[OSM-talk] Disallow Anonymous Edits NOW

[A Morris]

> > It's also fashionable to give up freedom for security, which is
> > pretty much what this is.
>
> Sorry, but that is bullshit.


I disagree. Steve is correct.


> I am all for freedom even at the cost of
> convenience and security, but all this does is expose some random user
> display string that a user chose.


No, you're wrong. It is not hard to work out a semi-anonymous editor's
identity from their gps traces and map edits.

It allows anybody (at any point in the future) to correllate all your
movements, where you live, who your friends are, where you work, where you
buy your milk. That is most certainly loss of freedom.

I do agree that there should be a way to contact anonymous editors however,
but sending a message to "most recent editor of node XYZ" should not leak
information that could be used to identify that person. Maybe that person
could be forced to read or even reply to such messages before making new
edits.

Regards, Aled.
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