Talk:Tag:information=stele

Rendering

This tag seem rendered only by CyclOSM and HOT.
Not by OSM, OpenTopoMap or Waymarked Trails.

--Pyrog (talk) 11:05, 16 April 2023 (UTC)

I added an issue to the OSM carto Github to see if anyone can add rendering to this tag. --AragonChristopherR17z (talk) 08:08, 5 February 2024 (UTC)

Vagueness and regional uses

In the Github issue related to having this feature rendered, the issue of this tag being vague as well as having regional practices was brought up. I decided to look further into this so I'll re-post my comment here as it may be useful in identifying places where this tag could be improved:

The Wiki description is pretty simplistic and does allow for a vague interpretation. I went ahead and looked for different instances of this tag and noticed some interesting things: In the instances I found in Russia, the tag was used for monument-like structures, usually but not always taller than they are wide, and were usually a kind of welcome monument with a localities' name.

Outside of Russia, the tag is generally used for what is depicted in the Wiki, a tall board with information about a place, directions to other amenities, and sometimes maps. This was generally the case of what I found in Germany, Poland, the UK, and France, with few exceptions where it is used on stones with inscriptions, information plaques on stone, and what I think is actually a water level measuring stick.

In Japan, where there are only a handful of instances, this tag was used for a tall information post, but also for a large stone block with etched inscriptions and in one case what would more accurately be an information board.

In the US, the use is generally the same as in central Europe, with exceptions being cases where an information board tag may or may not be more appropriate as well as some cases similar to Russia where it was used for a locality sign.

In South America, there were cases where it was used for tall welcome signs to a locality and a park.

Basically, the problem with the tag is that there's overlap with welcome signs, regular information boards, and (probably because a stele implies a stone structure) plaques or inscriptions on stones; but, they are still generally used, except for in Russia apparently, to denote a tall structure which functions as a type of information board with place names, directions, amenities, maps, etc. There should be an effort to differentiate it from welcome signs, monuments, and plaques which would help to give this tag a more concrete meaning/purpose.

I don't want to make any changes to the Wiki yet, so hopefully someone with more experience can use this info to improve the tag.

--AragonChristopherR17z (talk) 07:15, 6 February 2024 (UTC)