does this font make me look fat?