[OSM-talk] A compromise on anonymous users

[Frederik Ramm]

HI,

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

Unnecessary. Anyone can select any user name they want and if they
want to use "anonymoususer546" then they can just select that user
name.

We don't have to select it for them.

Maybe the "anonymous" of the subject is misleading to some; I repeat:
Nobody wants to know the user's real name. Just his "screen name".
Which can be any arbitrary string.

> 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.

Yes, exactly.

> 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)

No problem here - the idea was not to force existing accounts to make
their edits public, just to deny them the right of further editing
unless they do, which is perfectly fine with any data protection law. 

And, again: "make edits public" does not mean, and has never meant,
"give people your real name". *Just* the "screen name". Which can be
anything.

Bye
Frederik

-- 
Frederik Ramm  ##  eMail frederik at remote.org  ##  N49°00.09' E008°23.33'