[OSM-newbies] Welcome WG meeting notes

[Michael S]

Hi all,

> In the mean time, I think we should use this channel to carve out our
> strategy and objectives. To help with that, let me ask newbies in this
> list: what obstacles did you face in your first steps with OSM?

this is an incomplete summary of 'obstacles' I faced when I started with
OSM, first as slippy map user, then as a mapper:

I started to use OSM in 2009 with the purpose to find new bicycle routes
on the slippy map. At that time I just wanted to use OSM maps, not to
contribute. But already there I faced obstacle 1, the map key:

O1: I was confused that the key (legend) of the slippy map is not
complete. For example the various mapnik tracktypes are rendered in
brown colour either as solid line or dashes / dotted line. The map key
only shows a dashed line, but the map location I was viewing had a lot
of solid lines.

It took a few weeks until I figured out that I can use the MapFeatures
page as a better reference to understand better the items rendered on
the map. I don't remember why it was so hard to find that page. Maybe
because it's not linked from the map page, maybe because the term "Map
Features" did not mean anything to me a german native speaker.

In mid 2012, when I started to become an active mapper with JOSM, the
next obstacles have been:

O2: I wanted to map a new road, nonexisting in OSM at that time. I did
my own gps recording on the new road. When I wanted to add it via JOSM,
I thought I can upload the GPS track directly as a way, but I couldn't
find how to do that in JOSM. When I found the JOSM feature: "Convert GPS
track into data layer" the editor gave me a warning, that this should be
avoided. After that I went back to the wiki to read how to map roads. At
first I didn't get the point why I first should upload my GPS track to
OSM, but not use it as new data for the map? Then, after more careful
reading of the beginners guide, I got the point.

O3: I tried to insert a new track and it wasn't clear to me what are the
rules to connect new tracks to existing tracks. After reading the
Beginners_Guide_1.3.1 (General tips for adding roads or other ways) it
was clear to me.

I think two questions conclude from this:
- Are there more mappers like me, who became a mapper through the mere
usage of the slippy map?
- Is the beginners guide still to comprehensive for impatient newbies
like me who do not carefully read the beginner's guide?

Michael