[OSM-dev] A bit of developer philosophy...

[Richard Fairhurst]

Frederik Ramm wrote:

> One of my reasons is that once you start bossing around your users  
> then you take responsibility for *everything* they do. (US coffee  
> cups having a "caution! content may be hot" warning; US Batman  
> costumes carrying the note "caution! costume does not enable wearer  
> to fly!")

I dunno, I don't see it as that simple. Many design omissions are  
deliberate recommendations of some sort by the designer, as when  
segments still existed but Potlatch didn't let you create them except  
as part of ways; that's not bossing the user around, that's  
furthering good practice.

A KML import option is an active invitation for the user to import a  
Google-dominated file format, like Google WMS is an active invitation  
to trace off Google Maps. "Not providing an active invitation" isn't  
the same as bossing users around.

cheers
Richard