[OSM-talk] Import guidelines & OSMF/DWG governance

[Lester Caine]

Pieren wrote:
> But let the local community decides when and who. And for that, we
> need to contact people in their speaking language, not in English,
> either through a local representative or e.g. standard messages
> previously translated. Then check with the local community if or what
> goes wrong with the person and only at the end, suspend his account.

A thought here which I think would work ...
One of the problems in some areas of the planet is working out which language to 
use to correspond, and while I can set that for my own account I can't see it on 
others? Perhaps a preferred language on the users info page?

Personally ( not limited to OSM ) when I receive an email from a contact who is 
obviously struggling I'll resort to google to send a 'translation' in what I 
think is the language they would prefer. It does help resolve confusion most of 
the time and can break the ice with the 'strange' use of technical terms ;)

On a second level, we are probably at a point where the 'check with the local 
community' should include copying this sort of matter to them? So the addition 
of a 'local community' selection would also help? It COULD help direct people to 
local language based support when they first register? And the local news list 
would get a post when someone joined who may need help? My data processing hat 
says "He selected French ... what French lists are registered so I can list 
them". 'Location' could add or filter the results?

On the specifics of the 'WikiProject France/Cadastre' ... while I can use Google 
to read up on the projects progress, it is only really a competent French 
speaking mapper who can provide an English translation that is accurate?  We do 
not do languages well ... that is a simple fact ... but it does require a little 
cooperation to fix that. I'm still not sure if the Cadastre data has the 
necessary unique identifiers to properly manage ongoing imports? The 
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Import/Catalogue entry is under 'One time 
import' and has not been updated since 2009 and provides a couple of broken 
links. This just needs tidying up a little with current information perhaps a 
summary in English? Even the Cadastre site provides an English version, but only 
for some of the content :( INFORMING the rest of the community what is going on 
is one of the 'requests' from the guide, and I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling 
that this has fallen a little behind in this case? That said, the whole 
Catalogue *IS* due for an overhaul :(

-- 
Lester Caine - G8HFL
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