[Talk-GB] Hello world and automated change proposal: Add missing URL scheme on UK's Pubs websites

[Andy Mabbett]

On Mon, 28 Sep 2020 at 10:00, Frederik Ramm <frederik at remote.org> wrote:

> The change you plan to execute is of limited use. Yes, it ensures more
> conformity in the data, but it will be a temporary fix (since new
> "wrong" URLs can be added at any time).

This seems like an argument for never fixing any error.

> So what your edit does is, it "touches" lots of objects and adds no
> meaningful information whatsoever.

This statement is false, not least because in some cases "http://" is
added, in others "https://"; each of those - and the difference
between them - conveys meaningful information.

> It creates load on the database

The level of load is trivial. Have our database maintainers ever said
that a load of such small magnitude is problematic?

> There are many, many better ways to contribute to OSM than runnning a
> useless automated conformity edit. Take a notebook or mobile editor, go
> outside, check if the phone booths on OSM are still there on the ground,
> add a few opening times, or even trees for that matter - a single hour
> of such original work is more useful to OSM that what you are proposing
> here.

Denigrating another's contribution - a valid and valuable contribution
- in this manner is antithetical to the spirit in which OSM activity
is supposed to be conducted.

> Remember: OSM is not an IT project.

Of course it is. "Information technology (IT) is the use of computers
to store, retrieve, transmit, and manipulate data or information." [1]


[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology

-- 
Andy Mabbett
@pigsonthewing
http://pigsonthewing.org.uk