[OSM-talk] highway=ford vs ford=yes

[Andrew Errington]

On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:08:45 M∡rtin Koppenhoefer wrote:
> 2010/11/1 Andrew Errington <a.errington at lancaster.ac.uk>:
> > On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:22:19 M∡rtin Koppenhoefer wrote:
> >> 2010/11/1 SomeoneElse <lists at mail.atownsend.org.uk>:
> >> > On 31/10/2010 13:46, Gorm E. Johnsen wrote:
> >> >> I propose to replace highway=ford with ford=yes (or perhaps
> >> >> barrier=ford?) on nodes as well, simply to de-clutter the highway tag
> >> >> and to be more consistent.
> >>
> >> IMHO for the cases I tagged highway=ford on nodes it fits well.
> >> "simply to declutter" is not a sufficient argument to change 5000 tags
> >> that are in use for a long time.
> >
> > ford=yes is the right answer, like bridge=yes and tunnel=yes.  A ford is
> > a linear feature, usually extending across the width of a river, much
> > like a bridge does, which could be several metres long.
>
> I tagged a path crossing a stream with highway=ford. Even if this is
> on closeup a linear feature, beeing the stream less then 1 meter wide
> and the path as well, anything else then a node seems exaggerated to
> me. If the ford is to cross a real river I agree that a way would be
> better.

So ford=yes can apply to a way or a node.  Easy.

> > Replacing 5000 instances of
> > the 'old' tag is a drop in the ocean.
>
> no, it is completely replacing an entire feature forcing your own idea
> of how a feature should be represented. Automated Edits of this kind
> are not welcome. See the wiki on automated edits.

Well it would be if I was going to do it, which I never even mentioned.

Best wishes,

Andrew