Currently when uploading tracks they can only be classified by a single tag field without any hints what to enter. IMO each track should be tagged (name, type) as the corresponding object on the map when uploaded. The web GUI should encurrage this by providing separate fields for name, type and other tags. A direct link to a list of currently used types should be provided. Also there should be a field for “means of transportation”, also with link to a list of possible values.
The reasons are quite obvious, as soon as multiple tracks for different objects close by are uploaded, it won’t be possible to distinct between tracks. One can only rely on his own tracks and not on others. Means of transportation is essential if anytime actual traffic speed is used (currently travelling times in OSM are rather unrealistic).
I’m astonished that this has been asked for before but not implemented. IMO uploading tracks without name, type and means of transportation is useless except for the owner himself. Especially since the workload to implement it probably is less than 2h. Well if others think diferent, let it be as it is.
One more reason can be that a big part of the mappers don’t upload their newly recorded GPS tracklogs, they keep them on their PC just to load them in offline editors like Merkaartor or JOSM.
I find your statement on fully automatic mapping interesting… do you know of such an activity/project/url? Actually, a smartphone with sensors could automatically tag thinks like car driving, walking, horseback, running, biking; road (or rail?) conditions included.