[Imports] Suggestion: Recruit Mappers instead? Re: Preliminary Import/Organized Mapping Effort Idea

[Jóhannes Birgir Jensson]

As listed in the thread then previous efforts have gone by others into getting local involvement without success so far.

Adding the boundaries is a good improvement and one that could make locals more receptive to adding local data. If you had to start by drawing Ireland first before you could add your road and house in Cork then that would be a big hurdle and one that would fell most interested mappers. Administrative boundaries are a quaint feature and one that very few local people in any area are knowledgeable about - my neighbor could probably not tell you the exact legal definition of our own neighborhood whilst I can having delved into official documentation - a very niche thing.

I however like us all am very keen in more recruitment and will eagerly await for Rory's report on his efforts in finding and mentoring people on native reservations.

What gets us to a better map is steady improvement all the time and local involvement is very helpful there. The enemy of progress however is perfection and that is what bothers me about Rory's comment - do not what you can do to help the map now but wait for a future perfect solution. This is untenable for the future of the map if we do not do anything because it isn't perfect.

There's a lot of talk about being nice in OSM lately and that's good. But remember that it comes in many forms.

--Jóhannes / Stalfur
21. desember 2019 kl. 10:09, skrifaði "Rory McCann" <rory at technomancy.org (mailto:rory at technomancy.org?to=%22Rory%20McCann%22%20<rory at technomancy.org>)>:
This is definitely an area of the map could need work. Did you go to the talk at SotM about Indigenous Mapping?

I am a little surprised, and saddened, that you don't have, and don't require, any Native Americans involved with this.

Can I make a suggestion?

Rather than your team importing this data, what if instead you search for & mentor some Native American people to add this own data themselves? Part of the joy of OSM is putting areas one cares about on the map. Skilled OSMers like yourself can teach, mentor, and guide. There is a ready made project here for some enterprising, geeky Native American. You can show them what to do, help them navigate OSM, provide encouragement, show them how things work and how to get what they need.

Yes, my “Find & Mentor OSMer(s)” project will take longer than your original “Import the data” project, and there will be a period of time when the N.A. reservations don't appear on OSM (maybe years!). And there will be lots of hard work for you, knocking on doors, pound the pavement and trying to recruit new people.

But I think the end result is better. We would have some new, passionate OSMers, who already feel that they have made a big impact, and who come from traditionally marginalized groups. And, most importantly, it will be Native Americans themselves who are adding & mapping Native American areas. “Nothing about us, without us” and all that.

If you aren't able to this recruitment & mentoring task, then you could walk away from this import, and leave it for someone else?

There's lots of talk about diversity in OSM lately, and that's good. But remember that it comes in many forms.
--
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
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