[OSM-dev] OSM Wishlist

[Paweł Paprota]

Hi Tom,

> So, along with the big 'kicking off' blog post on MapBox[1], I posted
> three
> basic issues in the openstreetmap-website tracker - JSON support,
> filtering
> on the main api, and a tag api.

I think these are important, but there are far more important things.
And also, these issues seem like an infrastructure issues and I would
agree a little bit (is there such a thing?) with the pushback. I would
say - build something that needs JSON support, filtering and tag API...

> 
> What do you want to see happen with OSM's software this year? What are
> the
> tasks which everyone agrees on, but nobody has had the time to tackle?
> 

...which takes me to the point:

1. Since this is a wishlist I can do this: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE sprinkle
your Mapbox goodness on the osm.org map style! I respect that the
current one's been around for <whateverlongtime> and "it works" but come
on... let's face it, it's not modern enough to serve as a "face" for the
main entry point to this project. And the style at zoom levels 0-5
should be considered torture. Also there is a lot of "3rd party" map
styles that show that OSM data can be visualized in a very pretty way.

There are over 400 open issues [1] for this stuff. At this point it may
be easier to start from scratch, I don't care. Just please work it out
with people who have the power (I heard it's somewhere in SVN authored
by someone with Windows) to modify it and improve it.

a) Yes, there are multiple angles to be considered - osm.org main style
is not about showing one single aspect of OSM. 
b) Yes, there are concerns about not displaying everything.
c) Yes, I am sure there are infrastructure concerns about changing the
style since every single tile would have to be rendered.

If OSM people successfully handled redaction period, I have no doubt
that c) can be worked out.

As for the other two - YOU ARE MAPBOX - "beautiful maps and all that" -
who else could do a good job on this?

OK... let me calm down for a second... (1) is so far ahead of everything
else that I need a minute to compose...

2. Basic web-based (JS/HTML5) editor. Perhaps continue what's been
already started [2]. No question this area can be a major barrier for
newcomers, especially potential converts from places like Google
MapMaker and such.

3. Social OSM - I've been working on this a lot lately [3] and it's good
that we are in contact. Let's cooperate and make this happen.

4. Usability/design improvements to osm.org - in short: better "face" =
more mappers = better data. Another area of interest of mine. I've found
some existing work that is very good: [4], [5] that can potentially
inspire such efforts. Again, let's make this happen.

I think these areas (especially (1)...) need a lot of love and you are
in a unique position to help give it to them...

[1] https://trac.openstreetmap.org/query?status=!closed&component=mapnik
[2] http://www.geowiki.com/
[3] https://github.com/ppawel/osm-activity-server
[4] http://forum.openstreetmap.org/viewtopic.php?pid=281564
[5] http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/User:Pumbur/Re

Paweł