[OSM-talk] motorvej=motorway=autobahn?

[J.D. Schmidt]

pgroad skrev:
> As a Dane I find it strange to see Denmark mapped using UK (I guess) terms
> and distinctions. Is it totally without merit to map an area in local 
> terms?
This question probably stems from my answer to the exact same thing on 
the wikiproject:Denmark talk page. I'll quote the question and my reply 
here :

Danish or UK attributes for Danish maps

Is it really necessary to map Denmark using UK Map features, i.e. UK 
legislative and administrative distinctions and features. How do we map 
a Stillevej then.. I even find it very counterproductive to write this 
in English. Is the fundamental reason for mapping in UK terms a lack of 
imagination, no osmarender xsl file, a desire to map Denmark for UK 
citizens,...? if there an interest I might create a first cut for Danish 
features - rgds pgroad
================
You need to explain yourself a bit better, since I don't see the problem 
in using the current mapfeatures set, and applying them to the danish 
data. Translating the keynames and values to danish wording is more 
counterproductive, than using the english names. Or are you suggesting 
that any program that utilizes the OSM data, must know that "motorway" 
is called "motorvej" in danish, "autobahn" in german, and "motorväg" in 
swedish ? It is IMHO the program used to display the OSM data, that must 
translate between languages, not the data that must be available in a 
multitude of languages. I.E. The data should be globally accessible, 
while the programs that uses the data can be localized. Since it is 
easier to tag in a natural language like English, than using a number 
scheme where each roadtype is allotted a number, I have no problems in 
using keys and values that are named in english.

I'm personally using the tags from the mapfeatures page, and 
adapting/applying them to the danish roads as they are cathegorized in 
data from KMS.

The phonebook map is based on KMS data. If you look at the latest 
osmarender I've uploaded of Greater Copenhagen, and compare it to the 
map in the telephone book "Fagbog København 2005-2006", page 12, which 
covers Sorgenfri where you have submitted tracks and I have tagged and 
made ways of the segments based on your tracks, you can see that the 
schema I've used to tag the data with, correlates with how the KMS data 
is rendered in other maps. That means:

     * highway=motorway for "motorvej" with ref=the motorvej number, and 
name=the name of the motorway.
     * highway=primary for "landeveje med reference numre" with ref=the 
reference number, and name=the name of the road.
     * highway=secondary for "landeveje uden reference numre og 
gennemgående trafikale veje i byer", and name=the name of the road.
     * highway=residential for normal roads in towns, and name=the name 
of the road.
     * highway=unclassified for roads not covered above, and name=the 
name of the road.
     * highway=footway for "stier" and unnamed "grusveje" with 
bicycle=yes, motorcar=yes tags added where applicable, and name=the name 
if there is one.

And then added abutters=residential/mixed/commercial tags for the ways 
where they apply and the value contained in the highway tag didn't imply 
that attribute in itself.

That works for me, and has the added benefit that I don't need to change 
neither the software I'm using to render static images, nor change the 
schema used in the mapping and navigation programs I'm using that 
utilizes OSM data.

The openendedness in tagging that is employed by OSM, in the sense that 
you can define your own tags, and there is no rules saying you have to 
adhere to the tags described on the mapfeatures page, means that you, if 
you so like, can define a tag for a "stillevej", and use it. Just don't 
expect that everybody else will be using it. Dutch 07:59, 5 September 
2006 (BST)

J.D. "Dutch" Schmidt