Tags with multiple definitions and conflicting use considering site convention

Question

Sometimes a tool or process in one software is called something else in another, for whatever reason. An example might be Thiessen vs Voronoi polygons, or Spatial Join vs Query. In perhaps rarer instances names might conflict, and it seems this can lead to conflicts in our tagging system.

To get on with a specific example, I noted today that apparently CartoDB refers to geocoding in their documentation and tools as georeferencing. We actually have a question on main about the distinction between the two terms: What is the difference between geocoding and georeferencing? and while I might agree that geocoding could be considered a form of georeferencing, it seemed fairly clear to me there is a distinction. Including how the terms are used here on GIS.SE.

But with CartoDB's terminology, now we have a tagging hiccup. Anyone coming from that perspective tag/call it georeferencing - there are 15 questions with that combination. Another 11 combine geocoding and cartodb. 3 questions use all three. I'm not sure about any other potential misapplication of either geocoding or georeferencing (there's about 360 questions each, rounded, with 6 having both). But site convention at least appears to distinguish between the two.

How should the tagging of geocoding questions for CartoDB be handled?

1. georeferencing applied without geocoding
2. georeferencing changed to geocoding regardless of what CartoDB calls it
3. both applied only in the case of CartoDB questions
4. tags left a mix as whatever the asker/initial tagger decides
5. something else

(Are there any other examples of such tag/naming conflicts you can think of and how / if they were handled?)

Answer 1

While my preference would be to see CartoDB adopt similar definitions for geocoding and georeferencing to those used by the large majority of our GIS community, as an interim and pragmatic solution my suggestion would be to tag CartoDB questions on "true" geocoding as georeferencing-cartodb and then to make georeferencing-cartodb a synonym of geocoding.

That way when a CartoDB user starts to type "georef..." they will presented with two candidates - one that contains their product name. Upon choosing that what will be stored is geocoding and any investigation by the CartoDB user should uncover that they are using the term "georeferencing" differently to how other GIS users do i.e. we will have done our bit for GIS education.