Well, at the moment the question as articulated in the wiki is whether to split the existing amenity=embassy (which encompasses both embassies and consulates) into amenity=embassy and amenity=consulate. If in the view of the OSM community amenity=consulate is inappropriate, then logically so is amenity=embassy, and we need a new proposal to change it. I have no idea why amenity=embassy first came into existence. There is another proposal to create amenity=diplomatic and then use the diplomatic=* tag to define more precisely what type of facility an object is. I have added it to the proposal wiki, but assume you would not like it, either.
Paul, are you proposing office=diplomatic and diplomatic=[embassy, mission, nunciature, consulate, consulate_general, consular agency, honorary_consul], or something else? I'll be happy to add your proposal to the list of counterproposals on the wiki and promote discussion of it. As for objection to the service=* tag, would a new consular:*=* tag be a better solution? Just asking. I'm not well versed in programing editors. It would be something like consular:immigrant_visas=yes, consular:nonimmigrant_visas=yes, consular:citizen_services=yes, etc. As for whether embassies serve "any purpose other than housing spies," as a diplomat now for over 30 years, I can assure you that at least in the case of U.S. embassies, we diplomats do a lot more than that. Please take a look at the integrated country strategy of my embassy, here: https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/285262.pdf for a taste of what a small U.S. embassy does. The larger U.S. embassies do much more. I cannot speak for the embassies of other nations. On 10/24/2018 8:52 PM, Paul Allen wrote: > On Wed, Oct 24, 2018 at 4:19 PM Allan Mustard <al...@mustard.net > <mailto:al...@mustard.net>> wrote: > > Please do continue to comment and to offer suggestions, and to > pose questions. > > This is pretty much based on gut feelings and may be partially or > completely wrong... > > I don't think "amenity" is a suitable tag for a consulate. Amenities > are parks, or toilets, or similar. > "Should we go to the park or the consulate for a picnic today?" "I'm > busting for a crap, where's the > nearest consulate?" And I'm damned sure an embassy isn't an amenity > (I'm not even sure, in these > days of telecommunications, if it serves any purpose other than > housing spies, but if heads of state > do still use embassies for formal communication between governments > they're definitely not > amenities). > > Embassies and consulates seem a slightly better fit in > office=government, but still a square peg with > the corners filed down a little trying to fit into a round hole. > > I'm not happy with service:*=* acting as distinctions as service is > used elsewhere for other things. > It complicates editors as they have to do selective matching to figure > out which particular > service:* tags to offer up with a particular main tag. It is also > less easy to comprehend at a > glance. I'd say diplomatic=* is a better way to go because it is more > obvious and easier for > editors. > > I don't know what the answer is, all I can say is I'm not overly happy > with what has been > suggested so far. > > -- > Paul >
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