[OSM-talk] Proposal superseded_by tag for ID stabilisation

[Lester Caine]

Steve Bennett wrote:
> In general I think there's some value in what you're describing here,
> not just for id stability, but in better understanding the history and
> provenance of objects, which helps with attributing authorship. Some
> sort of more generic meta-tagging scheme might be good (superseded_by
> could easily be interpreted as referring to the actual physical
> objects, not the OSM objects), so maybe something like osm:new_id=xxx,
> osm:merge_into=xxx etc.

new_id=xxx is an interesting thought especially if it can be used to manage the 
back linking of history when a split is instigated. So that an older id may well 
have several new_id tags as splits of the element happen? superseded_by only 
sounds appropriate where the original id does become historic redundant data?

I think people have lost sight of the start_date and end_date though? I think 
that still provides an important element if people ARE will to accept that there 
is historic data now being accumulated? Deleting a building as demolished has a 
date, and creating a new building on the site has a date. While they are 
physically located at a similar point, they are not the same object, but it is 
necessary to maintain the history of that change, and similar things such as 
change of use ...

I still live in the hope of being able to draw a map of an area with a 
particular date to go with my genealogical work ...

-- 
Lester Caine - G8HFL
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