[OSM-talk] Users, contributors and developers

[SteveC]

On 27 Apr 2007, at 09:28, Andy Robinson wrote:

> SteveC wrote:
>> Sent: 27 April 2007 9:27 AM
>> To: Frederik Ramm
>> Cc: OSM
>> Subject: Re: [OSM-talk] Users, contributors and developers
>>
>>
>> On 27 Apr 2007, at 00:35, Frederik Ramm wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>>> Now I just wanted people to be able to have
>>>> some third attribute, I don't super mind what it's called. I came
>>>> away super frustrated that we couldn't even agree having it was a
>>>> good idea.
>>>
>>> It's just different mentalities really. Some (including you) say
>>> "let's put that in, I think people are going to put it to good use
>>> somehow", others say "if you can't say how it should be used, then
>>> leave it out because it will only add to the confusion... even
>>> though we would like to have it...".
>>>
>>> It is true that introducing a "third column" without exact specs on
>>> how to use it will add to the confusion. But that's not necessarily
>>> a bad thing because out of the confusion my arise a better spec
>>> than could have been provided beforehand. (May, not will; you never
>>> know where you get with those community processes.
>>
>> What confusion? And there is a clear use-case - namespaces.
>>
>
> For the laymen amongst us (myself included ;-) ) can someone  
> concisely give
> the reasons that suggest a third column over and above the use of
> namespaces?

We were talking about the order and the name of what in database  
terms is just a third column (in addition to key and value). So  
should it be called namespace or subkey or what and in what order  
should it be given?

eg

namespace:key=value
eg en:name:blah street

or subkey?

key:subkey=value

name:de=blahstrasse

 From the database POV it really doesn't matter but for those who see  
the keyval system as 'chaos' it's all deeply significant. We couldn't  
even agree that a third column was _needed_. Andy speaking from the  
front lines would it be useful if it existed?

have fun,

SteveC | steve at asklater.com | http://www.asklater.com/steve/