[OSM-talk] Improving community within the OSM site

[Andy Robinson]

Ben Gimpert wrote:
>Sent: 23 May 2006 09:34
>To: talk at openstreetmap.org
>Subject: Re: [OSM-talk] Improving community within the OSM site
>
>On Tue, 23 May 06 @10:09am, Erik Johansson wrote:
>> To create the community we have to expose ourselves more, and not
>> protect our privacy. As Wikipedia shows all info on edits (time and
>> who) so why shouldn't we. The biggest privacy concern is the GPX
>> tracks, not where you edit.
>>
>> You can download all my GPX tracks, and you will know this of me:
>> 1. where I buy my tea (great shop)
>> 2. where I live
>> 3. where I buy my thai food (wonderful food)
>> 4. where I work
>> 5. where I study
>> 6. when I'm not doing what I should do.
>>
>> But that's because I choose not to edit my GPX files, and I don't
>> really care about privacy.
>>
>> Am I alone thinking like this?
>
>Absolutely not.  My lifestyle is deeply uninteresting, and so for my own
>purposes I hope OSM's privacy consciousness -- in its well-intended
>extremeness -- comes to be reconsidered.
>

That's my view too, however I'm also conscious that in some locations around
the world owning and using a gps is still akin to taking pictures. The
locations might in theory be unrestricted and public space but the
authorities frown very deeply if you record anything about them.

So, on the one hand I would wish to encourage a geocaching style camaraderie
within OSM, while at the same time preserve the sometimes difficult position
enthusiasts might find themselves occasionally, or in some instances all the
time.

Cheers,

Andy

Andy Robinson
Andy_J_Robinson at blueyonder.co.uk