text: i know less than zero, which i guess qualifies me to edit the map.
  
  first with an eye to the border rendering, https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/United_States_admin_level almost makes some sense when not viewed in text-browser lynx, so whether admin_level 8 or 9 is correct must be decided by someone whose eyes do not glaze over when overwhelmed by details and rules, like mine.
  
  my guess after the experiment in changeset i cannot paste here either, is the node is purely for cosmetic purposes as it cannot be redundant for the detail and positional accuracy of the border.
  
  but there seems to be a networking conspiracy against me now.