[OSM-talk] Transcription and 'internationalization' in place names

[Andrew Errington]

On Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:15:38 you wrote:
> >Should I simply open a ticket on Mapnik's issue tracker, to request that
> > in Korea, labels be rendered as "name:ko (name:en)"?
>
> I think we should request for a international solution rather than Korea
> specifically, but yes, I like the idea.

Well, the international solution might be to make name=* be "name:ko 
(name:en)", or "name:xx (name:yy)" which is where we started...

I am using Korea as an example, but I am thinking about whether my suggestions 
would boil down to a generic rule that would apply anywhere.

> Claudius points out that:
> >I guess you are referring to the map rendering at
> > www.openstreetmap.orgbecause MapQuest is also using Mapnik to >render
> > their open map

Yes, indeed.  I meant the Mapnik render on osm.org, which has now been renamed 
to 'Standard'.  I will try to use that in the future.

> I don't know if MapQuest have submitted their changes upstream to Mapnik,
> but regardless of this, the same functionality should be requested on the
> osm.org Mapnik instance.
>
> As for Korea:
> >Should we add name:ko=서울특별시?
> >Otherwise, how do we know the Korean name for this city?
>
> It seems to me that adding name:ko is duplicating data. We should be using
> the local names for the name: tag, so the Korean can go in there. I would
> then have this rendered as "name= (name:en=)" on the osm.org mapnik tiles.
> Such a system could presumably be used worldwide (although I'm sure there
> are plenty of people that would disagree). Having said that, adding
> name:ko= isn't going to hurt and may be of use to other data consumers.

Well, if we *don't* include name:ko=* (for objects in Korea) then we have to 
assume that name=* is Korean.  Once we start making assumptions then we 
become sad.  I think it's better to be explicit.

In fact, I think that if name:ko=* is present, then it doesn't actually matter 
what is in name=*.  The definition of name=* then becomes subtly altered to 
mean "The label we use if no language is specified."  Then we can argue what 
goes into that label...

Best wishes,

Andrew