[OSM-talk] automated abbreviation changes?!

[Ross Scanlon]

On 23/03/12 21:04, Jean-Marc Liotier wrote:
> On 23/03/2012 13:47, Lynn W. Deffenbaugh (Mr) wrote:
>> On 3/23/2012 8:36 AM, Mikel Maron wrote:
>>> User chdr (http://www.openstreetmap.org/user/chdr) seems to be
>>> running a script to automatically replace street name abbreviations
>>> with the full word.
>>> so 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW becomes 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
>>> Northwest. Which is not the way anyone ever writes street names here
>>> in DC.
>> IMHO, here in the US we have the USPS which has published standardized
>> street naming conventions specifically using the abbreviations. It
>> would seem to me that these "official" street names are what should
>> stick and the expansions of them should not be happening. Not to
>> mention how much more crowded the map labels would become.
> I'm new to this problem, but those possible strategies spring to my mind:
> - Record only the abbreviated name and let the user expand it using his
> favourite rules if he wants.
> - Record only the canonical expanded name and let the user abbreviate it
> using his favourite rules if he wants.
> - Record both the canonical expanded name and the abbreviated name, let
> the user choose which one he wants.


They are correct as per here:

wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Names#Abbreviation_.28don.27t_do_it.29

in that openstreetmap wiki has always had this.

For the other questions it's easy to go from the full name to an 
abbreviated output but not always easy to go from abbreviated to full.

For example is Ln Line or Lane as per here:

wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Name_finder:Abbreviations

This has been debated many times.  I know the USPS has it's "standard" 
listing but the data input is more important to be the full name and 
then abbreviate if necessary when output.

Cheers
Ross