<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sat, Feb 22, 2020 at 12:49 PM Wayne Emerson, Jr. via talk <<a href="mailto:talk@openstreetmap.org">talk@openstreetmap.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<div>The OSM World Discord server usually
has people on that can answer basic questions
<a href="https://discord.gg/q6HnfNZ" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/q6HnfNZ</a><br>
Doing the iD tutorial teaches the basics and is easy to learn. One
can learn the basic tags by using the presets found using the iD
search box. Tagging a basic individual object can be learned from
the wiki.<br></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>The iD tutorial is very helpful for new mappers. Completing the tutorial only takes a few minutes. Unfortunately only a small percentage start or complete the tutorial. Since the first of the year of the nearly 6800 new mappers only 29% complete the entire tutorial. While it doesn't get at complex edits, it does cover what I see a typical new mapper contribute. </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div><div>
<br>
However some tagging situations are more complex, like how to tag
a school (What tags go on schoolyard vs. the building) or bus
routes, or admin boundaries, etc. There are some nice guides
buried in the wiki but it can be difficult for a beginner to wade
through all the component tags before finding a guide to the
whole. This can be discouraging to a new mapper. Even more so when
you do find a guide, for example, on tagging bus routes but then
not being sure if its the new scheme or the old scheme and so many
contradictions can make people give up.<br></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I agree with this assessment. Just yesterday a new mapper added a new park, unfortunately one already existed. Because it was a complex multipolygon I'm sure they did realize it. </div><div><br></div><div> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div><div>
<br>
Wiki cleanup & a front page link to an index of authoritative
& current tagging guides for complex entities would be nice.
Maybe call it "Special Mapping Guides"<br></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Creating nicer guides would be nice, but my experience, most new mappers don't start looking at the wiki until much later. I do point to wiki articles when giving feedback with the hope they will read it.</div><div><br></div><div>One of the other problems facing new and occasional mappers is the complexity and density of many of the cities. When I started in the US I was able to add glaciers and parks with a clean palette to work from. Today when mapping we have unlike features joined, complex relations, streets with lane counts and turn lanes, streams, culverts, sidewalks, buildings, etc.. It's much harder to for a new or occasional mapper to contribute without problems. </div><div><br></div><div>Some might suggest we force new mappers to go through the tutorial. I don't think that's the answer. It would turn too many people off. The only solution I can suggest is to make our editing software more robust with better hints and presets. For this I applaud iD for the many improvements that have been made over the years. </div><div><br></div><div>Best,</div><div>Clifford</div></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div>@osm_washington<br></div><div><a href="https://www.snowandsnow.us" target="_blank">www.snowandsnow.us</a></div><div>OpenStreetMap: Maps with a human touch</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>