Hi everyone - my first post in your subforum … as I am not speaking any of your languages please bear with me writing in english.
In the german subforum we are at present discussing about a tagging scheme for hiking checkpoints where hikers can stamp a booklet or card to prove that they have been at this very point. Usually these checkpoints have numbers and/or names and are part of a hiking course.
We did some research to find out where and how checkpoint=hiking is used worldwide and saw that the majority of these are mapped in Taiwan and nearly all of those (~ 9000) are tagged as checkpoint=hiking + man_made=survey_point.
Most of these are in mountain areas but many also in built up areas, some directly beside busy roads or buildings where we would not expect a hiking checkpoint at all. We also noted that apparently it is a popular activity for hikers in Taiwan to search for such survey markers all over the country and after finding one take photos to document that they were there.
According to our understanding a survey marker without any checkpoint equipment would not qualify as hiking=checkpoint but maybe there is a different understanding in your area? Or do all of these 9000 survey points provide some additional feature like a stamp, puncher or registration booklet qualifying them as checkpoints?
We would be happy if you could help with some clarification.
Bringing my question back once again. Anyone who can help with some clarification?
If all these survey points do not have any extra installation qualifiying them as hiking checkpoint (as described in the wiki) the tag checkpoint=hiking should be removed to avoid any misunderstanding about the nature of these objects.
Hi, @Map_HeRo , how do you do, sorry I just saw your message today.
After reading your message and OSM wiki (Key:checkpoint), I know your suspect is correct. Most of checkpoint=hiking tag are mis-used in Taiwan.
Two things:
1. I actually didn’t add these tags. I could remove them (checkpoint=hiking), but I’m afraid that it would be added back.
2. In Taiwan, we do have checkpoint with photo of yourself standing beside a benchmark. But there are very few (less than 100). How do you suggest this tagging?
Hi rudychung, welcome to the forum and thank you for your reply.
From your message I understand the situation is a I imagined it to be. To avoid misinterpretation of the tag checkpoint=hiking I would recommend the following steps:
For every survey point where there is nothing but the survey point itself (no other equipment at all) I would remove the checkpoint=hiking tag. Example:
Every survey point offering some additional equipment like a metal plate with name and altitude usable for a selfie I would tag as man_made=survey_point + checkpoint=hiking + checkpoint:type=photo. Example:
For every location where there is no survey point but some other object used by hikers to make a selfie, like a stone pyramide or a pole or plate with some inscription I would use the tags tourism=checkpoint + checkpoint=hiking + checkpoint:type=photo.
For Step 2, most of “survey point offering some additional equipment like a metal plate with name and altitude usable for a selfie” are not check point. As only some of them are choosed for certain certification checkpoint.
And unfortuantely, some choosed checkpoint, may have no survey point with only a plate.
I think, most of checkpoint nodes here in Taiwan, is kind of mistagging.
I am afraid you are right. So it would probably be the best to remove the checkpoint tag from all of them.
As there are not many mappers taking part in this topic, is there any other channel you can discuss this issue with other hiking mappers in your place?
It would definitely help to identity those places which really have some popular hiking certification and separate them from those who do not have any function like this.
Thanks again for taking care of this issue!
Regards from Mikke
I have seen that you have cleared the issue already, with 92 hiking checkpoints remaining now which are duly tagged with tourism=checkpoint, checkpoint_type=* and course=*. Well done!
