[Osmf-talk] Applications creating notes

[Brian M. Sperlongano]

On Thu, May 18, 2023 at 3:19 PM Alexander Heinlein <
alexander.heinlein at web.de> wrote:

> regarding bad or missing data:
> We should probably create a (much) stronger focus on user feedback.
> Especially for users of commercial OSM-based software.
>
> Just an idea: All commercial OSM-based data users _must_[1] provide an
> user feedback channel. This means there _must_ be a way to create map
> notes, like there is already in various apps (Maps.Me, OsmAnd etc) in order
> to report missing/wrong POIs, addresses etc. Anonymous reports will
> probably be enough. Likewise, commercial OSM-based routers _must_ ask the
> user at the end about their experience. To make parsing easier, provide
> some typical answers additionally to a free-form text field. These answers
> could be: Report non-existing or impassable roads, report unnecessary
> detours, report wrong speed limits etc.
>
> Users must be able to dismiss these dialogs, i.e. skip the possibility to
> provide feedback. But they must have the most easiest way to provide
> feedback if they feel to do so.
>
> Of course this will create a certain amount of garbage input. But it will
> also create valuable input to improve our map data. And it will allow
> non-mappers to actually make a difference and to give them a certain idea
> about how OSM works.
>

I operate a site that is heavily based on OSM data. I have explicitly
avoided building a capability for users to report problems with the map and
piping that to notes precisely because of the garbage input problem.
Instead, I just point them to OpenStreetMap and point out that any user can
edit it, and I've ended up with a small number of users that actively and
competently edit OSM as a result. I've seen enough horror stories from
other apps spamming notes that I under no circumstances want to be a
participant in perpetuating that problem. Also, since my site is a
"completeness tracker" (running every street in a city), it's become a
fairly effective tool for comprehensive on-foot surveys of streets in
places where my users are active.
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