[OSM-talk] OSM Tagging for Haiti: Humanitarian Data Models in support of OSM tagging for Haiti EQ

[Jean-Marc Liotier]

Jean-Marc Liotier wrote:
> Micha Ruh wrote:
>> 2010/1/16 Jean-Marc Liotier <jm at liotier.org <mailto:jm at liotier.org>>
>>
>>     I tried to
>>     replace "building=collapsed" with "earthquake:damage=collapsed_building"
>>
>> Please don't, it's useless, if not harmful.
>>
>> Why do you want to replace a simple, understandable, well established,
>> broadly supported tag with something THAT complicated?
>>
>> It's ok, that another tag with the same meaning exists due to imports,
>> but please DO NOT change well known and used tags with another one
>> coming from an import.
>>
>> Especially not when the new tag is 35 chars long. Try editing that in
>> potlatch.
> 
> Take a look at tagstats :
> 
> tag			value			uses	node	way
> building		collapsed		1,045	747	298
> earthquake:damage	collapsed_building	1,473	1,465	8
> 
> We have two tags to describe the same thing. One is apparently more
> widespread, more conformant to published standards and semantically
> superior.
> 
> What do others think ? Is tag length such an issue ? Doesnt
> autocompletion solve the problem of tag length ? Is it desirable to
> standardize ? Isn't it harmful to have two tags to describe the same
> thing ? Is the value of harmonization inferior to the value of not
> disturbing habits taken in the last few days ? Do we have past
> experience or a policy for such things ?

If the idea of removing one of the two does not generate enthusiasm,
would applying both tags everyhere be a better idea ? I don't believe
so, but I would love to read other opinions...

Actually, I'm surprised that no one else commented on this data quality
issue. Not a big issue mind you, but I'm wondering anyway...

Tagstat update :
http://tagstat.hypercube.telascience.org/haiti/tagdetails.php?tag=building
http://tagstat.hypercube.telascience.org/haiti/tagdetails.php?tag=earthquake:damage

tag			value			uses
building		collapsed		5,214
earthquake:damage	collapsed_building	3,107
building		yes			7,743