[OSM-talk] Species names

[Jack Stringer]

2009/7/9 Someoneelse <lists at mail.atownsend.org.uk>:
> Jack Stringer wrote:
>> My rule of thumb would of be label it in english rather that local name.
>> But that's because I am english. Using latin would put some people off
>> from tagging Zoos.
>
> We'd better think of another name for "zoo" then (and presumably
> catching the "bus" to get there is right out)?  The Finns* are about the
> only people in Europe to have escaped the dash for Latin/Greek loanwords
> over the last couple of hundred years - the rest of us need to get
> inventing.
>
> (sorry, couldn't resist)

The term I remember hearing was 'English is a bastard language' we
have taken what we want from different languages to make our own. So
be it.

If people want to go to the effort of creating a translation system
for the maps then it would be fine to use the Latin (what ever) term.
But for now OSM is still very new and so mapping stuff with the
general name should be fine for now. I only said to use English
because the tags are in most cases English.

Rather tagging an enclosure 'Lesser Spotted Mapper' it should be
labelled as 'Mappers' because the Zoo may change the breed or might
put several breeds in the same enclosure.

Longleat Zoo has areas that you can drive though that contain several
different animals. Zebra, Giraffe etc. How would you label that?

> A dog is named 'Spike' although it is of species 'Canis lupus'.
> name=Spike
> species=Canis lupus

That idea works but does not work so well for a Zoo that may have 10+
animals in it all called different names.

Are we going to map the breads in the enclosure or just the type of animal?

For the average person who is going to use the map, I think that using
the name tag and using a general understandable term would do. If a
spotter wants to have the species tags etc. then they can add them in
but the map must remain accessible to the users who wish to use it.


Jack Stringer