[OSM-talk] How to tag dead-ends and how to distinguish them from incomplete ways

[David Earl]

On 26/09/2009 15:00, Kai at VieleVisels wrote:
> Hi,
> many people tag ways, which are incomplete and show just the beginning, 
> with the note (or FIXME) = stub. In the wiki, the tag noexit=no is 
> intended for this.
> I think it would be helpful have one way to tag this and to render both 
> (dead-ends and incomplete ways), to show where work has to be done.
>  
> Any comments on this?

I've taken to doing this (not my idea, I borrowed it) to indicate the 
opposite: a way that is to be continued.
http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=52.41903&lon=0.14988&zoom=17&layers=B000FTFT
I've seen others use three ways as "dots" as in an ellipsis for similar.

One of the first things I proposed when I joined OSM was a "to be 
continued" tag which would be rendered. I think something like this only 
works if it is rendered because the whole point is to indicate to people 
where there is (or isn't depending which way round you do it) work to be 
done. I'd much prefer a tag for the purpose that this rather clumsy 
graphic but it needs rendering and since there was no enthusiasm for 
doing that at the time (this was three years ago).

The problem about having a "dead end" tag is that then the implication 
is that everything else is incomplete, and that's essentially everything 
(that just ends). It is a much harder job to tag the true dead ends than 
the missing links which in any case will reduce over time.

Perhaps it's time to promote the "to be continued" taga again.

David