[OSM-dev] finding OSM users by their home locations

[Tom Hughes]

Emilie Laffray wrote:

> I guess it all depends on whether the users have accepted to make public
> their location. I am not sure whether the site allows to decide whether
> to make public or not your location.

Well first of all we don't require anybody to give their location at 
all, though some people might want to (as it becomes their default map 
view when logged in) but not make it public.

Secondly, if it is set then only people that have made their data public 
are visible, but of course all new members get that state automatically 
and can't change it. Plus anybody wanting to edit the map now needs to 
make their edits public.

> However, it varies from people to people and if they choose to make
> their location public I see no reason not to send them an email. I just
> wouldn't like it. The key thing is that you have to be careful about
> privacy in this case.

I would suggest that we (a) add a new "reveal my location" preference 
and then (b) add better features for browsing a map with users who have 
chosen to reveal their location marked.

Tom

-- 
Tom Hughes (tom at compton.nu)
http://www.compton.nu/