[OSM-talk] automated abbreviation changes?!

[Tobias Knerr]

Jean-Marc Liotier wrote:
> 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.

Usually, the name tag should contain the non-abbreviated name, and 
software using the data should shorten it if appropriate. See e.g. the 
relevant section in http://wiki.osm.org/wiki/Names :

"Do not abbreviate words. Computers can easily shorten words but not the 
other way (St. could be Street or Saint). If the signs have abbreviated 
words and you don't know what the full word is, then use it temporarily 
until someone else complete it. Using short forms is a decision of 
software i.e. the underlying data should have the full street name. This 
will allow a renderer, a router or a location finder to introduce 
abbreviations as necessary."

Around here (Germany), we indeed avoid using even common abbreviations 
in the name tag . But how you handle this in your area is of course an 
issue that should preferably be agreed on by local contributors, and any 
automated edits need to be discussed in advance. I think it would be 
easier for users of our data if the conventions for tags like name=* 
would be applied somewhat consistently throughout the map, though.

Tobias