[OSM-talk] A compromise on anonymous users

[Corey Burger]

With all this talk about anonymous users, we need to look at the real
issues behind anonymous users, that of dealing with their edits.

(For background, I have been an admin on Wikipedia for a number of
years and have seen how their system works and doesn't.)

I propose we keep anonymous edits, but we tag each anonymous user
seperately, such as anonymoususer546 might be me. Thus, we win the
following:

1. Ability to identify all the edits of that user
2. Rollback of a specific users edits
3. Contact with a specific anonymous user, via the built in talk page

We also keep the ability for users to stay anonymous, something that I
think we should keep, as it is not really anonymous users that are
causing the problem, it is that we cannot contact them.

One thing to keep in mind is that exisiting anonymous edits are likely
to require to stay anonymous, due to the UK's data and privacy laws (I
am assuming, being a Canadian)

Thoughts?

Corey