[OSM-talk] threats

[Nigel Magnay]

> I agree with the argument that if people cannot fix things like names
> of streets where they live without active registration they will not
> do it (people in this case not being people with gps and interest in
> editing a lot).

No - just /less/ people will do it.

OSM is (I think) trying to build accurate maps. In Wikipedia, the fact
that anonymous people can edit only works (to the extent that it can
be said to work, and I note that new articles can no longer be created
in this way) because factual errors and deliberate vandalism are
relatively easy to spot. I don't think the same is true for maps. If I
idly go in and change a street name, who's going to notice? An
unsubstantiated fact in wikipedia can be checked - do you really know
that (say) the street round the corner from me is, in fact 'ramsay
road', and not 'ramsey road' as google/teleatlas says it is?

And anyway - requiring an account does not preclude the option of
other methods. I can't delete messages on message boards, but I can
'report abuse'. Similarly, I might not be able to arbitarily change
the names of roads on a map, but I might be able to 'report mistake'
(or, even, have the applet know that I was not registered, put my
changes into a waiting area, and allow a registered user commit them).