[OSM-talk] Moderating / Quality checking OSM contributions -- was: Re: OSmosa.net run now.., contribution model

[mick]

On Tue, 6 Dec 2011 17:45:37 +0100
Frederik Ramm <frederik at remote.org> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> On Tue, 6 Dec 2011 14:37:32 +0000
> "Jaakko Helleranta.com" <jaakko at helleranta.com> wrote:
> > That is: as the contributors' tech-savvyness decreases we see a clear
> > hike in various sorts of data problems.
> 
> ...
> 
> > Not having _something_ like this is a major problem.
> 
> There is an obvious alternative solution - if OpenStreetMap is too
> complex for non-tech-savvy users, then don't bring them.

_I_ believe that approach will result in a withering and increasingly _exclusive_ project.
> 
> There are people who actively recruit non-tech-savvy people to
> OpenStreetMap; maybe instead of requesting a change in OpenStreetMap
> which you might not be able to help with, maybe you should petition
> those people to stop what they're doing, or train users better!

If you recruit non-tech-savvy people you SHOULD be guiding them towards quality work, within the scope of the project. 

At the same time OSM should to grow to simplify accurate data entry, particularly in regard to CLEAR CONCISE tagging.

The raw recuits of today include people who, once they learn, will help carry the project forward in the future

> 
> If OSM is taught in the classroom and this results in lots of errors,
> then either OSM was not the right subject to teach, or was not taught
> well ;)

Letting utter novices loose on live data strikes me as crazy, they will make dumb mistakes that even a GOOD instructor could easily miss, what would it take to provide a 'dummy' server that could be readily be downloaded and installed at the training site, perhaps along the lines of a 'LiveCD'.

mick